English equivalent: lyric soprano Range: From about B below middle C (B3) to the C two octaves above middle C (C6) Description: A more supple soprano, capable of legato, portamento, and some agility; generally has a more soulful and sensuous quality than a soubrette, who tends to be largely flirtatious and somewhat tweety. The voice is very common; thus the purity and character of the basic timbre is essential. It is the "basic" soprano voice which is at neither extremes of the soprano range of voices; it is not known for having particular vocal attributes such as power, stamina, technical prowess, or agility. However, there are several lyric sopranos that possess a quantity of many of these vocal attributes, thus allowing them to sing a broader variety of roles. Nevertheless, the core of the true fundamentally lyric voice does not encompass such traits. Innocence, vulnerability and pathos are usually conveyed in the music written for the characters portrayed by the lyric soprano because of this endearing simplicity. This fach is also famous because the voices usually remain especially fresh until advanced age. Roles: Antonia, Les contes d'Hoffman (Jacques Offenbach) Gretel, Hänsel und Gretel (Engelbert Humperdinck) Lauretta, Gianni Schicchi (Giacomo Puccini) Liù, Turandot (Giacomo Puccini) Musetta, La Boheme (Giacomo Puccini) Micaëla, Carmen (Georges Bizet) Pamina, Die Zauberflöte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) Rusalka, Rusalka (Antonín Dvořák) Sophie, Werther (Jules Massenet) Susanna, Le nozze di Figaro (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) English equivalent: lyric dramatic soprano Range: From about A below middle C (A3) to the C two octaves above middle C (C6) Description: The Italian version of this fach is the spinto, which literally translated means pushed. However this is not accurate in terms of these singers' vocal production. A lyric dramatic soprano has a lyric instrument that can also create big sounds, cutting through an orchestral or choral climax. This voice is sometimes referred to as a "young" or "youthful" dramatic soprano although this term doesn't necessarily refer to the singer's age but rather to the tonal quality of the voice. This fach is more clearly delineated in the German system than in the American system. Depending on the singer, however, this voice type can be versatile, as it lies at neither extreme of the soprano spectrum. Spintos are occasionally able to take on lighter mezzo roles or conversely, lyric and even coloratura roles. Roles: Agathe, Der Freischütz (Carl Maria von Weber) Amelia, Un