Mezzo-soprano

From Young Composers
Jump to: navigation, search

<music> \meterOff \cadenzaOn a4 \glissando s f </music>

The mezzo range

The mezzo-soprano is the most common female voice whose tessitura lies between the soprano voice and contralto voice, over-lapping both of them. The typical mezzo-soprano range is between A3 (the A below middle C) to "high A" (A5) and often sings the part of Alto 1. In the lower and upper extremes, some mezzo-sopranos may extend down to the G below middle C (G3) and as high as "high C" (C6). More practical "safe" ranges are a conservative A3 or B3 up to a D5 or F5 at the most.


Mezzo-sopranos are often broken down into three categories: Lyric mezzo-soprano, Coloratura mezzo-soprano and Dramatic mezzo-soprano.


Instruments and Voices
Woodwinds Flute (Piccolo/Alto/Bass)RecorderOboe (Cor Anglais/Oboe D'amore/Heckelphone)Clarinet (E♭/Bass/Contrabass)

Bassoon (Contrabassoon)SaxophoneBagpipes

Brass HornCornetTrumpetTromboneEuphoniumTubaSaxhorns
Keyboards PianoOrganHarmoniumHarpsichordClavichordCelestaAccordion
Percussion Tuned: TimpaniGlockenspielChimesVibraphoneXylophoneMarimbaCrotalesMusical sawHammered Dulcimer

Untuned: Snare drumBass drumTriangleCymbalsGongsTom-tomsShakersDrumset

Electronic ThereminOndes MartenotSynthesizerElectronic Wind Instrument
Stringed Bowed: ViolinViolaVioloncelloContrabass

Plucked: HarpGuitarMandolinBanjo

Voices Female: SopranoMezzo-soprano (often mistaken with Alto)Contralto (often mistaken with Alto)

Male: TrebleCountertenorTenorBaritoneBass-baritoneBass