▁sing ers ▁and ▁both ▁sop ran os ▁and ▁mez zo - s op ran os ▁are ▁cast ▁in ▁them . ▁Many ▁sou bre tte ▁roles ▁have ▁a ▁considerable ▁amount ▁of ▁spoken ▁German ▁dialog ue , ▁and ▁therefore ▁the ▁sou bre tte ▁singer ▁must ▁possess ▁both ▁an ▁excellent ▁compreh ension ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁language ▁and ▁considerable ▁acting ▁skills . ▁It ▁is ▁rare ▁today ▁to ▁find ▁true ▁sou bre tt es ▁singing ▁in ▁major ▁opera ▁houses ▁as ▁their ▁voices ▁are ▁typically ▁unable ▁to ▁carry ▁over ▁larger ▁orch est ras ▁in ▁larger ▁h alls . ▁O ften ▁ly ric , ▁color atura , ▁and ▁mez zo - s op ran os ▁are ▁cast ▁in ▁sou bre tte ▁roles , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁singing ▁care ers . ▁This ▁does ▁not ▁mean ▁that ▁these ▁sing ers ▁are ▁sou bre tte ▁sop ran os ▁but ▁it ▁does ▁mean ▁they ▁can ▁play ▁sou bre tte ▁roles . ▁The ▁color atura ▁sop rano ▁has ▁a ▁higher ▁range , ▁can ▁sing ▁more ▁de xter ous ▁vocal ▁pass ages ▁and ▁has ▁a ▁somewhat ▁br ighter ▁sound ▁than ▁the ▁sou bre tte . ▁The ▁ly ric ▁sop rano ▁has ▁a ▁rich er ▁voice ▁and ▁higher ▁range ▁than ▁the ▁sou bre tte ▁sop rano . ▁The ▁mez zo - s op rano ▁can ▁sing ▁as ▁high ▁as ▁a ▁sou bre tte ▁but ▁with ▁a ▁dark er ▁tim bre ▁and ▁heav ier ▁weight ▁in ▁the ▁voice . ▁Me zz os ▁also ▁have ▁a ▁much ▁more ▁extensive ▁range ▁in ▁the ▁lower ▁register .