Leyla Gencer - Assoluta - from Lyric Colorature to Contralto

Leyla Gencer, one of the greatest sopranos of all time. She had a voice of all three female voice types to a degree including agility of a colorature. Enjoy the most underrated assoluta singer of the 20th century...

Assoluta soprano(soprano sfogato): By definition, the soprano sfogato is linked to the mezzo/contralto. It possesses a dark timbre with a rich and strong low register, as well the high notes of a soprano and occasionally a coloratura soprano. Those voices are typically strong, dramatic and agile, supported by an excellent bel canto technique and an ability to sing in the soprano tessitura as well as in the contralto tessitura with great ease, such as was said of Giuditta Pasta.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• leyla gencer
• assoluta soprano
• dramatik colorature
• lyric colorature
• mezzo soprano
• contralto
• lyric soprano
• dramatic soprano
• verdi
• puccini
• cilea
• donizetti
• bellini

[intelegentable]

Gencer had a marvelous technique and could color the voice incredibly well. I regret that I Only heard her on recordings and never live. Did she sing in the States?

[sezgin86]

@intelegentable She sang at almost every big opera house around the world except the Met.

[ioSonoCallas]

Madam Leyla Gencer was one very great artist whom I like very much, but this video is an aberration! You should not confuse color, and vocal register! Leyla Gencer was unquestionably what we call big lyric soprano but his artistic temperament allowed him to approach a vast repertory!

[sezgin86]

@ioSonoCallas I don't understand the reason why you call it aberration. This video shows the vocal color, register and timbre of Gencer. Her ability to adapt her voice to the roles is, for me, interesting. I just tried to show her assoluta soprano voice here.

[raigekimaru]

wow. her lyric coloratura sound is even bright.

[sezgin86]

@raigekimaru Her voice had a great feature at the beginning of her career(when she sang mostly lyric coloratura). It had a blooming beauty.

[VladaSunlight]

Absolutely amazing vocal range!!!

[sezgin86]

@Flaviat57 This what I also wonder very much. Everyone sees Callas ideal for every opera even thoug her voice is not appropriate for them. I hope everyone will see other beauties in the opera history and appreciate them.

[jocmuc]

gencer ist die primadonna assoluta des letzten jahrtausends. ihre intelligente rollengestaltung

und der unglaubliche farbenreichtum ihrer stimme macht sie über jede kritik erhaben.

ungesungene rollen liegen entweder daran dass man es ihr nicht anbot,

oder dass sie einfach kein interesse daran hatte. ich glaube nicht, dass es eine rolle gab,

die sie nicht hätte singen können.

auch wenn ich leider zu spät geboren bin, um sie noch auf der bühne zu erleben,

ich kenne ihr reportoire. phänomenal

[salmonfire]

her vissi d'arte is stunning!

[ididete]

@gery666 No, I only wanted to draw people's attention to someone I truly admire and from whom I think all sopranos should try to learn how to sing. You can try and get Hristova's discs through her channel. She is a one of a kind dramatic soprano.

[gery666]

@ididete are you selling discs of Hristova? do you have a store?

[ididete]

@gery666 you are deaf. Callas's voice was NOT powerful. Listen to Ofelia Hristova if you REALLY want to hear a powerful voice. It's abotu the size of 10 Callas's voice and 3 the size of Leyla Gencer (just because Gencer sang properly and Callas didn't but neither of them had a very powerful voice).

[ioSonoCallas]

@sezgin86 I agree, this video is interesting but it's false to say when her voice is dark she's "contralto", in the middle she's "mezzo", when it's clear she's "lyric", when she vocalizes she's "coloratura".... Leyla Gencer had a soprano voice with dark and clear colors. She was "assoluta" yes, but she would never have been able to sing Dalila, Azucena, Ulrica or the queen of the night, Zerbinette, Blondchen.... Sorry if I was impolite, it wasn't my intention.