Italian opera terminology

thumb|upright=1.2|The audience at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, the birthplace of [[Jacques Offenbach's operettas. Caricature of 1860 by Émile Bayard.]]

A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to A5 in choral music, or to soprano C (C6) or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which often encompasses the melody. The soprano voice type is generally divided into the coloratura, soubrette, lyric, spinto, and dramatic soprano.

thumb|The farewell aria of Sultan Bajazet in George Frideric Handel|Handel's opera [[Tamerlano (note the da capo instruction). First edition, London, 1719.]]

type of classical male singing voice

thumb|Cover of a 1921 libretto for Umberto Giordano|Giordano's [[Andrea Chénier]] A libretto (from the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term libretto is also sometimes used to refer to the story line of a ballet or the texts of major liturgical works, such as the Mass, requiem, or sacred cantata.

A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "low sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C (i.e. F2–F4) in choral music, and from the second G below middle C to the G above middle C (G2 to G4) in operatic music, but the range can extend at either end. Subtypes of baritone include the baryton-Martin baritone (light baritone), lyric baritone, Kavalierbarito

A contralto () is a classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest of their voice types.

A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above (i.e. A3–A5 in scientific pitch notation, where middle C = C4; 220–880 Hz). In the lower and upper extremes, some mezzo-sopranos may extend down to the F below middle C (F3, 175 Hz) and as high as "high C" (C6, 1047 Hz). The mezzo-soprano voice type is generally divided into coloratura, lyric, and dramatic.

right|thumb|Serenade by Leyster|Serenade by [[Judith Leyster]] thumb|Serenade in the Ottoman empire, 1688 In music, a serenade (; also sometimes called a serenata, from the Italian) is a musical composition or performance delivered in honour of someone or something. Serenades are typically calm, light pieces of music. The term comes from the Italian word , which itself derives from the Latin . Sense influenced by Italian sera "evening", from Latin sera, fem. of serus "late".

clear singing style

Italian opera genre

thumb|The 18th-century castrato Farinelli, painted by [[Bartolomeo Nazari]]

Vibrato (Italian, from past participle of "vibrare", to vibrate) is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterized in terms of two factors: the amount of pitch variation ("extent of vibrato") and the speed with which the pitch is varied ("rate of vibrato").

Falsetto ( , ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal cords, in whole or in part. Commonly cited in the context of singing, falsetto, a characteristic of phonation by both sexes, is also one of four main spoken vocal registers recognized by speech pathology.

A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around E3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist (a specific kind of countertenor) may match the soprano's range of around C4 to C6. Countertenors often have tenor or baritone chest voices, but sing in falsetto or head voice much more often than they do in their chest voice.

style of Italian opera

thumb|American singer Mariah Carey is often described as an "ultimate diva" by the media for her musical ability as well as her demanding persona. Diva (, ), the Latin word for a goddess, has often been used as an honorific to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. If referring to an actress, the meaning of diva is closely related to that of prima donna. Diva can also refer to a person, especially one in show business, with a reputation for being temperamental or demanding. The application of the term has broadened b

leading female singer in an opera company

In music performance and notation, legato (; Italian for "tied together"; French lié; German gebunden) indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly, such that the transition from note to note is made with no intervening silence. Legato technique is required for slurred performance, but unlike slurring (as that term is interpreted for some instruments), legato does not forbid articulating the notes with a very slight interruption.

In music, an intermezzo (, , plural form: intermezzi), in the most general sense, is a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, such as acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work. In music history, the term has had several different usages, which fit into two general categories: the opera intermezzo and the instrumental intermezzo.

thumb|150px| right|Nino Machaidze, in the coloratura role of Marie, in [[La Fille du Régiment at the Metropolitan Opera House in 2011.]]

In classical music, arioso (; also aria parlante ) is a category of solo vocal piece, usually occurring in an opera or oratorio, falling somewhere between recitative and aria in style. Literally, arioso means airy. The term arose in the 16th century along with the aforementioned styles and monody. It is commonly confused with recitativo accompagnato.

thumb|Title page of the cavatina composed by F. Lancelott (1840) (Italian for "little song") is a musical term, originally meaning a short song of simple character, without a second strain or any repetition of the air. It is now frequently applied to any simple, melodious air, as distinguished from brilliant arias or recitatives, many of which are part of a larger movement or scena in oratorio or opera.

In music, tessitura ( , , ; ; ) is the most acceptable and comfortable vocal range for a given singer (or, less frequently, musical instrument). It is the range in which a given type of voice presents its best-sounding (or characteristic) timbre. This broad definition is often interpreted to refer specifically to the pitch range that most frequently occurs within a given part of a musical piece. Hence, in musical notation, tessitura is the ambitus, or a narrower part of it, in which that particular vocal (or less often instrumental) part lies—whether high or low, etc.

A ritornello (Italian; "little return") is a recurring passage in Renaissance music and Baroque music for orchestra or chorus.

In music, a cadenza (from , meaning cadence; plural, cadenze ) is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist(s), usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing virtuosic display. During this time, the accompaniment will rest or sustain a note or chord. Thus, an improvised cadenza is indicated in written notation by a fermata in all parts. A cadenza will usually occur over either the final or penultimate note in a piece, the lead-in (), or the final or penultimate note in an important subsection of a piece. A cadenza can also be found befor

Cantabile is a term in music meaning to perform in a singing style. The word is taken from the Italian language and literally means "singable" or "songlike". In instrumental music, it is a particular style of playing designed to imitate the human voice. The German-language equivalent to cantabile is gesangvoll.

soprano voice with high range and the ability to execute with elaborate ornamentation and embellishment

In music, portamento (: portamenti; from old , meaning 'carriage' or 'carrying'), also known by its French name glissade, is a pitch sliding from one note to another. The term originated from the Italian expression ('carriage of the voice'), denoting from the beginning of the 17th century its use in vocal performances and emulation by members of the violin family and certain wind instruments, and is sometimes used interchangeably with anticipation. It is also applied to one type of glissando on, e.g., slide trombones, as well as to the "glide" function of steel guitars and synthesizers.

alt=Maestro - an Italian Conductor|thumb|Arturo Toscanini was a famous Italian Maestro Maestro ( ; from the Italian , meaning 'master' or 'teacher', plural: maestros or maestri) is an honorific title of respect, sometimes abbreviated Mo. The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and opera, in line with the ubiquitous use of Italian musical terms. The feminine form of the word is (pl. ).

Cabaletta is a two-part musical form particularly favored for arias in 19th century Italian opera in the bel canto era until about the 1860s during which it was one of the era's most important elements. More properly, a cabaletta is a more animated section following the songlike cantabile. It often introduces a complication or intensification of emotion in the plot.

opera genre

musical form prevalent in the Baroque era

thumb|Giacomo Puccini, one of the composers most closely associated with verismo. thumb|Cavelleria Rusticana, considered the first Verismo opera thumb|Pagliacci is a famous Verismo opera

The terms "semi-opera", "dramatic[k] opera" and "English opera" were all applied to Restoration entertainments that combined spoken plays with masque-like episodes employing singing and dancing characters. They usually included machines in the manner of the restoration spectacular. The first examples were the Shakespeare adaptations produced by Thomas Betterton with music by Matthew Locke. After Locke's death, a second flowering produced the semi-operas of Henry Purcell, notably King Arthur and The Fairy-Queen. Semi-opera received a deathblow when the Lord Chamberlain separately licensed plays

opera genre

Farsa (Italian, literally: farce, plural: farse) is a genre of opera, associated with Venice in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It is also sometimes called farsetta.

vocal range

alt=|thumb|600x600px|An extreme example of fioritura from Frédéric Chopin|Chopin's Nocturne in D major ()

opera genre

Passaggio () is a term used in classical singing to describe the transition area between the vocal registers. The passaggi (plural) of the voice lie between the different vocal registers, such as the chest voice, where any singer can produce a powerful sound, the middle voice, and the head voice, where a penetrating sound is accessible, but usually only through vocal training. The historic Italian school of singing describes a primo passaggio and a secondo passaggio connected through a zona di passaggio in the male voice and a primo passaggio and secondo passaggio in the female voice. A major

In theater and music history, a burletta (Italian, meaning "little joke", sometimes burla or burlettina) is a brief comic opera. In eighteenth-century Italy, a burletta was the comic intermezzo between the acts of an opera seria. The extended work Pergolesi's was also designated a "burletta" at its London premiere in 1758.

Singing technique

Spinto (Italian for "pushed") is a vocal term used to characterize a soprano or tenor voice of a weight between lyric and dramatic that is capable of handling large musical climaxes in opera at moderate intervals. (Sometimes the terms ' or ' are used to denote this category of voice.)

A comprimario is a small supporting role in an opera (or a singer who sings those roles). The word is derived from the Italian "con primario", or "with the primary", meaning that the comprimario role (or singer) is not a principal role (or singer). The term usually refers to characters who do not sing any full-length arias or long scenes (although mute characters, who do not sing at all, are not considered comprimarios).

type of singing voice

specialized form of the tenor voice found in Italian opera

Italian opera term

type of operatic soprano

song to drink alcohol to