This Spring 2025 Season, WNO’s new production of Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes comes to the stage. Our previous blog, WNO’s Young Person Guide to the Orchestra took inspiration from Britten’s composition by the same name and after introducing you to the orchestra, we’ve chosen six arias to serve as an introduction to operatic voice types. If you’ve heard these terms before and not known what they meant, this guide should help you to understand the differences between them in a bit more detail.
Soprano- Mozart Queen of the Night from The Magic Flute
The soprano is the highest of the operatic voice types and often the voice of female main characters in opera. One of the most famous soprano arias is Queen of the Night which displays the vocal agility of the soprano voice with its rapid passages and high notes.
Mezzo-soprano- Bizet Habanera from Carmen
The mezzo-soprano voice is the middle vocal part for a woman and is known for its rich, warm tone. In Carmen, this tone is used to portray the sultry and passionate nature of the title character. Mezzo sopranos often also play ‘trouser roles’ such as Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro due to the flexibility in their voices.
Contralto- Wagner Weiche, Wotan!Weiche! from Das Rheingold
The contralto voice is the lowest of the female vocal parts. It’s rare to find a true contralto voice, and therefore parts that were originally written for contraltos are often performed by mezzo-sopranos. True contralto voices have a distinctive quality, with more depth and sometimes a darker tone, and these features shine in this recording of Wagner’s aria.
Tenor- Puccini Nessun Dorma from Turandot
The tenor is the highest male voice in opera and is defined by its power and ability to perform soaring high notes. Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s Turandot, is one of the most famous arias in the tenor repertoire. It’s a passionate piece and showcases the ability of the tenor, Pavarotti, to hit high notes with clarity and strength.
Baritone- Rossini Largo al factotum from The Barber of Seville
The baritone voice is rich and resonant and one of the most versatile in opera. It’s lower than that of a tenor and therefore is often used in a variety of ways to convey humour, bravado or a heroic character whilst demonstrating vocal agility.
Bass- Mozart Notte e giorno faticar from Don Giovanni
The bass voice is the deepest and lowest vocal range in opera and is rich and resonant. This voice type can be used to convey authority and warmth or can be associated with darker, more serious characters. It is well placed in Don Giovanni, an opera with particularly dark themes.
We hope that this guide has helped you discover the diversity and range of the operatic voice. If you're eager to learn more, you can join our host Tom Redmond and WNO Chorus and Orchestra this Spring for WNO’s family concert Play Opera LIVE where we’ll dive deeper into the art of opera singing in a fun and relaxed setting that’s perfect for all ages.
