What Opera's 11 Types of Female Singers Sound Like (w/examples!)

[@ScoresUnstitched]

This vid is pulling in way more people than my usual audience like 2 years after I first published it and it's freaking me out so hi everyone! This is a blast! A couple things: 1) Hi, I'm Cait. 👋 I'm an ex-industry opera singer who's either refreshingly genuine or criminally unknowledgeable, depending on who you ask. (Personally, I think both are true depending on the day). I have a master's degree in opera from the royal college of music (if you're someone to whom that matters) and was a professional opera singer for a few years before I left the industry after a vocal injury. Now I make videos about it. Takes (spanning the gamut from scalding to frosty), rants, eduCaitional (yikes, sorry) stuff like this, etc. If the algorithm pulled you in, welcome to opera. 😊 2) Especially if you're new to classical music/opera, please don't listen to the gatekeepers in this comment section! This kind of music is amazing, and the biggest thing I want to do on this channel is just have a place where we can all talk about how cool it is! Unfortunately, elitism is still really prevalent in niche hobbies like this, and there are people in every classical music comment section who will make themselves out to be the "only true fan" by using their knowledge/experience as a measuring stick against which they will always be tallest and you will never have even been measured -- it's nonsense. There's nothing objective about art, and opera is no exception. So if you like my examples, I'm so glad! If you don't, that's cool. And if you're just discovering opera for the first time and are wondering why this video is weirdly interesting, thank you for watching. And so am I. 😂 But I appreciate you, and you're welcome here! PS: Can we let "pocket" go? It's ~whimsical~. Let's let opera have a little more ~whimsy~.

[@PrismMime47]

Hello Cait, I just discovered this video today. (I appreciate the gymnast comparisons, lol.) I have a question: Please look up Nadia Sohaei. After watching this video, I am very curious as to which fach, or ~whimsy~ she's in. ☺ The song in question is "Callas Never Dies." Oh, and just wait for it near the end of the song! Thank you. (Another good example is her song "In Your Eyes.")

[@shawnaweesner3759]

I appreciated your explanations so much. I like Opera. I sometimes even love it, but I never understand much of it, so I just stick with certain songs from certain Operas.

[@Helleberg57]

I am Louise from Sweden and I love opera! Thank you for this 🌸🌺🌸

[@rosiebowers1671]

Love this video! Been watching opera for a long long time, and gatekeepers suck so much; they make me anxious to talk about it at all with anyone ever.

[@TheOnlyLilithcat]

KZbin's algorithm recommended this video, and I'm very glad it did. Having the audio examples of the different fachs is very helpful. Thanks for this!

[@shaunhoang]

My jaw dropped at the first note by the 'Principessa'. So unexpected!

[@mamascarlatti]

Ewa Podleś was a queen.

[@ericobezerra]

I had to repeat this part just to enjoy once more

[@rloomis3]

Mine too! Literally!

[@tanton2531]

i had the same reaction, impressive

[@drmurphy4043]

Same 😲

[@skp7577]

I loved your dancer/athlete analogies. They made so much sense to me.

[@seantodd8875]

Me too! That was a great choice.

[@balletshoes]

I hated it! But I am a former ballerina, so ... to me, they make absolutely no sense ...

[@MithrilButterfly]

@@balletshoes It’s confusing from a ballet perspective because terms like soubrette as also used as specific categories for types of ballerinas. I think comparing fach in opera and emploi in ballet might be interesting, though they don’t match up very well either.

[@wendyleeconnelly2939]

I thought it was confusing as well as rather dismissive of gymnasts

[@mijalheinrich4331]

To compare a voice with a dancer, if it is high and with a sumoringer if it is low is not really flattering for women with lower voices. What is a contralto like? A wale? That's not nice and it is not accurate.

[@librakels3844]

The Contralto voice is so amazing. It gives me the feeling of listening to the wise woman of the village, if that makes sense. Like, the woman who is the oldest and wisest, whose words and presence has so much power.

[@yvonneplant9434]

True mezzos and contralto are very rare. Rare like counter tenors.

[@Beryllahawk]

I wish like hell that every single voice student EVER would get this thorough an explanation. I wish like hell ***I*** had gotten this kind of explanation. I wouldn't have given up on opera if someone had bothered to effing TELL ME even half this information. My first teacher never once mentioned that women's voices change over time (nor did she even hint that I'd need to wait to my thirties to have a mature voice). My second teacher was far more helpful, unfortunately by then I had a kid and there was no chance of me really pursuing a career in art music :( I still adore this music though and you've done just a wonderful job with explaining this idea. It's so much different from choral classifications! Looking forward to checking the male voice counterpart now!

[@ScoresUnstitched]

Oh no! Oh I'm so sorry to hear that 😭 But also, omg I should totally make a choral version! And also also, it's never too late. Gotta love youtube for giving us all second chances!

[@Mastriani92]

@@ScoresUnstitchedplease make a choral version of voice classification!

[@itsirkeel]

I'm a Music History/Theory major from a small liberal arts college. I couldn't major in 'choir' and I wasn't a soloist, hence where I ended up. I've also worked at both Nashville and Portland Opera. And somehow, despite 5 years at Nashville Opera and 2 or so at Portland Opera, that comparison with women athletes broke my brain. I worked in opera. I understand opera. There are some I love, though usually from a symphonic standpoint. Now I understand that these roles, these were written for **known** vocal athletes! And watching these incredible singers (thanks for the tears that fell hearing Leontyne Price), I saw them COMPLETELY through a different lens. Now, I was in ticketing and stuff, but I've been a decent semi-professional choral singer much of my life. I never understood why any singer felt drawn to the art. NOW I GET IT. This is a long game career, unlike ballet and some others you mentioned. If you take good care of your living instrument, you're only stopped by yourself. I have no idea how or why this came through my feed today, but I want to offer a true mini-panegyric of gratitude that I just got to spend these 15 minutes with your explanations of these opera voices. I second one for choral voices! You didn't make this video last week, but somehow, it feels perfectly timed for me to be considering these things. Like singing again, myself! @ScoresUnstitched Subscribing and looking forward to knitting while delving into your trove of videos!! 🙏💞🦄🥰

[@Beryllahawk]

@@itsirkeel OH Leontyne Price...yeah, those were good tears.

[@robinsonstegard538]

Thank you for a more thorough explanation. In my mid-twenties I was told by by a respected local maestro that I was a lyric soprano. I left school and my studies and returned in my mid-forties. By then, my range had dropped some-childbirth was my friend to bring in my lower range. I sang 2nd soprano in college choirs, yet was encouraged by two different voice teachers at that time, one of them an opera teacher, that my mature head voice was worth training....ahhh. I am grateful for the training that I have been able to obtain. I understand.

[@mamascarlatti]

You're right about seating distance from spintos. I sat in the front row when Christine Goerke was doing a Wagner recital in New Zealand and she nearly blew my eyebrows off. Brilliant.

[@craffte]

you were very brave.

[@joyfulyes]

"blew my eyebrows off" lmao that's evocative! Had you looking like Brad Dourif in The Two Towers eh?

[@mamascarlatti]

@@joyfulyes Yes but my hair rather less greasy

[@jacquelinek5036]

I sang alto in high school because I had a nice tone but no range. When I was in my 20s, a voice teacher told me I might be a mezzo. Now I'm just an old lady who likes to sing. I very much enjoyed this video and found it very informative

[@arianajones604]

I don't have a traditonal opera range but it's enough to impress people at karaoke 😂 and I love singing. I've been told I have nice tone, but I lack perfect pitch and suck at sight reading.

[@iseley]

Lots of mezzos and even sopranos end up singing in the alto section in choirs. The untrained singing voice is often limited to notes within speech range, and the range required for the alto section is where most women speak regardless of voice type. For instance, I've never heard someone's speaking voice reach high Cs consistently. Consequently, a lot of women believe that they are contraltos when they are not.

[@stinks7065]

I was always lumped as an alto in our choir because I had good tone and I've always been able project my low notes very well, which is what was needed since we had very few girls who were able to sing in that register and it wasn't until 7 years later that a singing teacher finally told me I'm actually a mezzo and helped me develop my upper register as well!

[@Casutama]

German-speaker here: "Fach" is technically the word for _shelf_ not pocket, which especially given the list at the beginning of all of the differen _Fächer_ kind of makes intuitive sense. (It's a great video btw, really good for showing to my friends who are confused)

[@AxelAngeli]

While Fach means basically "compartment", "Stimmfach" translates to "subject" or "professional skill" in this context. You may also use the analogy to organ, where the term used is "register".

[@kat5000]

I would have used drawer, but I hate translation for that exact reason

[@emmathomas2832]

It's also the word used for different school subjects! Translation is extremely squirrelly and that's one of the many reasons words like that don't get translated

[@joyfulyes]

​@@emmathomas2832I love translations for this same reason! It's fun and enriching to learn the word for something in another language, and attend to the nuances where it doesn't translate exactly but has different connotations... But then I just love language band languages in general

[@Asptuber]

@@kat5000 I was thinking of cubbyhole or whatever you call those small things hotels used to have for the keys and (originally) letters or notes. Translation is fun until you actually have to do it! (Especially trying to think between two non-native languages - NEVER volunteer to translate that!)

[@l1lium]

My toxic trait is thinking that I could sing these all

[@GirtheAlienGoldfish]

Everyone thinks they can, which is hilarious, because opera is such a difficult style to sing in. I think I can, but then my voice hurts after a single bar.

[@sammig.8286]

Me too. The weird thing is, I sing alto in choir and can usually sing down to D3 as my absolute lowest note, but I actually don't feel comfortable down there. Anything below middle C feels like I'm having to pull out my "manly" voice. (I've been trying to work on getting my chest voice to sound more similar to my head voice or at least blended, but it's a work in progress.) My most comfortable range is C4 to G5, but if I warm up very well then I can sing up to a D3 fairly decently. Sometimes, I squeak out F6 or possibly G6 just for fun, but those really are squeaks.

[@l1lium]

@@sammig.8286 haha I also sing in our uni choir (I'm first soprano) and also sing as a hobby (I've taken singing lessons and had some gigs) but opera style is very different from the pop/jazz style I sing in. And I definitely could not sing the super high notes that we have in the choir alone, because it just doesn't sound beautiful 🤣 it works in choir setting tho. And those super low notes are a no go 💀

[@sammig.8286]

@@l1lium Yeah, I feel like my voice identifies as a bass when I sing those low notes, even though they are actually tenor range notes and not low bass notes. I just feel like I'm singing bass in a deep manly voice, because it's low for me.

[@Angel-c1i3s]

With enough hard work and dedication, you might

[@nevamoore5192]

The hell. For every single snippet, I've been dumbstruck. Were I ever to see an opera irl. I might have trouble walking out at the end.😮 A whole new world.

[@julietrik4873]

It's definitely worth seeing a live opera. Many years ago I had season tickets and it's just so powerful. Seeing it performed on stage puts it in a whole new category.

[@Natasha-tu5qs]

You should definitely go sometime. Many concert halls sell a selection of 'cheap' or student tickets, if you're early enough at least.

[@Delinae]

If you live in a major city there should be an opera. Classical music tickets are not cheap but opera tickets are still generally lower than musicals. There's also usually no dress code and stuff like that anymore and the audiences are pretty chill.

[@1oscarbravo]

Definitely go see an opera live. It's not cheap, but soooo worth it. Don't worry if it's in a foreign language. All operas will have excellent surtitles in English projected above the stage somewhere. And you won't have any trouble following the plot because it's always the same - boy meets girl, they fall in love at first sight, but something keeps them apart. The only question is will they or won't they live happily ever after. Last two operas I've seen were Wagner's Die Walkure in Leipzig, Germany and Handel's Julius Caesar in Sydney, Australia. Can confirm that high dramatic sopranos singing over a Wagner orchestra which includes 6 harps, 8 horns and quadruple woodwind will pin you to your seat, while the counter tenors singing Handel played on authentic period instruments will have you on the edge of your seat.

[@stephaniemoga5297]

I saw my first opera when I was 32. I was stunned when I walked out of there. It changed my life.

[@MsTatertots]

Absolutely loved this video. I’m an opera major and this is a topic that should be explained right away to students in schools before throwing terms around. Thank you so much for much!

[@MsSpiffz]

I currently sing tenor, in various choirs, but I'm finally getting the training I've always wanted, and I'm assured that I'm actually a Contralto, with a range from A2 to G5. Those high notes are like something I've put in a drawer somewhere, and can't remember what drawer I've put them in - but in lessons, I sing them easily. I can't think what on earth I can actually DO with a voice like that - but I've heard it, and was stunned - I really want to learn to USE it.

[@helenacorreia7613]

Love the expression "Those high notes are like something I've put in a drawer somewhere and can't remember where"

[@dmytrotsvyntarnyi799]

Roles in choir and voicetypes are not exactly the same. Operatic fächer are traditionally strictly gendered, so smth like "a male contralto" is just not a thing

[@TheresaTV1]

If you are a woman, you’re a contralto. If you’re a man, you’re a counter-tenor. Plenty of repertoire for both.

[@Nina-no8qj]

Ok but Kristin Chenoweth killed it

[@ellenkranzer4776]

I'm so pleased the KZbin algorithms led me to this video. As someone who has loved going to the opera since her teens, but has never actually studied the subject, I found your explanations and analogies really clear. I can't wait to check out your other videos.

[@SSNorway]

Just the same. The video is three years old. By G on time for the stupid algorithm to get me to your doorstep. Many thanks from Norway 🇳🇴

[@katie7748]

My first introduction was The Magic Flute at age three. Apparently, I sat completely entranced on my dad's knees the ENTIRE. TIME. My mother wasn't into opera, ballet, symphonies, musicals, etc, so throughout my childhood he took me instead since I loved it all so much.

[@FoodNerds]

I love the athlete and voice types comparisons. I think it’s very effective.

[@mijalheinrich4331]

I think it is insulting for woman with lower voices.

[@kateamanak]

@@mijalheinrich4331 I think it is insulting for the higher voices. To be compared to children

[@arryaxx263]

@@kateamanak I think you're both insulting to common sense.

[@zannis5441]

😂

[@paulapenna-loveyourvoice]

Voice teacher here - I really appreciate how well you explained all of this information, in a relatable format, with relatable analogies! Thanks!

[@lilimelli6974]

I am a student and I agree

[@lyndonjames8607]

I LOVED the dancer/athlete analogies. Nice.

[@erinharper5805]

Though she’s right that she deserves some hate for the incorrect characterizations of some of these sports

[@80-d28]

The last singer was the Amazing Eva Podles,(RIP) her range was A2 to D6! Also the contralto voice yes it is rare but it is not as rare as many think. There's a lot of reasons for this one is that there wasn't a lot of repertoire written for contraltos, also there's been a misconception that contaltos aren't marketable so many will call themselves mezzo-sopranos. There's also a lot of misunderstanding about the voice and a lot of us go through life not knowing what the heck is wrong with our voices and psychologically we may tell ourselves that this is not the way females are supposed to sing and therefore we may not even discover how low we could really get and how powerful are lower registers are. Another reason is there are three types of contraltos there's a lyric there's the middleweight or coloratura which is what Eva was( which is kind of like having both a basement and an attic so we could go very low and very high. Then there's the dramatic that is extremely low and sounds almost Male. Also the contralto voice mirrors the bass singer an octave higher so in reality there are no fewer contraltos than there are bases unfortunately there is a lot of misunderstanding about this. As an example, I come from a family full of musicians, I've been around musicians all my life but no one seemed to be able to tell me what was "weird" about my voice I didn't start studying vocals until about 4 years ago. I have a similar range as Eva does but I'm set a little lower. Roughly G2 to B5. the thing with control toes is a lot of us can get up there but we don't like to stay up there so I could use high notes sparingly but my best comfort zone is G2 to G5. Adding more to the confusion is the dramatic contralto sounds almost Male, which is why some people insist a female sounding voice can't be a contralto if it doesn't sound male. Also the most common contralto is the lyric that can be confused with a Mezzo, it's lighter and more feminine, which adds to the confusion. For me, had I known years ago about this, I'd have got into opera, but it's too late. I've been "type cast" as a rock belter singing male vocals, and although I've took some lessons, and I'm obsessed with vocal mechanics/science, my knowledge of the latter is always going to exceed my ability to sing plus when I try to sing "nice" everybody goes "what the heck? why aren't you screaming and belting like you normally do? Lol

[@helenacorreia7613]

Interesting! Thanks for educating me on the subject. I have been wondering a lot about that too. And of course you can still sing! Especially as a contralto, you have opera roles until very late in life!

[@mrladyer]

Yesss! Middleweight contralto over here👋🏻

[@lindenlynx]

Thank you! People always exaggerate the rareness of contraltos, which leads to many of us being misdiagnosed as mezzos. We get told that we can't possibly be contraltos because they're supposedly so rare.

[@80-d28]

@@mrladyer I've been calling myself a "metallic dramatic, with a basement and an attic" Definitely a big voice and at some ranges I sound almost like a "teenage baritone" but higher can sound more Mezzo. Being barley over 5 feet tall further confuses people plus having high notes, I've experienced being put in the soprano section a couple times attempting to join a church choir. ONLY my high school choir teacher placed me in the right section when I was 14, but I was too young to pay attention to the significance. It all made a lot more sense once I found the correct info.

[@80-d28]

I do pull of the male heavy metal vocals quite well. Lately I'm seeing several women doing these types of covers ...but in the WRONG KEY. Transposed up often as much as 5 notes 😆

[@Hochspitz]

I am one who just spotted this video today. I am a retired classical musician (not a singer) and a few weeks ago my sister asked me if I thought Cher had a contralto voice. I replied, saying that I thought not perhaps a mezzo/alto of some kind and spent hours on YT trying to find examples. So yay! Now I have passed this one along to her.😀

[@DannyJane.]

I can NOT sit through Un Bel Di without chills. Such an AMAZING passage that I can never not be moved to the point of tears.

[@dennischiapello7243]

Watching and hearing Asmik Grigorian in the Met HD production recently made me feel like I was hearing the aria for the first time! Overwhelming.

[@ian1856]

Interesting. I cannot sit through Un Bel Di. Period....too many Miss America pageants as a kid!

[@KingoftheJuice18]

I'm an educator and your use of sporting analogies here (in additional to your verbal descriptors) was marvelous.

[@Ava_Lang]

This was immensly informative for someone like me, who is interested but has no matrix knowledge of classical music at all. Your acute intelligence and concise pattern of assiociative teaching made this a pleasurable experience. Thank you so much, I feel richer now.❤

[@GKViddingHD]

This was incredible fun to watch and listen to. I worked for a classical concert house, we had Diana Damrau, Renee Fleming and the likes on the stage and I had no idea there was so much vocal diversity. ^^ The contralto is amazing!! Thank you so much!

[@violet3242]

Love how clear & informative this is 😊

[@Pachinanonim]

No es por arruinarte pero este video esta explicado casi todo mál.

[@katyc.8663]

The algorithm brought me here, but I stayed because you explained it very well. I just listen to music because I like music. Wow. The dramatic soprano example gave me chills.

[@ginaC53]

Wow, the contralto is so beautiful.

[@nataliakhomenko5325]

I don't know if it was demonetized or demonized but it came into my recommendations 2 years after it was posted. It's an excellent job. Thank you very much!

[@JosetteBadger]

Thank you for explaining to a non singer who recently realized that she loves to listen to opera❤

[@williammaddox3339]

Mimi in La Boheme is usually considered to be and sung by lyric sopranos. A really good spinto is exciting in the role (example Tebaldi) but is not the norm.

[@lissandrafreljord7913]

It would be surprising to find a voice like Tebaldi's today. The woman had such a strong and developed core. One of the most quintessential and beautiful sounding spinto voices. Leontyne Price, on the other hand, was always more of a full lyric soprano to me.

[@nikkinik7202]

Это норма

[@jimbuxton2187]

​@@lissandrafreljord7913Caballe also!

[@BarbaraMarieLouise]

Well, normally Fiodilidgi is considered for a spinto soprano.and what spintisier are is that they usually are already more the dramatic type, nevertheless they can also be very flexible if well trained. As a spinto myself and now becoming more and more dramatic I know exactly the struggles and advantages of a spinto.

[@brucealanwilson4121]

@@BarbaraMarieLouise My mother was a lyric-dramatic soprano & Fiordiligi was one of her roles.

[@shamanbeartwo3819]

I have never in my life had any interest in opera but in 15 minutes, you got me hooked!! Those contralto/mezzo-sopranos gave me chills:))

[@helenas7948]

I've heard Ewa Podleś live (singing Rossini) and she was phenomenal. Her voice was a force of nature. Beautiful contralto.

[@deborahchrismarchini]

Same note at 4:19 (soubrette) and 7:25 (spinto). Good for comparing.

[@jessicag.3694]

Whoa. Good catch! They actually do sound different. The first one actually sounds higher and lighter even though it's the same note!

[@kashagizmo]

Contraltos are so incredibly underrated.

[@misssmith7225]

Goodness! This is so helpful as a listener. Thank you

[@justforheckofit]

Hi Cait, you deserve a gold medal in video production! So informative and fun! Love your written notes...

[@ey8767]

Dramatic sopranos basically disappear nowadays. That voice is huge. Nilsson was like wow…. For the tenor singing with her, I think it’s better that he doesn’t sing at all. Because if he sings, he would be silenced by Nilsson’s voice and couldn’t be heard anyway. Corelli was the only tenor who survived Nilsson, and maybe Stefano, whose voice was silenced and reappeared from time to time.

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

Yes, unfortunately dramatic singers are disappearing. The example used here was not very good. It was a voice full of wobbles. Nilsson had a humongous voice that was laser sharp and crystal clear without any wobbles. The Nillson and Corelli duels made opera really exciting, this is a good example. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oH2ZZZh3odSsf8Usi=3dFOFfLjvSPZBiiS

[@ey8767]

@@ZENOBlAmusic It's sooooo good! I mean clearly they are trying to compete with each other on that HighC.

[@nobumiau6472]

And definitely Windgassen! Also check out Lise Davidsen, she's like the reincarnation of Nilsson!

[@ey8767]

@@nobumiau6472 Well, outside of Italian repertoires, there are surely some Wagnerians who could match Nilsson's voice, such as Svanholm (the Aida with those two great singers is fantastic). Also Placido Domingo survived once in 1970 when singing Turandot with Nilsson. But generally speaking, I pay my respect to any tenor who had the courage to stand on the stage and sing with her.

[@lucianmarina8691]

Great video. Very well informed. And may I praise the beauty of Ewa Podes’s voice.

[@VaughanMcAlley]

I’ve been singing in and composing for choirs for a long time, and have gotten good at keeping within comfortable vocal ranges. So it’s always been a bit confusing when a mezzo comes along and sings a high B flat, but this video has helped me make more sense of it. Occasionally I get to compose for particular voices that I know well. My favourite soprano can float a high B over the rest of the choir serenely for 12 seconds 😀 (edit: I guess that would count as soubrette)

[@jocelynleung7480]

The dancer/singer analogies allow you to see connections between so many types of skills. Bravo!

[@SayukiTogashi]

I absolutelly love your analogies between the voices and dancing/sports. That's so didactic and easy to understand! And thank you for the part you say Lauretta is for grown-ups! That's how I've learnt, but I see a lot of light sopranos singing this arya and even heard someone telling "it's not for my voice" when I sang it! I'm a Full Lyric Soprano, btw.

[@caddywampus]

The Presentation of the Rose was so beautiful

[@davidmuller9938]

Hoch means high in English but "Hochdramatisch" soprano roles lies very low for a regular soprano. Many mezzo-sopranos sings Wagnerian "hochdramatisch" because they are not that high. So translating it "high dramatic soprano" is very tricky because the "regular" Italian dramatic soprano roles are in much higher range (Tosca, Turandot, Amelia etc)

[@matheus97922]

It would be more of a "very dramatic soprano" instead, right?

[@comradewindowsill4253]

it's actually a very simple translation problem-- in german, adjective adverb pairs which are separated by a -ly suffix in english are often completely undifferentiated in german. 'hoch' translates both as 'high' and as 'highly'. it's a highly dramatic soprano.

[@SeeWoelfin]

@@matheus97922correct.

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

I used to be able to sing Sempre Libre. My lowest note is B2. I was lucky enough to hear Kiri te Kanawa as the Marchelin in _Der Rozenkavalier_ back in the day.

[@WhirledPublishing]

@5:40 O mio babbino caro is a "grown ass woman's aria" ... but Lauretta - the character - is a teen girl who has been driven out of her mind by her insane relatives. @8 minutes: "crossfit icons of opera" ... Weight-lifters and long-distance Marathon runners in one ... I'm getting a visual @10:40 As an Assoluta, who sings Queen of the Night, I was asked to record Carmen ... 11 years ago ... not because I have a death wish ... and not because Carmen's arias were some of my best, but because men (((love))) Carmen ... and that's what the men were repeatedly begging me to record ... 11 years later, Carmen's arias are some of my best arias because my lower notes are very rich now ... like Belgian Chocolates

[@gregorywiederecht]

I think she was referencing how every child singer with a classical bent on America's got talent is made to sing "O Mio Babbino Caro" even though they really shouldn't be handling that kind of material at their age.

[@merryhunt9153]

I heard this sung beautifully by a graduate student in opera at my local university. She played a young woman pleading with her father for money so she can marry the nice man she loves, and her young but accomplished voice was just right.

[@hefeibao]

Everyone should watch this video, even if you're not into opera. Super informative in a way that's easy to understand.

[@am-lo1pz]

I don't know why we're all getting this recommended, but god bless the algorithm! I've just gone back to singing lessons and was trying to work out where my voice sits now - based on the repertoire I'm given and your incredibly helpful video, I now have a much better idea.

[@TimmyJoGiven]

I am also in singing lessons (as a senior citizen). My instructor believes without a doubt that I have a soprano voice. It's high, light, and clear -- without much bottom on my high notes. It sounds like glass. In some ways, I envy other voices that can hit the same notes as I can but also carry thick, "caramel" tones even as sopranos. I don't have that sound. Just crystal-clear high notes. We are each unique, how about it...I am accepting my voice for what it is and discovering what I can do with it.

[@isabellamaria5632]

I would like to add that there are a couple more types of contraltos, one being a coloratura contralto which is what I am. I wish there was more information and examples of contraltos 😢😢

[@mijalheinrich4331]

Thank you!❤️ Same thought.

[@helenacorreia7613]

Good point!

[@Angel-rq3pi]

Hi. I am also a coloratura contralto... But sing everything from mezzo to bass

[@Sajtlik]

This was the best video I've ever seen on explaining the types of voices. Characteristics and comparison to the sports are absolutely amazing.

[@MauriaShulman]

This video made me laugh with astonishment and wish for more!!! So informative and well done! I LOVE the comparison of female vocalists and their types of voices to varied types of dancers and women athletes.Very inspiring. I'll check out local opera performances this season! Thank you!!

[@mijalheinrich4331]

Inspiring? I'm sure your voice wasn't compared with a sumoringer. That was bashing low voices - again!

[@ScoresUnstitched]

It seems to me many sumo wrestlers would also be offended by your comment. No offense was intended. I see sumo wrestling as a strong, powerful sport and treat it with as much respect as I do to the fach I compared it to.

[@gaylinlyons6534]

Fascinating! I was a lyric soprano in my day, but have to say that I loved hearing this contralto voice.

[@cabbie7157]

This was fantastic! Thanks for doing this. I knew of some of these kinds of voices, but holy MOLY, I had no idea there were that many. Also, I love you using physical metaphors for these. As a singer and dancer, I completely felt seen. LOL Love this!

[@barbararichardson-cox3020]

I never heard this defined before. Loved your analogies, so clear and informative.

[@jeywithane130]

ahhh gorgeous video! i loved the examples you chose and that you played them long enough to really get a feel for those voices!

[@seanhallahan14]

What a fabulous gift! Thank you. I had no idea. Merry Christmas, Love 'n Light.

[@jimesoprano]

You are so clear in explaining the differences, I wish KZbin existed when I studied music so that I could hear and see all this so clearly. I learned it over the years, but this is amazing thanks for putting this info together

[@taffyzqt43]

This was my first video/introduction to your channel - I guess the "algorithm pulled me in?" But I'm glad it did! This was truly eduCaitional (love it!) and had me chuckling out loud at times. Your love and passion for classical music and all of these parts really shines through. Now I want to go watch all your other videos! ;)

[@barbarabaker3056]

Very informative and entertaining! The choices are outstanding. Just think of those gifted singers who can manage several types of roles superbly.

[@luannzipp6337]

I'm a contralto, and you're right about most people not knowing what to do with us. I usually just blend into tennor support roles.🤷🏾‍♀️

[@A.H._]

this just popped up in my recommended. i know next to nothing about music or opera, other than i enjoy them. did i watch it in full? hell yes. thank you for such a quality video, i thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@cesarvallejolopez]

Very informative! Of course some of the roles could fit in more than one fach (I would consider Mimì a full lyric for instance).

[@christina1stallings]

Mezzo lyric and lower are the most soothing to my ears.

[@unclvinny]

Brilliant idea for a video! Very enjoyable, thanks so much.

[@oneirdaathnaram1376]

Can't wait for your compilation of the different male voice Fächer! That overview was very informative and - fun!

[@vickyk1861]

Amazing video. I really liked the parallel with gymnastics and dance, it helped a lot. I would like to watch more elaborate videos on certain themes you treated, for instance more thorough comparison between lyrical and spinto roles. Thanks again

[@petecunningham47]

I loved your colorful characterizations of the types of singers, both your descriptive & athletic! My parents loved opera and listened to it (& classical) constantly when I was growing up. (1950s) & it continues to be my favorite type of vocal music.

[@18649128]

Thank you. I’ve heard these terms bantered around for decades and tried to figure out their meanings by context. Obviously not adequate, given how complex the nomenclature. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

[@alba__9853]

I wish I could give you 100 thumbs up. The examples and analogies helped me to understand. Thanks.

[@deebradford4026]

Love your examples. Carmen and Rosina are my favorites and pleased to see who you chose.

[@Hagar00]

I'm one of those new guys brought here by the algorithm. It is a real pleasure to find some new voices (in both meanings: the singers presented here and the creator of the channel) on the platform. It's a blast.

[@Vocedimeche]

This was the best analysis of voice types I ever HEARD and so appropriately illustrated.Many many thanks!!!!

[@suzannemattie3493]

Wow! Beautiful voices! So happy to learn about the different types!

[@lillemum]

I just stumbled upon this video and REALLY enjoyed it! I feel it gave a clear explanation of the different voice types, as well as a mnemonic "pegboard" so I'll be able to recall the info easily.

[@jnadms]

Thank you for this! I'm slowly learning about the world of opera through my weekly Met Opera radio listen and I really appreciated this breakdown! (Shivers all around...such amazing voices!) I'll subscribe!

[@mariaa.7624]

The examples/analogies to explain all the voice types are just 🤌

[@syntazzz]

12:25 I WAS WAITING FOR THIS TO SHOW UP. I LOVE HER VOICE

[@jjang8725]

True Fach For example: Dramatic coloratura : Soprano with a big voice but can sing flexible agility like Rosa Ponselle, Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland. Soubrette Soprano: Soprano with a small, childish voice like Luissa Tettrazini, Kathleen battle. Lyrics Soprano : Common Soprano with light voice but not as Soubrette Soprano like Anna moffo, Mirella freni etc. Spinto Soprano : Soprano with a Medium size voice between Dramatic and Lyrics like Renata Tebaldi, Montserrat Caballe, Zinka Milanov. Dramatic Soprano : Soprano with big voice like Birgit nillson, Ghena Dimitrova, Rosa Ponselle.

[@moonlightelf591]

Rosa Ponselle is not a dramatic coloratura lol. She doesn't even have good tops and cannot really go above C#6. Also her coloratura sucks compared to master coloratura like Callas and Joan. Joan have big tops, but her middle and lows are non-existent.

[@coloraturaElise]

Tetrazzini was a coloratura soprano.

[@cliffarroyo9554]

@@moonlightelf591 I always had the idea Ponselle was a mezzo (such a dark timbre) with good high notes (for a mezzo) and was pushed into soprano roles because of greater demand there. It's not surprising that exposed high notes (like the C in O patria mia) made her nervous and her desire for less exposed roles like Carmen (or Adriana which is not that high) It's amazing that she was able keep doing those roles for so long.

[@Sourouian-Mezzo]

Fantastic video! I couldn’t stop laughing in the best way possible-thank you for that! As someone who has been on stage for over 25 years now, I can say that the concept of 'Fach' boxes is definitely valuable from a theoretical perspective. They provide a great framework for understanding voice types and roles. However, in practice, it almost never applies 100%. I’m a mezzo-soprano, and throughout my career, I’ve sung my way through nearly all the mezzo 'Fachs'-and I’ve always had an easy high 'C' to boot! At the same time, I’ve had to take on really low mezzo parts because of the lack of true contraltos in many situations. This just goes to show how flexible and unique every voice truly is. The human voice is as intricate and complex as the psychology of a human being-it doesn’t fit neatly into rigid categories, and that’s what makes it so fascinating. Thanks again for this wonderful video-it really resonated with me!

[@INKSTARS1138]

This is lovely. My mom trained for a large portion of my childhood at the local community college with a former opera pianist, and she was very good, but I never knew all the extra stuff involved. I LOVE having examples of each! Thank you ♥ My mom wanted to be a coloratura but she couldn't go high enough. (She was a soprano but I gotta figure out which one tho, but I think sang spinto/dramatic stuff)

[@khaleemaalkainaat8178]

I just finished watching Maria and this popped up on my recommended. Interesting and thanks for putting together all these examples as I have no knowledge about opera or ranges. Feel like I learned a lot ♥

[@sh00t1ng-st4r]

this is such a helpful and great explanation. i love the sport associations, it really helps understand the voices better

[@LynnEdmonds-p7j]

This piece was very, very well done. Kudos.

[@martha_ntakou]

Amazing video, well done! I was a little disappointed to see that you didn't include Callas in it, though.

[@Ribberflavenous]

I generally don't follow Opera or Ballet for entertainment, but the algorithm has been tossing me videos like this lately for some reason. I do find the technical aspects of the arts fascinating and impressive. The devotion required to perform in these ways is incredible. I actually find it a bit of a pity that I don't 'get it' in the heart but I understand it is a lack on my part, not the art. I think your method of simile makes this much more understandable for the lay person such as myself.

[@themotiondoctor]

Really helpful! Explains so much about music for voices. Thank you.

[@clefnoteproductions6695]

I think I'd have used Nilsson in the Turandot and Die Walkure excerpt. Also, if list to coloratura sopranos like Luisa Tetrazzini you find their voice dark and flexible with bell like staccato. Her chest and middle voice were insane! Magda Olivero and Rosanna Carteri are what lyric sopranos used to sound like.

[@Wombat1420]

Phenomenal video and lots of fun! Thank you so much!

[@lucianmarina8691]

Podles regina! Glorious video. Thank you!

[@williamdeng1870]

Very professional and practical introduction to various female singers. Thank you very much!

[@SarahJLBriggs]

I loved the analogies too - really helped illustrate the differences. And SO agree with you re. Oh Mio Babbino Caro (I'm soubrette/coloratura and it's just not right for my voice). And Mozart is one of my favourite composers - Exsultate Jubilate and the Alleluia.

[@happycommuter3523]

Super video; as a non-musician, this makes so much sense. I recently read a 1981 novel called Prima Donna, and now I can re-read it, better understanding the opera roles and terminology.

[@howlingwolfart8380]

I can't imagine that you should have to worry about copyright claims. This video is actively educational. That gives you certain amounts of exempt from those types of claims with a very solid argument.

[@ScoresUnstitched]

If only it worked that way. 😭 I might be able to win if I went all the way to court, but realistically YT has copyright struck loads of music commentary channels and we just don't have the money or legal power to fight back. Rick Beato has a couple great vids (more like really good rants haha) on his channel about it, highly recommend!

[@alanc3134]

Thanks for this. Super interesting. You have a wonderful speaking voice also.

[@NatiDeNut]

Beautiful video! The first two mezzo examples sounded almost somewhat like dramatic sopranos.

[@carlmichaels6562]

This was brilliantly done. I never knew there was so much to female opera. You took a subject that could have been a bit dry to teach and brought it to life in a very relatable way. Can't wait for the male video.

[@KaaSerpent]

Wow! This and the part 2 video are SUPER awesome and give a really good explanation of the different voice types. I don't know about everyone else, but I presume I was recommended this because I'm a subscriber to Peter Barber, who is also an opera singer (bass), and Elizabeth Zharoff (The Charismatic Voice), and it just assumes, "This guy likes opera singers, so....HERE!" and here I am. :)

[@colephelps6202]

So mad I couldn't up-vote more than once. This is the kind of explainer everyone needs.

[@astronomer83]

This video is AWESOME! Thank you so much!

[@marym5770]

First time viewer, and I learned SO much! Thank you! Opera is very entertaining…

[@EdwardSeymour-v7j]

Fascinating…. met Podles in Toulouse … a great performer…stunning voice!

[@SquidzitAce]

About a month ago I tried to find a video on different voice types here on YT. All that came up were tests for me to find MY voice type, not what I wanted (I did take the tests, just for fun). Then out of nowhere this video pops up today. THIS is what I was looking for! Thank you, I truly enjoyed your video. Very informative. By the way, my voice type is Tenor, Gatto Morto. 😊