Editing Mezzo-soprano (section)

=== Coloratura ===
A coloratura mezzo-soprano has a warm lower register and an agile high register. The roles they sing often demand not only the use of the lower register but also leaps into the upper tessitura with highly ornamented, rapid passages. They have a range from approximately the G below middle C (G<sub>3</sub>, 196&nbsp;Hz) to the B two octaves above middle C (B<sub>5</sub>, 988&nbsp;Hz). Some coloratura mezzo-sopranos can sing up to high C (C<sub>6</sub>, 1047&nbsp;Hz) or high D (D<sub>6</sub>, 1175&nbsp;Hz), but this is very rare.<ref name=Appelman />
What distinguishes these voices from being called sopranos is their extension into the lower register and warmer vocal quality. Although coloratura mezzo-sopranos have impressive and at times thrilling high notes, they are most comfortable singing in the middle of their range, rather than the top.<ref name=Boldrey />

Many of the hero roles in the operas of [[George Frideric Handel|Handel]] and [[Claudio Monteverdi|Monteverdi]], originally sung by male castrati, can be successfully sung today by coloratura mezzo-sopranos. Rossini demanded similar qualities for his comic heroines, and [[Antonio Vivaldi|Vivaldi]] wrote roles frequently for this voice as well. Coloratura mezzo-sopranos also often sing lyric-mezzo-soprano roles or soubrette roles.<ref name=Caldwell />

Coloratura mezzo-soprano roles in operas ('''*'''''denotes a lead role''):
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* Angelina (Cenerentola), ''[[La Cenerentola]]'' ([[Gioachino Rossini|Rossini]])*
* Ariodante, ''[[Ariodante]]'' ([[George Frideric Handel|Handel]])*
* Baba the Turk, ''[[The Rake's Progress]]'' ([[Igor Stravinsky|Stravinsky]])
* Griselda, ''[[Griselda (Vivaldi)|Griselda]]'' ([[Antonio Vivaldi|Vivaldi]])*
* Isabella, ''[[L'italiana in Algeri]]'' ([[Gioachino Rossini|Rossini]])*
* Isolier, ''[[Le comte Ory]]'' ([[Gioachino Rossini|Rossini]])*
* Julius Caesar, ''[[Giulio Cesare]]'' ([[George Frideric Handel|Handel]])*
* Orsini, ''[[Lucrezia Borgia (opera)|Lucrezia Borgia]]'' ([[Gaetano Donizetti|Donizetti]])
* Romeo, ''[[I Capuleti e i Montecchi]]'' ([[Vincenzo Bellini]])*
* Ruggiero, ''[[Alcina]]'' ([[George Frideric Handel|Handel]])*
* Rosina, ''[[The Barber of Seville]]'' ([[Gioachino Rossini|Rossini]])*
* Serse, ''[[Serse]]'' ([[George Frideric Handel|Handel]])*
* Tancredi, ''[[Tancredi]]'' ([[Gioachino Rossini|Rossini]])*
}}