A contralto is a rare female singing voice with a deeper tone. Because this vocal range falls between a mezzo-soprano and a tenor, most female classical singers in this range are classified as mezzo-sopranos. Countertenors are male classical singers with similar vocal ranges.
The contralto is descended from the male countertenor and dates back to the 1400s. The countertenor was divided into two categories in the 1400s in Europe. The Latin terms for one singer singing high and the other singing low were contractenor altus and contractenor bassus.
During the 16th and 17th centuries in England, these terms were changed to “countertenor.” However, in Italy, the term “contralto” was adopted. Because males were the only ones allowed to sing in churches at the time, the term “contralto” was only used to describe them.
The female contralto emerged in later centuries as churches relaxed their restrictions on women’s participation. Women took the place of all-male falsettos, which were commonly referred to as “castratos,” or boys castrated before puberty. The term “contralto” was then restricted to women only.
Women with this vocal range are generally thought to have a distinctive vocal quality. Many have a distinct timbre in the middle registers and sharper upper registers. Due to the difficulty in identifying contraltos, some vocal teachers have them sing too high, putting them at risk of vocal injury.
A lack of resonance in producing a perfect tonal color is one of the vocal challenges. This is due to the tongue’s constriction. Excessive breath pressure causes many contraltos to over-sing in the middle register. Singers can avoid these habits by taking vocal lessons that teach proper breathing technique and tongue placement.
Contraltos are divided into three vocal categories in opera. A coloratura contralto has a light, agile voice that is extremely rare. A lyric contralto is more common and falls just short of a coloratura’s ability. Dramatic contraltos have the deepest voices with the heaviest tones, and they’re as uncommon as coloraturas.
Marian Anderson, a legendary opera singer with a contralto voice, was one of the most famous opera singers with a contralto voice. Ernestine Schumann-Heink, an Austrian opera star in the early twentieth century, was another. Despite not having the formal vocal range designation, some of the most popular pop and jazz singers of all time were and are contraltos. Some of the late and living singers who have this haunting, unusual voice include Judy Garland, Karen Carpenter, Nina Simone, Alicia Keys, Adele, and Lady Gaga.