Opera & Vocal Music Vocabulary

the highest female singing voice

“The soprano soared effortlessly to high C.”

Origin: Italian soprano, from sopra `above`

the highest natural adult male voice

“The tenor's voice thrilled the audience.”

Origin: Latin tenere `to hold` (the melody)

a male voice between bass and tenor

“The baritone brought gravitas to the role.”

Origin: Greek barytonos `deep-sounding`

elaborate ornamentation of a vocal melody

“Her coloratura was dazzling.”

Origin: Italian coloratura `coloring`

a style emphasizing beauty of tone and technique

“The bel canto tradition demands flawless legato.”

Origin: Italian `beautiful singing`

the text of an opera or musical

“Da Ponte wrote Mozart's greatest libretti.”

Origin: Italian libretto `little book`

the leading female singer; a temperamental person

“The prima donna refused to rehearse.”

Origin: Italian `first lady`

a recurring musical phrase associated with a character or idea

“Wagner's leitmotifs create psychological depth.”

Origin: German Leitmotiv `leading motif`

speech-like singing advancing the plot

“The recitative gave way to a passionate aria.”

Origin: Italian recitativo, from recitare `to recite`

the concluding section of a piece or act

“The finale brought down the house.”

Origin: Italian finale `final`, from Latin finis `end`