Vocal Virtuosity

Know about the book -

Vocal Virtuosity is written by Sean M. Parr and published by Oxford University Press. It's available with International Standard Book Number or ISBN identification 0197542662 (ISBN 10) and 9780197542668 (ISBN 13).

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.