This word derives from Germany, it means an elaborate and brilliant ornamentation of the vocal line, the singer must have a marked acrobatic ability. The Italian term fioritura means virtually the same thing.
(Ital.) : Florid embellishment of a vocal line, especially for soprano in the high register; a soprano who specializes in such parts. Most coloratura parts are from the Italian 19th-century repertoire, but the role of the Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute is an important precedent (aria "Der Holle Rache," CD 1).
The term refers to the filling in of the long (white) notes of a musical line with briefer (black) notes, thus darkening or 'coloring' it. The Baroque aesthetic viewed the unadorned as vulgar and common and, in its quest for fantasy and symbolism, it favored the ornate and the artifice of floridity. Those interested in learning more about this should read The History of Bel Canto by Rodolfo Celletti.
(cuh-lor ah-TOOR-ah) An elaborate ornamentation of melody; therefore, a coloratura soprano is one who specializes in this type of music—fast, high singing, with trills and embellishments. The role of the “Queen of the Night†in Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute is a famous coloratura role. Lily Pons, Roberta Peters, Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills are some of the twentieth century’s famous coloratura sopranos.
Elaborate ornamentation or embellishment of a phrase, either written or improvised.
(Italian) — Elaborate decoration of a vocal melody. Also used to describe a voice type.
Elaborate ornamentation of music written for a singer using many fast notes and trills.
a lyric soprano who specializes in coloratura vocal music
singing with florid ornamentation
elaborate vocal embellishment
elaborate embellishment of vocal music
"Coloring". Elaborate coloration of the melodic line, usually by a vocalist.
Used to describe vocal music that is extensively ornamented and calls for ability in a very high register.
(coe-low-rah-TOOR-ah) A type of soprano, generally, but also the description of singing which pertains to great feats of agility--fast singing, high singing, trills, embellishments and so forth. Some coloratura sopranos during this century have been Lily Pons, Roberta Peters, Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills.
1. Ornate embellishment in vocal music. 2. A singer specializing in coloratura, i.e., "coloratura soprano."
A very high-pitched soprano. May also refer to feats of vocal agility; fast and high singing with accompanying trills and embellishments.
A singer capable of singing brilliant runs, trills and other ornamentations in the soprano range.
elaborate ornamentation in vocal music. The term is now widely used to denote certain passages of rapidly moving, elaborate vocal music in opera, operatic roles of which such passages are prominent and singers who specialize in them, e.g. coloratura sopranos.
(cuh-lohr-ah-TOO-rah) Brilliant vocal acrobatics consisting of rapid notes, runs, and trills; a fundamental element of bel canto opera.
(It.: "coloring"). 1. Runs, trills, and other florid decorations in vocal music. 2. A high soprano who specializes in such music.
COL-oh-rah-TOO-rah]: vocal music that is highly ornamented or decorated with runs, trills, and other vocal acrobatics. Coloratura is also used to describe a singer whose voice is ideally suited to roles calling for such vocal ornamentation. We've heard some fairly dazzling displays of coloratura in HGO productions of Ariodante, Lucia di Lammermoo, Manon and Don Pasquale, as well as in Violetta's Act I aria "Sempre libera" in La Traviata. 1987 Production of "Aida" (Opening Production of Wortham Theater Center) - Placido Domingo (Radames) (Photo by Jim Caldwell)
Elaborate ornamentation of a melody, particularly in vocal music.
A type of soprano, generally, but also the description of singing which pertains to great feats of agility--fast singing, high singing, trills, embellishments and so forth. Some coloratura sopranos during this century have been Lily Pons, Roberta Peters, Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills. This example of coloratura is Marguerite's "Jewel Song" from Gounod's Faust.
Coloratura is an old word meaning colouring. The term means florid figuration or ornamentation, especially in classical vocal music. Coloratura was first defined in several early non-italian music dictionaries, like the works by Michael Praetorius in Syntagma Musicum (1618), Sebastien de Brossard in his Dictionaire de Musique (1703) and Johann Gottfried Walther in his Musicalisches Lexicon (1732), in which the term is dealt with briefly and refers to the word's Italian usage.OWEN JANDER, ELLEN T.
