Dear Vocalisters:
Here is another view, for what it is worth. I would never call Marilyn Horne a contralto. The voice has a much too bright, nasal quality in its low register to meet the criteria of a rich, deep contralto.
I would be more inclined to call Christa Ludwig a contralto but she sings roles that cross many boundaries
C. Bartolli is clearly a high mezzo at best and could have been trained as a soprano. Contralto, never. She was wise to enter the professional world as a mezzo because the soprano field is so badly overcrowded.
There is a tradition of great contraltos in England but few names come to mind in the modern international scene.
The contralto voice is not blessed with many roles and usually must find literature in the art song area with transpositions to emphasize its special rich qualities. I am not surprised that few female singers wish to assume this mantel and would prefer to stay in the mezzo ranks to have more performing opportunities. And they provide a very welcome quality to the mezzo genre.
Regards -- Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA Professor of Voice, Vocal Pedagogy School of Performing Arts Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ 86011
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