Nothing strikes the ear quite like a soprano singing in the sonic stratosphere. Whether thrilling, chilling, or repellent to the listener, the reaction to cascades of coloratura with climaxing high notes is strong. Coloratura-agile, rapid-fire singing-was originally essential for all singers, but its function changed greatly when it became the specialty of particular sopranos over the course of the nineteenth century. The central argument of Vocal Virtuosity challenges the historical commonplace that coloratura became an anachronism in nineteenth-century opera. Instead, the book demonstrates that melismas at mid-century were made modern. Coloratura became an increasingly marked musical gesture during the century with a correspondingly more specific dramaturgical function. In exploring this transformation, the book reveals the instigators of this change in vocal practice and examines the historical traces of Parisian singers who were the period's greatest exponents of vertiginous vocality as archetypes of the modern coloratura soprano. The book constructs the historical trajectory of coloratura as it became gendered the provenance of the female singer, while also considering what melismas can signify in operatic performance. As a whole, it argues that vocal virtuosity was a source of power for women, generating space for female authorship and creativity. In so doing, the book reclaims a place in history for the coloratura soprano.

About the Author
Sean M. Parr is Associate Professor of Music at Saint Anselm College where he teaches music history and voice performance, as well as humanities courses in the core curriculum. With a PhD in Historical Musicology from Columbia University, his research interests focus on nineteenth-century opera, the operatic voice, dance, and gender. His work on singers and singing has been published in the Cambridge Opera Journal, 19th-Century Music, and Current Musicology. He also sings professionally as an operatic tenor and has taught voice for fifteen years.

Reviews
Vocal Virtuosity presents fascinating insight into the French coloratura voice type, one that will dispel any perception of superficiality and dramatic limitation...It is highly recommneded. * Debra Greschner, Journal of Singing *
The chronology contains mesmerizing descriptions of the cultural and social milieu of nineteenth century France ... Vocal Virtuosity presents fascinating insight into the French coloratura voice type, one that will dispel any perception of superficiality and dramatic limitation. The volume also paints masterful portraits of the singers who established a new genre and created new heroines, both on and off stage. It is highly recommended. * Debra Greschner, Journal of Singing *
Contributes in important ways to both a performance-centred historical musicology and feminist musicology, reclaiming a space for coloratura sopranos in the history of opera...Sean Parr makes a compelling case for the agency of prima donnas who shaped French operatic life during the nineteenth century, defining a supremely thrilling and moving voice type. * Barbara Gentili, reviewed in Music & Letters (2022) *
An eye-opener. * Benjamin Ivry, Opera Now Magazine *
Sean Parr's detailed chapters dive into the art and tradition of coloratura singing, its technical and emotional aspects, as well as the history of this most adulated voice type. He explores many facets, in particular, of bel canto and French composers' use of coloratura writing to heighten the interpretative possibilities of demanding soprano roles. I hope that every singer of this repertoire takes time to read this book and discover some of the lesser known gems he describes. With this resource, I feel inspired to explore new facets of my own singing, as well as to empower other singers to do the same. * Lisette Oropesa, Lyric Coloratura Soprano, Metropolitan Opera, and Masterclass Leader *
A provocative, engaging, and thoroughly original chronicle of vocal virtuosity in nineteenth-century French operatic culture. Sean Parr's dexterous embrace of a range of eclectic sources results in a beautifully written account that opens up direct access to the long-lost music of prima donnas whose voices rang gloriously through opera houses prior to the age of recording. * Hilary Poriss, Associate Professor, Department of Music, Northeastern University *



Book Information
ISBN 9780197542644
Author Sean M. Parr
Format Hardback
Page Count 328
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 617g
Dimensions(mm) 155mm * 236mm * 23mm