Talk:Mezzo-soprano/Archive 1

Mezzos in operettas and musicals
Why are mezzo and alto roles in musicals and operettas together in this article? Why not put the altos in the alto article?
 * As no one has replied, I've removed those I know to be altos from the list and am about to put Mme. Giry into the alto article (the others were already there).

I think that we should work to keep this list down to the most notable, and archetypal roles in musicals and operettas. I know there are hundreds of them. But we shouldn't need to list them all here. We should only be listing enough so that the reader gets the idea. Thanks Broadwaygal 17:25, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

Pants roles
Any opinions as to putting all the pants roles under a separate heading? Roscelese 20:51, 4 June 2006 (UTC)
 * Are they "pants roles" or "breech roles"? The article uses both terms. Valley2city 18:03, 1 December 2006 (UTC)
 * It's a UK/US english thing. UK tends to call them "Breeches" roles, not least because pants refers to underwear in British usage and that it actually what most males would have worn up until some point in the 19th century so it's possibly a more accurate description anyway.  David Underdown 09:04, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

What's the difference between a Soprano and a Coloratura Mezzo-Soprano?
Many Mezzos can sing as high as regular Sopranos and often have a similar range. Coloratura Mezzos can sing above High C, to the hieght of some Coloratura Sopranos. From what I've read, some Coloratura Mezzos can even go into the whistle register! How are you supposed to tell the difference between the two? This is confusing! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.78.122.30 (talk) 15:36, 7 September 2007 (UTC)


 * Let me clear this up. First of all, there is a difference in range and all women are capable of going into the whistle register (just as all men can use falsetto but to varying degress). Coloratura mezzo-sopranos have been known to sing up to high D (D6) in rare instances but they do not have the high E and F without going into the whistle register. A Coloratura soprano must have these notes and sometimes even are required to sing up to the A above hich C (A7) whithout going into the whistle register. The typical coloratura mezzos range is from about the G below middle C (G3)to the B two octaves above middle C.(B6) The typical coloratura soprano range is from middle C (C4) to the F two-and-a-half octaves above middle C (F6). Coloratura mezzos can therefore sing much lower than coloratura sopranos but not quite as high. I have never heard of one hitting a high F in full voice ever and if she did she would immediatly be reclassified as a Dramatic Coloratura Soprano. Second, the timbre of the voices are quite different. The coloratura mezzo has a much warmer and silkier sound than a coloratura soprano. Third, once the voice gets up to about high B (B6), the coloratura soprano has a lot more dexterity and ease of movement that a coloratura mezzo. Likewise, mezzos can do a whole lot more down in the lower register than a coloratura soprano. The role of Rosina in the Barber of Seville is sung by both women but the roles are actually in two versions. The role was transposed up for the coloratura soprano. A mezzo coloratura would never even atempt the higher version. Hope that cleared it up. Nrswanson (talk) 22:24, 5 December 2007 (UTC)

Ofra Haza
I have added Ofra Haza, since it says on her page that her voice is also Mezzo-soprano. I've added her before, but she was removed. So if this is incorrect, if Ofra Haza does not belong in this list, than I think it should also be adapted in the Ofra Haza article as well. --Robster1983 13:54, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

No need for listing musical theater roles on this page
There is a page that lists this already. Mezzo-soprano roles in musicals There is a link for it at the bottom.Nrswanson (talk) 04:40, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

No need for contemporary and crossover mezzo-sopranos on this page
There is already another page for this. Contemporary and crossover mezzo-sopranosNrswanson (talk) 04:45, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

No lyric mezzo section? and three overlapping lists of singers!
We still have problems here. I think we need a section on lyric mezzos. Dividing them all into either coloratura or dramatic doesn't work. And we need three separate lists of examples, eliminating the large undivided list of singers at the end. Comments? -- Kleinzach (talk) 15:03, 7 December 2007 (UTC)


 * I totally agree. Unfotunately the resources I have are tending to divide mezzos differently when it comes to the lyric roles. Some of them have a seperation into the three groups: coloratura, lyric, and dramatic mezzos but more of them have just coloratura and dramatic or lyric and dramatic with the lyric/coloratura roles as being possibly performed by either voice, which does tend to happen in the casting I have seen in operas. One book even lists lyric-mezzos under the coloratura-mezzo section. It doesn't seem like there is as much consensus here and it is a week point in the vocal categorization system. I'm not sure what to do. Otherwise my resources are pretty much all congruent with the other vocal sub-categories. SHould I go with overall consensus (just coloratura and dramatic) or with the lesser consensus (three divisions) which seems to be more clear but may possibly be misleading. Nrswanson (talk) 00:56, 8 December 2007 (UTC)Nrswanson (talk) 00:52, 8 December 2007 (UTC)


 * I decided to do three parts as it is more in keeping with the Fach system.Nrswanson (talk) 03:13, 8 December 2007 (UTC)


 * It looks good now. Distinguishing between types will always be difficult, particularly on the coloratura/lyric border but that's unavoidable. Interesting that Octavian seems to be the diagnostic role for lyrics. -- Kleinzach (talk) 03:05, 9 December 2007 (UTC)

Ma Moss-contralto?
The aria database said this role is for a contralto but the wikipedia article on the opera says mezzo-soprano. Until the issue is sorted I removed this role from the list:
 * Ma Moss, The Tender Land (Copland)Nrswanson (talk) 07:44, 8 December 2007 (UTC)