Female voices

Name Characteristics Representative roles Iconic singers
Coloratura soprano A voice with great agility in the upper register. Not necessarily lacking in power or low notes. The Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute: Der hölle Rache) Natalie Dessay
Rita Streich
Light soprano A supple voice at ease in the upper register. Sophie (Werther : Du gai soleil) Hilde Güden
Mady Mesplé
Barbara Bonney
Lyric soprano Voice with a solid middlerange but capable of agility in the upper register. Gilda (Rigoletto : Caro nome) Anna Moffo
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Renée Fleming
Colette Boky (CAN)
Karina Gauvin (CAN)
Marie-Josée Lord (CAN)
Soprano lirico-spinto (or “Grand lyrique” in the French and German repertoire) A big, powerful voice that is strong in the middle range, and capable of lightening its upper range. Aïda (Aïda) Maria Callas
Leontyne Price
Leonie Rysanek
Adrienne Pieczonka (CAN)
Dramatic soprano A very detailed and powerful voice, with a solid foundation in the lower register and hard-hitting highs. Isolde (Tristan et Isolde : Liebestod)
Turandot (Turandot)
Kirsten Flagstad
Birgit Nilsson
Coloratura mezzo-soprano Warm low notes and agile highs. Rosine (Le barbier de Séville : Una voce poco fa) Teresa Berganza
Cecilia Bartoli
Julie Boulianne (CAN)
Lyric mezzo-soprano Female voice whose range lies halfway between that of the soprano and the contralto’s darker color. Charlotte (Werther : Va ! Laisse couler mes larmes) Susan Graham
Anne-Sofie Von Otter
Gabrielle Lavigne (CAN)
Fernande Chiocchio (CAN)
Michèle Losier (CAN)
Dramatic mezzo-soprano Consistent middle register, generous highs, a larger and more powerful voice. Azucena (Il trovatore : Condotta) Christa Ludwig
Tatiana Troyanos
Huguette Tourangeau (CAN)
Judith Forst (CAN)
Contralto A sepulchral female voice. La mère (Le consul : Berceuse)
Erda (L'or du Rhin)
Kathleen Ferrier
Maureen Forrester (CAN)
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (CAN)

Male voices

Name Characteristics Representative roles Iconic singers
Leggiero tenor A flexible and agile voice, capable of halftones in the upper register. Almaviva (Le barbier de Séville : Ecco ridente)
Lindoro (L’Italienne à Alger)
Luigi Alva
Juan Diego Florez
Frédéric Antoun (CAN)
Lyric tenor A bright and clear voice with a good foundation in the middle register. Nemorino (L’élixir d’amour : Una furtiva lagrima) Luciano Pavarotti
Roberto Alagna
Pierre Duval (CAN)
Antoine Bélanger (CAN)
Spinto tenor (or Dramatic in the German repertoire) A powerful voice with a more full-bodied tone. Calaf (Turandot : Nessun dorma) Plácido Domingo
Franco Corelli
Raoul Jobin (CAN)
André Turp (CAN)
Richard Verreau (CAN)
Marc Hervieux (CAN)
Heroic tenor (or Heldentenor in German) Solid low notes, an almost baritone-like tone, great endurance. Tristan (Tristan et Isolde)
Otello (Otello : Esultate)
Lauritz Melchior
Jon Vickers (CAN)
Lyric baritone A flexible and lilting voice, capable of halftones in the upper register. Mercutio (Roméo et Juliette : Mab) Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Thomas Hampson
Étienne Dupuis (CAN)
Dramatic baritone Consistent middle register, generous highs, a larger and more powerful voice. Rigoletto (Rigoletto : Cortigiani Piero Cappuccilli
Renato Bruson
Louis Quilico (CAN)
Bass-baritone A bass voice quality but in the baritone range, with great authority. Jochanaan (Salomé : Wo ist er) Hans Hotter
Ezio Pinza
José Van Dam
George London (CAN)
Basso buffo An expressive voice and comic volubility. Bartolo (Le barbier de Séville : A un dottor della mia sorte) Enzo Dara
Basso cantante Dark but melancholic colour. Méphistofélès (Faust : Le veau d’or) Féodor Chaliapine
Kurt Moll
René Pape
Joseph Rouleau (CAN)
Pierre Charbonneau(CAN)
Basso profondo Dark, extremely deep colour. Fiesco (Simon Boccanegra : Il lacerato spirito) Martti Talvela
Joseph Greindl
Boris Christoff

Source: L’opéra, mode d’emploi, by Alain Perroux.