# Which professional contralto would you consider to be the best you have ever heard?



## SongQuestion

While contraltos are rare, which do you consider to be the best singer in the theater? I am curious which one you think sounds the best and even the most interesting in their vocal technique.


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## BaronScarpia

I have something of a soft spot for English contraltos. Kathleen Ferrier's voice makes me weak at the knees  Helen Watts is another of my favourite contraltos; she had such a powerful and expressive instrument, and she is the contralto I would most like to have heard live. Sigrid Onegin is my other favourite contralto of yesteryear.


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## BaronScarpia

A few modern contraltos stand out to me as being particularly good. I like Ewa Podleś, but her voice doesn't really _speak_ to me. Sonia Prina, on the other hand... just *WOW*! Not a fan of her coloratura technique though, I have to say. Nathalie Stutzmann is one of the most musically intelligent singers of today, whilst Marie-Nicole Lemieux's voice is just so 'bold' and truthful - so _human_! Sara Mingardo's pretty good too.


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## damarie

Jessye Norman hands down.


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## damarie

I had previously said Jessye Norman, but I meant Marian Anderson, who had a great influence on Jessye Norman.


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## doctorjohn

Ferrier , one of the few true contraltos


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## kirolak

I also love contraltos (used to be one  ) Sara Mingardo has a true, dark tone. . To me, each has something special & personal. . .


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## Pugg

kirolak said:


> I also love contraltos (used to be one  ) Has Sara Mingardo been listed yet? To me, each has something special & personal. . .


Why did you stopped?


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## kirolak

My nerves were too bad, I even came out in hives around the throat. . .& would weep pathetically in the Kindertotenlieder. . .just not a vocal Performer. I would get ill with Angst & let myself & others down. I could hardly listen to music for several years after stopping, it hurt too badly. I think this incarnation has been in vain . . .


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## Pugg

kirolak said:


> My nerves were too bad, I even came out in hives around the throat. . .& would weep pathetically in the Kindertotenlieder. . .just not a vocal Performer. I would get ill with Angst & let myself & others down. I could hardly listen to music for several years after stopping, it hurt too badly. I think this incarnation has been in vain . . .


Sorry to hear, but indeed singers must have nerves of steel.


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## Marc

kirolak said:


> I also love contraltos (used to be one  ) Sara Mingardo has a true, dark tone. . To me, each has something special & personal. . .


Mingardo was the best I heard live.

I've always loved the beautiful contralto voice of Aafje Heynis.


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## SixFootScowl




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## Pugg

Marc said:


> Mingardo was the best I heard live.
> 
> I've always loved the beautiful contralto voice of Aafje Heynis.


Limited singing programme though.


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## Marc

Pugg said:


> Limited singing programme though.


She made recordings of a.o. folk songs, carols, Bach, Händel, Vivaldi, Gluck, Haydn, Dvořák, Franck, Brahms, Schubert, R. Strauss, Wolf, Mahler and Caplet. That's not too bad. She didn't do opera though. You can't have it all.


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## Pugg

Marc said:


> She made recordings of a.o. folk songs, carols, Bach, Händel, Vivaldi, Gluck, Haydn, Dvořák, Franck, Brahms, Schubert, R. Strauss, Wolf, Mahler and Caplet. That's not too bad. She didn't do opera though. You can't have it all.
> 
> [


From the documentary's I've seen she's not the really operas singer type by nature. 
Beautiful voice though.


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## Pat Fairlea

The best contralto, to my ears anyway, is/was/ever shall be Kathleen Ferrier.

However, my favourite contralto is, of course, Mrs Pat.


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## helenora

Marga Höffgen for me, amazing!

By the way I find contraltos have a lot more musicality ( general music understanding and a gift to transfer it to their listeners ) compared to other voices.


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## Forss

Anna Larsson! Perhaps it's me being a Swede (duh), but she certainly has one of the truly great voices of our time. Her performance of Mahler's 3rd with Abbado and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra is wonderful beyond words!


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## Pugg

helenora said:


> Marga Höffgen for me, amazing!
> 
> By the way I find contraltos have a lot more musicality ( general music understanding and a gift to transfer it to their listeners ) compared to other voices.







Marga Hoeffgen "Agnus Dei" J. S. Bach

I knew I forgot something yesterday....stunning voice.


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## SixFootScowl

Never mind. Deleted post.


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## Animal the Drummer

If we're not distinguishing between contraltos and mezzo-sopranos I'd choose Cecilia Bartoli in her earlier years, when she was still a musician as opposed to a show pony.


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## SixFootScowl

Another mezzo who I believe can hold her own with contraltos is Vesselina Katsarova:


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## Pugg

Ewa Podleś: "Urlicht" - Mahler 
This is contra alto for sure.


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## BaritoneAssoluto

Ewa Podles:











I can provide an analysis if you all need me to. She is the closest to the 17th and 16th century true "Contralto extraordinaire" that we will get in this era: Such a wonderfully imbued sound; vocally beautiful and distinguishable yet, NOT musically daft like her contemporaries.


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## Taplow

Nathalie Stutzmann, forever and always.


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## Roger Knox

The best contralto I have heard live was Maureen Forrester in _Les nuits d'ete _with the Vancouver Symphony. Friends of mine in the orchestra were in awe of her, as was I.


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## SixFootScowl

Not sure who is best, or what about technique, but I really like this contralto (Anne Gjevang):


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## BalalaikaBoy

Monica Sinclair


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## DavidA

Christa Ludwig - sang everything


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## SalieriIsInnocent

*Marijana Mijanovic *is a personal favorite of mine. 









*Delphine Galou* is another one I quite enjoy:





I also have to mention the wonderful *Sara Mingardo*. This is a great example of her lower ranges. 





Then of course there's the legendary *Ewa Podles*, who is just incredible. The more I expose myself to great Contralto performances, the more I fall in love with it.


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## gardibolt

SalieriIsInnocent said:


> *Delphine Galou* is another one I quite enjoy:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .


I have recently become a huge fan of Delphine Galou, starting with her recent discs of Vivaldi sacred and secular music on Naive. Absolutely stunning voice, and that Erbarme dich is something else.


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## Roger Knox

Among recent artists, has Jamie Barton been mentioned?


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## Josquin13

For me, it has been Kathleen Ferrier on records, particularly her recordings with Bruno Walter, and in concert & on records, Maureen Forrester. I first heard Forrester sing a Mahler orchestral song cycle in the 1980s, with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and her performance left an indelible impression on me. Mahler is an ideal composer for great contraltos, & Brahms too.

The following 1949 Edinburgh Festival recital sung by Ferrier, with Walter on the piano, shows Ferrier at her best I think: 




Here too is a clip of Forrester singing Mahler's Rückert-Lieder, with the RIAS Sinfonieorchester, conducted by Ferenc Fricsay, in 1958: 



. (It's a beautiful performance, though I still prefer mezzo soprano Dame Janet Baker's recording with Sir John Barbirolli, which is a desert island disc of mine.)

Here also is Forrester singing the Urlicht movement from Mahler's 2nd Symphony, with the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Bruno Walter: 




& Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, under Fritz Reiner: 



.


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## Phantoms of the Opera

I am a big fan of deep voices; I much prefer contraltos and basses to sopranos and tenors! Eugenia Mantelli, Jeanne Gerville-Réache, Louise Homer, Louise Kirkby Lunn, Clara Butt and Sigrid Onegin are all delightful in a variety of ways. Mantelli's Rossinian style is perfect. Homer's control is astounding. And it's the sheer power of Butt's instrument that amazes.

I'm exceedingly flattered when compared to Kathleen Ferrier, although I know it's because her teacher also taught my teacher, so some similarity is passed on. There's something so touching in her voice.

But the one I turn to again and again is Eula Beal. I wish I had a record of hers!


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## Phantoms of the Opera

I am a big fan of deep voices; I much prefer contraltos and basses to sopranos and tenors! Eugenia Mantelli, Jeanne Gerville-Réache, Louise Homer, Louise Kirkby Lunn, Clara Butt and Sigrid Onegin are all delightful in a variety of ways. Mantelli's Rossinian style is perfect. Homer's control is astounding. And it's the sheer power of Butt's instrument that amazes.

I'm exceedingly flattered when compared to Kathleen Ferrier, although I know it's because her teacher also taught my teacher, so some similarity is passed on. There's something so touching in her voice.

But the one I turn to again and again is Eula Beal. I wish I had a record of hers!


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## Chiled

Thank you all for these recommendations. I have listened to recordings of most of these singers and they are all great. The best one for me is definitely Delphine Galou.


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## adriesba

I'm not sure if we are talking about modern contraltos or past ones or both, but one of my favorites of all time is Jean Madeira. Other greats of the past are Kathleen Ferrier, Marian Anderson, and Ernestine Schumann-Heink. A more recent contralto that I like is Ewa Podleś. I like the video of her that SixFootScowl and BaritoneAssoluto posted.

Here is a recording of Jean Madeira:






I've seen her referred to both as a mezzo-soprano and a contralto, but to me she was definitely more of a contralto. Even in her recording of Carmen she sounds very much like a contralto. You also might want to look up some recordings of her singing Klytämnestra as well. She sounded spectacular in that role.


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## Rogerx

Ortrun Wenkel/ Ewa Podles /Kathleen Ferrier/ Aafje Heynis .
All great in their own field.


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## Chiled

Roger Knox said:


> Among recent artists, has Jamie Barton been mentioned?


I think she is a mezzo. She is great though.


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## Roger Knox

I think you're right but she started as a contralto I believe.

Marie-Nicole Lemieux has been a contralto from the beginning -- check out this 2019 recording!


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## Chiled

Listened to a Aafje Heynis CD. Stupendous voice!


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## Mikhalina

Hard to choose between Hilary Summers. Hilary for golden gloss, Ewa for sheer thermonuclear power.


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## Rogerx

Doris Soffel - Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix (Samson et Dalila)
No matter what you call it, still gorgeous .


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## DavidA

Contraltos rather than mezzos

Ferrier


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## Agamenon

BaronScarpia said:


> I have something of a soft spot for English contraltos. Kathleen Ferrier's voice makes me weak at the knees  Helen Watts is another of my favourite contraltos; she had such a powerful and expressive instrument, and she is the contralto I would most like to have heard live. Sigrid Onegin is my other favourite contralto of yesteryear.


Ferrier is the goddess in this field. Her voice is a yardstick for contraltos.


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## Rogerx

Gioachino Rossini - La donna del lago - "Mura felici" (Ewa Podles)

Ewa Podles has them all for breakfast


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## BalalaikaBoy

most modern contraltos sing with a kind of woofy, collapsed headvoice that sounds a bit like a counter tenor and have somewhat forced chest voices.

one of my favorites is Marie Powers


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## Serge

Diana Ankudinova could be the one for the ages with her dramatic contralto and unique timbre. But she doesn't want to be an opera or a classical singer. Here's her, aged 14, performing a Russian folk song. She turns 18 on May 31.

Диана Анкудинова - Реченька / Diana Ankudinova - Rechenka






Please note that this video is proprietary and must be watched on YouTube.


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## sfrobcurry

*Best contralto*

Regrettably, having been born too late to have heard this great lady live, I have only recordings to site as reason for my admiration. That lady being Kathleen Ferrier. I have a few friends who are vocally trained and ridiculously knowledgeable re all aspects of singing…to my bemusement, none of them share my love of this great lady. They say her singing style is "so old school". For me, she's an angel. The tone, diction, roundness of the vowels. There's such a generosity and warmth to her sound. Maybe it's because she's a Lancashire lass like me (well, lad), that I feel such a deep connection to her. Though I'm not entirely alone in my admiration. Bruno Walter said that the greatest joys of his life were to have known KF and Mahler…in that order! Elizabeth Swarzkopf too, (not known for her compliments to other singers), revered her artistry…. as a postscript, I would also offer for consideration Aafye Heynis. She is, for me, a close second.


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## Serge

Serge said:


> Diana Ankudinova could be the one for the ages with her dramatic contralto and unique timbre. But she doesn't want to be an opera or a classical singer.


A different take on the song:

A capella style - Rechenka - Diana Ankudinova. HD isolation. / Диана Анкудинова - Реченька. А капелла.


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## Serge

The dude in awe there is opera singer Yusif Yevazov, husband of Anna Netrebko.

Диана Анкудинова / Diana Ankudinova - Can't help falling in love (Stereo) @ Showmaskgoon, 1 ep. Subtitles.






A capella style - Diana Ankudinova - Can`t help falling in love. HD isolation.


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