Soubrette

Soubrette is a term referring to a type of female role—specifically, a stock character—in opera and theatre. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means "conceited" or "coy". [ [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/soubrette soubrette - definition of soubrette by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia ] ]

In theatre, the term soubrette describes a comedy character who is vain and girlish, mischievous, lighthearted, coquettish and gossipy--often a chambermaid or confidante of the ingenue, she often displays a flirtatious or even sexually aggressive nature. Such characters appeared in commedia dell'arte scenarios, often in the role of Columbina, where the actress would provide the details of her behavior and dialogue. [ [http://www.delpiano.com/carnival/html/servetta.html Italian Comedy | Commedia dell'Arte | Servetta | Soubrette | Colombina ] ] From there, she moved to the works of Molière, which were influenced by commedia; the role of Dorine in "Tartuffe" (1664) fits the description. A famous example, though a hundred years later, is the role of Suzanne in Beaumarchais' "Le Mariage de Figaro" (1784). [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9068785/soubrette Encyclopedia Britannica]

In classical music and opera, the term soubrette refers to both a soprano voice type and a particular type of opera role. A soubrette voice is light with a bright, sweet timbre, a tessitura in the mid-range, and with no extensive coloratura. [ [http://www.geocities.com/concertopera/voicetype.html voicetype ] ] A soubrette's range extends approximately from middle C (C4) to "high D" (D6). [ [http://www.dolmetsch.com/defsv2.htm Dolmetsch Online - Music Dictionary Vm - Vz ] ] The voice has a lighter vocal weight than other soprano voices with a brighter timbre. Many young singers start out as soubrettes but as they grow older and the voice matures more physically they may be reclassified as another voice type, usually either a light lyric soprano, a lyric coloratura soprano, or a coloratura mezzo-soprano. Rarely does a singer remain a soubrette throughout her entire career.cite book
title= Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy
last= Stark
first= James
year= 2003
publisher= University of Toronto Press
isbn= 978-08-0208-614-3] The tessitura of the soubrette tends to lie a bit lower than the lyric soprano and spinto soprano.cite book
title= Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias
last= Boldrey
first= Richard
year= 1994
publisher= Caldwell Publishing Company
isbn= 978-18-7776-164-5]

The soubrette roles are typically found in comic operas or operettas and they usually portray good-looking, youthful girls who are both flirtatious, saucy, and street wise. Typically these roles are sung by younger singers and both sopranos and mezzo-sopranos are cast in them. [Boldrey (1992), Singer's Edition (Soubrette), cited below ] Many soubrette roles have a considerable amount of spoken German dialogue, and therefore the soubrette singer must possess both an excellent comprehension of the German language and superior acting skills. It is rare today to find true soubrettes singing in major opera houses as their voices are typically unable to carry over larger orchestras in larger halls. Often lyric, coloratura, and mezzo sopranos are cast in soubrette roles, especially in the early part of their singing careers. This does not mean that these singers are soubrette sopranos but it does mean they can play soubrette roles. [Boldrey (1992), Singer's Edition (Soubrette), cited below] The coloratura soprano has a higher range, can sing more dexterous vocal passages and has a somewhat brighter sound than the soubrette. The Lyric soprano has a richer voice and higher range than the soubrette soprano. The mezzo-soprano can sing as high as a soubrette but with a darker timbre and heavier weight in the voice. Mezzos also have a much more extensive range in the lower register. [ [http://www.ipasource.com/soprano#KOLORATURSOPRAN/KOLORATUR_SOUBRETTE_(c_to_f) IPA Source - Soprano ] ] In addition, the beautiful light voice of the soubrette is ideal for baroque music, early music and baroque opera, as well as many art songs. However, the soubrette soprano is limited even in this repertoire by its lack of coloratura skill and relatively limited range [Boldrey (1992), Singer's Edition (Soubrette), cited below] . Many operettas and musicals include soubrette characters, such as Valencienne in "The Merry Widow" [ [http://www.vlog.org/merrywidow2006/widow_auditions.htm The Merry Widow – VLOG Spring 2006 ] ] and in Gilbert and Sullivan, the Jessie Bond mezzo-soprano roles such as Cousin Hebe ("H.M.S. Pinafore") and Lady Angela ("Patience"). [ [http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/whowaswho/B/BondJessie.htm Jessie Bond ] ] Another example is the character Ellie Mae Chipley, who sings "Life Upon the Wicked Stage" in Kern and Hammerstein's "Show Boat". [ [http://www.nodanw.com/shows_s/show_boat.htm Showboat - Kern/Hammerstein ] ]

opranos who sing or sang soubrette roles

:* Kathleen Battle:* Barbara Bonney:* Ileana Cotrubas:* Renee Fleming:* Patrice Munsel:* Lucia Popp:* Anna Netrebko:* Elisabeth Schumann:* Dawn Upshaw

Mezzo-sopranos who sang or sing soubrette roles

:* Agnes Baltsa :* Cecilia Bartoli:* Jane Berbié:* Christa Ludwig

oubrette roles in opera and operettas [Boldrey (1994), Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias, cited below]

:* Adele, "Die Fledermaus" (Johann Strauss II):* Amor, "Orfeo ed Euridice" (Gluck):* Ännchen, "Der Freischütz" (Carl Maria von Weber):* Ann Page, "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (Carl Otto Nicolai):* Auretta, " L'Oca del Cairo" (Mozart):* Barbarina, "The Marriage of Figaro" (Mozart):* Bastienne, "Bastien und Bastienne" (Mozart):* Belinda, "Dido and Aeneas" (Purcell):* Blondchen, "The Abduction from the Seraglio" (Mozart):* Cis, "Albert Herring" (Britten):* Clotilda, "Norma" (Bellini):* Despina, "Così fan tutte" (Mozart):* Echo, "Ariadne auf Naxos" (Richard Strauss):* Elisa, "Il re pastore" (Mozart):* Emmie, "Albert Herring" (Britten):* Giannetta, "L'Elisir d'Amore" (Donizetti):* Josephine, "H.M.S. Pinafore" (Gilbert and Sullivan):* Lisa, "The Grand Duke" (Gilbert and Sullivan):* Marie, "Der Waffenschmied" (Albert Lortzing) :* Marie, "Zar und Zimmermann" (Albert Lortzing):* Marzellina, "Fidelio" (Beethoven):* Nannetta, "Falstaff" (Verdi):* Norina, "Don Pasquale" (Donizetti):* Ninetta, "La finta semplice" (Mozart):* Papagena, "The Magic Flute" (Mozart):* Servilia, "La Clemenza di Tito" (Mozart):* Serpetta, "La finta giardiniera" (Mozart):* Serpina, "La serva padrona" (Pergolesi):* Sophie, "Der Rosenkavalier" (Richard Strauss):* Susanna, "The Marriage of Figaro" (Mozart):* Yum-Yum, "The Mikado" (Gilbert and Sullivan):* Zerlina, "Don Giovanni" (Mozart)

Listen and compare

Here are four different voice types singing the same soubrette role, Susanna, in "The Marriage of Figaro" by Mozart.

* To hear soubrette Dawn Upshaw as Susanna click on this link: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcIYwIaQgX4 Watch here]

* To hear light lyric soprano Lucia Popp as Susanna click on this link: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3NItbi7PDY Watch here]

* To hear full lyric soprano Anna Netrebko as Susanna click on this link: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnJBWgMjVNY Watch here]

* To hear mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli as Susanna click on this link: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ1RFT531Sw Watch here]

ee also

*Fach
*French maid
*List of important operas
*Opera
*Soprano
*Voice type

External links

* [http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/scores.html Collection of public domain scores (Indiana U)]
* [http://hcl.harvard.edu/libraries/loebmusic/collections/digital.html Smaller collection of public domain scores (Harvard)]
* [http://www.opera-guide.ch/opern_komponisten.php?uilang=en&first-letter=A Collection of librettos and translations]
* [http://www.karadar.it/Operas/ Collection of librettos (Karadar)]
* [http://opera.stanford.edu/operas.html Collection of librettos (Stanford)]
* [http://www.aria-database.com/ Aria database]

References

Further reading

cite book
title= Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias
last= Boldrey
first= Richard
authorlink= Richard Boldrey
year= 1994
publisher= Caldwell Publishing Company
isbn=13: 9781877761645

cite book
title= Singer's Edition (Light Lyric Soprano): Operatic Arias - Light Lyric Soprano
last= Boldrey
first= Richard
authorlink= Richard Boldrey
coauthors= Robert Caldwell, Werner Singer, Joan Wall and Roger Pines
year= 1992
publisher= Caldwell Publishing Company
isbn=13: 9781877761027

cite book
title= Singer's Edition (Soubrette): Operatic Arias - Soubrette
last= Boldrey
first= Richard
authorlink= Richard Boldrey
coauthors= Robert Caldwell, Werner Singer, Joan Wall and Roger Pines
year= 1992
publisher= Caldwell Publishing Company
isbn=13: 9781877761034

cite book
title= Coloratura, Lyric and Dramatic Soprano, Vol. 1
last= Coffin
first= Berton
authorlink= Berton Coffin
year= 1960
publisher= Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
isbn=13: 9780810801882