# Light Soprano Roles



## LittleSoubrette (Feb 6, 2013)

Hi everyone!

As you can probably tell from my thread post's title (and also possibly from my username) I was wondering if anyone out there could name some good light soprano roles. You see, I'm currently studying voice and am getting more interested in opera. The problem is though, I'm having a hard time finding roles that fit my voice type. I'm a light soprano, capable of doing coloratura runs and phrases, but my voice doesn't have a broad low resonance quality. My voice teacher mentioned to me that the following roles would be good choices for my voice:

*Susanna in "The Marriage of Figaro"
*Zerlina in "Don Giovanni"
*Despina in "Cosi fan tutte"
*Papagena in "The Magic Flute"

Can anyone recommend some other roles to me? Any opera from any era would be great! Thanks!


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart)
Marie in La fille du régiment (Donizetti)
Adina in L'elisir d'amore (Donizetti)
Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier (Richard Strauss)
Oscar in Un ballo in maschera (Verdi)
Sophie in Werther (Jules Massenet)


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

Norina in Don Pasquale (Donizetti)
Bellezza in Il triumfo del tempo e del disinganno (Handel) most baroque?
Morgana in Alcina? (Handel) not sure but I think _Tornami a vagheggiar_ sounds best in a light voice
Servillia in La Clemenza di Tito (Mozart) (small but you get to sing _Se l'altro che lagrime_!)
Amor in Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck)


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

There are also some fine light soprano roles in Viennese operetta, such as Adele in _Die Fledermaus _and Valencienne in _Die_ _lustige Witwe_. Lisa in Lehar's _Das Land des Lächelns _is another possibility.

For the standard opera repertoire, I'd add Marzelline in _Fidelio_ and Lisette in _La Rondine_.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

What about Rosina in the Barber of Seville? Or is that too much of a stretch?

I'd advise looking at the repertoire of some noted light soprano like Kathleen Battle and seeing what suits you.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

DavidA said:


> What about Rosina in the Barber of Seville? Or is that too much of a stretch?
> 
> I'd advise looking at the repertoire of some noted light soprano like Kathleen Battle and seeing what suits you.


Rosina is a coloratura contralto role, now sung mostly by mezzos. Really shouldn't be touched by sopranos.


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## LittleSoubrette (Feb 6, 2013)

Thanks everyone! All of these response are great! Please keep them coming.


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## Il_Penseroso (Nov 20, 2010)

Countess Stasi in Kalman's operetta Die Csárdásfürstin.


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## rborganist (Jan 29, 2013)

Hi Little Soubrette~

Look at Adele in Die Fledermaus (and she gets the delightful "Laughing Song"), Nanetta in Falstaff, Josephine in H. M. S. Pinafore (and you're alive at the end of the evening), Norina in Don Pasquale (once again you're still alive at the final curtain). Maria in The Sound of Music (a musical, I know, but it needs a real soprano voice) could be done by a soubrette, Lily in Kiss Me Kate (another musical which might as well be considered an operetta, and she gets the wonderful duet "Wunderbar). Also, look for Robert Rushmore's book The Singing Voice. He discusses voice types and roles suitable for each. All the ones your teacher has listed are on his list for the soubrette (he actually lists 12 roles for your voice type). Look at the Gilbert and Sullivan heroines; they can all be sung by your type of voice. Have fun!


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## MattExcell (Jun 15, 2011)

rborganist beat me to it, but I was going to suggest Josephine from Pinafore. The impression that I get is that operetta is a good introduction to singing operatic roles and your repertoire can then be expanded.

Rose from Ruddigore (also G&S) has a delightful aria, but I'm not familiar with the whole role.


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## obwan (Oct 24, 2011)

Papagena is nice, but apart from being a speaking role she sings one duet, thats it nothing more, no arias or anything.


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## LittleSoubrette (Feb 6, 2013)

Ah! Thank you so much for your response; it's great! (Not that all of the others aren't for anyone that might be reading this, but this one really stuck out). And thanks for mentioning musical roles, too. I actually do a lot of musical theatre, too!


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