{"id":31696,"date":"2023-08-10T13:08:47","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T11:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/?p=4951"},"modified":"2023-08-10T14:40:04","modified_gmt":"2023-08-10T12:40:04","slug":"ten-of-the-best-contraltos-of-all-time","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/ten-of-the-best-contraltos-of-all-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten of the best contraltos of all time"},"content":{"rendered":"

Best contraltos of all time: we pay our respects to the women from the lower reaches <\/p>

By BBC Music Magazine\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 10 August 2023 at 11:08 AM<\/p>

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Contraltos are a neglected bunch. The few operatic roles that do exist especially for them are mostly elderly crones, evil witches or \u2018trouser roles\u2019 \u2013 where a low-voiced female is cast as a man. An often underappreciated voice, a true contralto is at her best at the lower end of her range and can produce sounds of remarkable power and richness.<\/p>\n

What is a contralto?<\/h2>\n
Of all the female singing voices, the contralto<\/b> has the lowest range. That said, the contralto range is\u00a0similar to that of the mezzo-soprano, and also to that of the male countertenor<\/strong><\/a>. This means, and let\u2019s get technical here for a moment, that a contralto will typically sing comfortably in the range between the F below middle C (or F3) and the second F above middle C (F5).<\/p>\n
The 20 Greatest Sopranos of all time<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
The 20 Greatest Tenors of all time<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
It is a rare voice, certainly, and seemingly rarer than it used to be. However there are a handful of notably talented contraltos working today. Here are some to look out for, alongside a couple of legends from yesteryear\u2026<\/p>\n
Best contraltos of all time<\/h2>\n
Dame Clara Butt (1872-1936)<\/h3>\n
A dramatic contralto, Clara Butt was one of the most prominent singers for more than three decades, from the early 1890s right through to the mid 1920s. Her strong voice was not the only element in her armoury: she also had a very agile singing technique and, at 6 ft 2 inches, an imposing state presence.<\/p>\n
Small wonder that she impressed everyone from George Bernard Shaw (who saw her early on and predicted a great career for her) to Elgar<\/strong><\/a>, who composed his Sea Pictures<\/strong><\/a><\/i>, Op. 37, for contralto and orchestra, with her voice in mind. Clara Butt duly sang the first ever performance, at\u00a0the Norwich Festival on 5 October 1899, with Elgar himself on the podium.<\/p>\n
Butt\u2019s career centred on the concert and recital stage more than the opera house, though she did appear in Gluck<\/a><\/strong>\u2018s\u00a0Orfeo ed Euridice <\/i>on two occasions.<\/p>\n
Five essential works by Elgar<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
Kathleen Ferrier (1912-1953)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Born in Lancashire, Ferrier began as a talented pianist, winning at several festivals and competitions. It wasn\u2019t until she was about 25 that he began singing seriously after she had won first prize at the Carlisle Festival and was approached with offers of professional engagements.<\/p>\n
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