soprano

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soprano

soprano [Ital.,=above], female voice of highest pitch. The three basic types of solo soprano are coloratura, lyric, and dramatic. The coloratura has a great range and impressive vocal agility; the lyric soprano has a light, pretty voice; and the dramatic soprano has a sustained power suitable for operatic roles. The voices of boys who have not reached puberty are generally in the soprano range and replace women's voices in some church choirs. In the castrato of the 18th cent. the quality of a boy's voice combined with the lung power of a man made for vocal powers of great brilliance (see eunuch ). The highest-pitched member of various families of instruments is termed soprano, e.g., soprano saxophone.

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soprano

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Â© The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology 1996, originally published by Oxford University Press 1996. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

soprano XVIII. — It., f. sopra above
.

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T. F. HOAD. "soprano." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 9 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "soprano." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (November 9, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-soprano.html

T. F. HOAD. "soprano." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved November 09, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-soprano.html

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