In my last article I discussed Violetta in La traviata as the dream role for lyric sopranos with coloratura facility. Now I am going to focus on the purely lyric soprano. There are two roles I consider to be of prime importance to a soprano who sings this repertoire.
Firstly, let us look at the Countess in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro – possibly the finest example of a true lyric soprano role. With her opening aria “Porgi amor”, coming as it does 45-50 minutes into the opera at the beginning of Act Two, the soprano has one chance to leave an impact on her audience, so long and patiently have they waited for her first utterances. It has to leave them devastated by the pain and suffering imbued in every phrase, every note and every word.
It is a tall order, and the soprano must resist any temptation to push the voice or overdo the emotional context. The whole of Act Two is dominated by the Countess; she is onstage practically all of the time. In the Finale of Act Two, which is also something of a war-horse for the Countess, she must utilise all her vocal and dramatic abilities. However, it is her second aria, “Dove sono”, in Act Three that lyric sopranos will fight (possibly even kill?) to perform. It displays technical, dynamic and emotional changes throughout. The quavers in the Allegro, followed by the held top A’s at the words “di cangiar” must seem absolutely effortless, and only a truly lyric voice has ever made this seem so. Here, the audience must be thrilled and entranced. The rewards are high if a soprano is successful, and many sopranos have had life-long careers associated with the role. This is another reason for its broad appeal as a dream role of lyric sopranos.
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The Countess is only rivalled by Mimi in La Bohème. I have decided to discuss both roles as each has merits and points of dramatic interest that warrant them being the lyric’s dream role. Mimi is one of the favourite roles for many sopranos: but why exactly? What does it offer?
The answer lies in Puccini’s clever dramatic abilities that bring this heroine into sharp relief. She is an “every-woman”, she’s not of noble birth, she’s not a mythical figure, but real and believable! Her condition and her position in society bring home this reality – she does not have the luxury of a courtesan’s lifestyle offered to Violetta in La traviata. She lives in a garret, finds love with a struggling poet, and ends her life in the same circumstances. There is no great redemption, and yet all of us feel for her, because she is real.
Her music brings this reality into heightened focus. Her aria "Si, mi chiamano Mimi" introduces us to a girl with simple tastes and with a simple life. It too is simple (or at least sounds simple), yet is possessed of passion and an inner fire. This same musical portrait can also be found in the Act Three aria "Donde lieta", where she decides to leave Rodolfo to spare him suffering. Even her death scene is as realistic as opera can ever be, with no great final utterance. And what soprano would want to turn down the opportunity of singing such fine music? It is Puccini’s ability to bring her character out through the music that is, for me, the key that makes Mimi a dream role for lyric sopranos.
Ian Wilson-Pope
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