A dramatic soprano is an operatic soprano with a powerful, rich, emotive voice that can sing over a full orchestra. Thicker vocal folds in dramatic voices usually mean less agility than lighter voices but a sustained fuller sound. Usually (but not always) this voice has a lower tessitura than other sopranos, and a darker timbre. Used for heroic, tragic women of opera. Dramatic sopranos have a range from approximately middle C (C4) to "high D" (D6).^[1]Some dramatic sopranos, known as Wagnerian sopranos have an exceptionally big voice that can assert itself over a large orchestra (over eighty pieces). These voices are substantial and very powerful and even throughout the registers. Wagnerian sopranos usually play mythic heroines.^[2] Successful Wagnerian sopranos are rare and often Wagnerian roles are performed by regular dramatic sopranos as Wagnerian sopranos can be scarce.^[3]

Dramatic soprano singers

Dramatic roles^[4]

Wagnerian soprano singers

Wagnerian soprano roles^[5]

Listen and Compare

• To hear an example of a Dramatic soprano (Jessye Norman in title role of Ariadne auf Naxos) click on this link: Watch here

• To hear an example of a Wagnerian soprano (Birgit Nilsson as Isolde in Tristan und Isolde) click on this link: Watch here

References

1. ^ Coffin (1960), cited below
2. ^ Soprano
3. ^ Coffin
4. ^ Boldrey (1994),Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias, cited below
5. ^ Boldrey (1994),Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias, cited below

Further reading