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CONTRALTO RESOURCES

Articles  by David Jones (The Voice Teacher)

Training the Contralto Voice

by David L. Jones for www.voiceteacher.com
How often have you attended a concert and felt the excitement of the audience, as a real Contralto was about to take the stage? Whether in opera or oratorio, the sound of a true rich and ringing Contralto can be a special musical experience... (click here for full article)

Types of Contraltos

by David L. Jones for www.voiceteacher.com
I still find it fascinating that there seems to be a consistent denial that contraltos exist. They DO exist and are alive and well. Perhaps those in the teaching field think that being a contralto... (click here for full article)

On the Contralto Singer

by David L. Jones for www.voiceteacher.com
For those of you who do not believe there is such a thing as a contralto voice, THINK AGAIN! There are great examples of this voice type. Sadly many... (click here for full article)

A Little More on the Contralto

by David L. Jones for www.voiceteacher.com
I have sometimes been asked about contralto register transitions. They are quite a bit lower than the mezzo, sometimes a major 3rd lower. I have one contralto... (click here for full article)

Unusual Vocal Characteristics

by David L. Jones for www.voiceteacher.com
It is interesting to me that these characteristics occur mainly in one voice type. They include (1) a full chest register with a dark smokey colour... (click here for full article)

Articles by James Edward Hughes (Contralto Corner)

About the contralto voice

by James Edward Hughes
The Contralto is the lowest female voice category, and can be split into five vocal fach: Coloratura Contralto, Lyric Contralto, Dramatic Contralto, Contralto Profondo (Female Tenor) and the... (click here for full article) 

Female Tenor and Female Bass, or Contralto Profondo and Oktavistka?

by James Edward Hughes
I thought it might be useful to clarify to you all my views on the lower fachs of the contralto voice, and on the nomenclature used in my previous post. (click here for full article)

Articles by Other Writers

Where have all the contraltos gone?

by Rupert Christiansen for The Telegraph
Once they were everywhere, mainstays of all the choral societies in the land, rousing us to action or soothing us with maternal balm. But now the contralto only seems to exist in the realms... (click here for full article)

Sweet and Low: The case of the vanishing contralto

by Eric Myers for Opera News
We're living in the fat-free age, and that applies to singing as well as baked-not-fried potato chips and SnackWell's cookies. "Where are the huge voices?" is the common lament... (click here for full article)

Face to face: Lili Chookasian and Ewa Podles

by Eric Myers for Opera News
These days, genuine contraltos seem to have gone the way of girdles, malt shops and rotary phones. Whether due to changes in taste, style, genetics or the music industry, this rare bird is verging... (click here for full article)

The Awakening: Wagner's Erda

by William R. Braun for Opera News
The "Erda voice" has become a shorthand term for a particular type of singing. We expect Erda to be a mezzo-soprano, with downward alto tendencies, who can span her intervals seamlessly... (click here for full article)

Bridget Budge: Contralto Quest

by Bridget Budge
I am at the beginning of a quest. Indeed, a mission to get the contralto back to centre stage. The contralto who sticks in people’s minds, of course, is the now legendary Kathleen Ferrier... (click here for full article)

Contralto Arias

For lists of arias to sing, with details of the range required, check out the downloadable files on the Arias page.

Interview with Ewa Podleś

Contralto Ewa Podles gives an interview to a class about the contralto voice,  during the Kazik Jedrzejczak's fascinating talk entitled "A Voice of Wonder: Polish Contralto Ewa Podles" at University of Toronto's Faculty of Music.

Check out the videos here.

Contralto Categories

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