Voice types
and professions
in opera

As opposed to most musician and singers of other genres, who begin their training from an early age, opera singers only begin their training after puberty. This delay allows their body to fully develop before they begin their demanding vocal training. In order to sing opera, singers need a strong diaphragm, a specific breathing technique, and of course the correct management of their nose, throat and mouth.

As you must surely have noticed already, opera singers do not usually use microphones in their performances. Part of their training focuses on the singing technique that allows an audience of thousands of people to hear their singing clearly even with the accompaniment of full a orchestra; they have been trained in such a way as to use their body as a natural amplifier.

The highest female voice (c’ to c’’). Initially almost all female characters were written for soprano– with the exception of some supportive roles– but until the 18^th century the term denoted the higher registers sung by ‘castrato’ singers or young boys. Women at the time sung at the vocal region we currently term ‘mezzo-soprano’.66S. Sadie 1992, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, τ. 4, σ. 457-458. After 1800, the practice of composing roles with specific singers in mind was discontinued and soprano singers had to train in a wider variety of styles. As such, specialisations such as ‘coloratura’, ‘lyrical’, ‘dramatic’ or ‘heroic’ soprano emerged. In the 19^th and 20^th centuries, the requirements placed upon soprano singers were mainly affected by the compositional and aesthetic demands of creators such as Gioachino Rossini, Richard Wagner, Giacomo Puccini, Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Charles Gounod, Giuseppe Verdi, and Ruggero Leoncavallo, as well as emergent ‘national’ aesthetics.

The voice that sings in the region between the soprano and the alto voices (a – a”) and shares qualities with both. Initially the range where all female singers sang, the mezzo-soprano became an independent voice from the first half of the 18^th century, when some composers began writing soprano parts that exceeded the traditional range of the general mezzo- soprano region. This development showed the special qualities in the texture of the mezzo-soprano region but also excluded singers from performing soprano roles. The voice of ‘mezzo-soprano’ was established firmly and many more roles were performed by specialised mezzo-sopranos, after the range of the soprano voice expanded further and ‘castrato’ singers disappeared from the operatic stage. From the 20^th century mezzo-sopranos were further distinguished into ‘high’, ‘low’, ‘lyric’ or ‘dramatic’, highlighting in this way the nuanced textures and techniques in the interpretation of mezzo-soprano roles. Important composers, such as Jules Massenet and Richard Strauss composed roles especially for mezzo-sopranos while, during the past few decades, important mezzo-sopranos have interpreted cross-dressing, repertory roles.

The lowest of the female voices (f- f”). Historically overshadowed by the prominence of the soprano voices, alto singers usually perform supportive roles, such as servants, nannies, women of age, or male and comic roles. This fact doesn’t diminish the skill required to sing alto parts or make their contribution less important or beautiful. Composers such as Claudio Monteverdi, Georges Bizet, Camille Saint-Saëns, Giacomo Meyerbeer and many others composed arias that showcase the beauty of the alto voice. From the mid-20^th century an increasing number of alto singers have used the designations ‘high’ or ‘low’ alto, with this change supported by the rising popularity of works by Gioachino Rossini and George Frideric Handel, who composed impressive arias for singers with a low singing texture.68S. Sadie 1992, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, τ. 1, σ. 933-934.

The highest of the male voices. A voice that played an important part in church and secular music during the Baroque period but sang mainly supportive or comic roles in the opera during the same period. After the Classical period tenor singers were casted as heroes or lovers while, even later, composers such as Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini and Gaetano Donizetti created tenor roles with rich, dramatic qualities.69S. Sadie (επιμ.) 1988, The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music, σ. 759. After the disappearance of ‘castrato’ singers, tenors began enjoying wider recognition from the audience and, especially during the 20^th century, they achieved stardom similar to that of the most beloved sopranos.

The male voice that sings between the tenor and the bass voices. The term came into use from the 19^th century onwards even though many roles had already been interpreted in this range since the 18^th century. The establishment of the baritone voice contributed to the creation of new male characters. While traditionally tenors and ‘castrato’ singers interpreted the roles of heroes and lovers, and basses played kings, soldiers, and men of age, baritones were casted as romantic-rivals, brothers, young men, and young-acting older men.70O. Jander – J.B. Steane – E. Forbes – E.T. Harris – G. Waldman, «Baritone», στο: S. Sadie, New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, τ. 2, σ. 731-732.

The deepest of the male voices [F- e’]. A vocal range in which roles such as that of the king, the sage, a deity, or an evil character are traditionally written. The bass region is significant in western art music in general, since the instruments that play in it support the melodic parts by providing the harmonic, structural element of music.

And if this example is not particularly helpful let me try it this way: did you know that behind the main stage of the GNO there exists an equally large space, where sceneries are prepared and stored? And what about the dressing rooms for the singers, where are they located? Does anyone clean all the roses that the audience throws adoringly to sopranos or are they left on the stage and eventually grow into a rose garden?

While most operas last two or three hours, and then the musicians and the audience go home, the production of an opera is a big and complex operation that requires the successful collaboration of many art workers, artists who do not appear on stage, as well as administrational and managerial staff. Let’s visit the backstage spaces of the Greek National Opera in order to get acquainted with the different professions of the opera.

the person responsible for imagining, designing, and overseeing the production of stage scenery.

the performers of the opera. They are musicians who specialise in singing, with long training and experience in the genre of opera.

the person responsible for the correct lighting of the stage; they work in collaboration with the director and the set designer to ensure singers can be seen clearly and to create special effects.

the person who imagines and designs or orders the costumes, and oversees their preparation for a production.

the performer of the dance parts of the work.

the person responsible for the musical interpretation of the work, and the musical direction of the orchestra, the singers, and the choir during the performance of an opera.

the person responsible for applying the singers’ makeup in preparation for an opera performance.

And of course, a whole team of professionals in charge of promoting the performance.