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Mezzo-Soprano - Definition and Overview |
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A mezzo-soprano (meaning "medium soprano" in Italian) is a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker (or lower) vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that of a soprano and that of an alto. The terms Dugazon and Galli-Marié are sometimes used to refer to light mezzo sopranos, after the names of famous singers. A castrato with a mezzo-soprano voice was called a mezzo-soprano castrato.
Mezzo sopranos usually only get to sing second roles in operas, with Bizet's Carmen and Rosina (in Rossini's Barber of Seville) as the most notable exceptions. These parts are often sung by dramatic sopranos, although this is inappropriate.
Famous mezzo-sopranos
See also
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