coloratura

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

Coloratura, syllabification col·or·a·tu·ra or col·o·ra·tur·a (ˌkələrə'to͝orə; alternatively, first syllable, ˌkäl-; alternatively, fourth syllable -'tu̇r- or -ˈtyu̇r-) refers to a passage of music, especially vocal operatic music, that is characterised by rapidity and elaborate embellishment or ornamentation that includes musical runs, trills, "or similar virtuoso-like material". The presence of coloratura in a musical piece typically obscures the melody within the passage.