Typologization of the female soprano in European opera from the 17th to the 19th century: from universalism to specialization

Statement of the problem. The typology of the female voice in European opera art at the present stage is prompted by a rethinking of the historical transformation of the high female voice: from the universalism of the bel canto era to the specialized vocal stratification in definite theatrical characters. Indicative in this sense was the classification distribution of voices formed in the German-speaking tradition, namely the “Fach”-system, which later spread in world opera practice, acquired a normative status and reflected the formalization of vocal roles. According to the vocal role system, each opera voice is linked with certain range of parts, in accordance with the tessitura, timbre and psychological parameters of the singer’s vocal apparatus and her/his artistic nature. Today, there is a need for a certain historical review of the functional transition of the female soprano from universalism to specialization in terms of the prospects of the latter in the conditions of modern vocal performance. Recent research and publications. The studies devoted to the art of the soprano in the European tradition can be divided into thematic “blocks”: aesthetics and practice of bel canto – L. Mann (1987), J. Stark (1999), D. Kimbell (1991), H. Weinstock (1971); professional specialization in the 19th century – R. Miller (2000), S. Cotton (2007); archetype theory – C. Abbate (1996), S. McClary (2002). Among Ukrainian works, a valuable reference is “History of Vocal Art” by O. Shuliar (2014). Objectives, methods, and novelty of the research. The purpose of the study is to examine the process of typologization of the female soprano as a phenomenon of European opera practice of the 17th–19th centuries in the context of the paradigmatic shift in aesthetic priorities, performance roles, and theatrical institutional requirements of the past and, in part, the present. The study based an interdisciplinary research approach that combines historical and stylistic analysis, uses the positions of vocal pedagogy, musical semiotics, and elements of gender theory; as well as interpretative analysis of the roles of outstanding sopranos. The novelty of the research lies in the interdisciplinary review of the typology of female soprano established in the European opera tradition of the 17th–19th centuries in the light of new performance practices of the 20th century, as well as in its interpretative analysis as a dynamic phenomenon and a dramaturgical factor that shapes a coherent artistic image through the interaction of the composer’s intent, the performer’s co-creativity, and the socio-cultural reception. Research results. The bel canto era formed an aesthetic of universalism, when sopranos (I. Colbran, G. Pasta, H. Sontag, M. Malibran) freely mastered different performance types (from coloratura to lyric-dramatic). Examples of the work of opera divas of the past point to universalism as an aesthetic paradigm of the era, which reflected the idea of combination of timbre and emotional characteristics of the female voice: from coloratura to lyrical-dramatic. Later, in the second half of the 19th century, with the change in opera aesthetics, in particular the increase in the power of the orchestra, such as in Wagner’s operas, and the institutionalization of the theater system, there is a division of singing voices by types, which significantly limits the interpretative freedom of performers. In this context, the world-class Ukrainian singer Solomiia Krushelnytska appears as a symbol of the transitional cultural era: her performance art revives the ideal of a universal opera singer characteristic of bel canto culture: the artist combined the flexibility of coloratura and the expression of a dramatic soprano, performing a repertoire in the stylistic range from the classics of Italian operatic bel canto to the works of Wagner. A similar example in the twentieth century is the brilliant art of Maria Callas. The work by S. Krushelnytska and M. Callas revives the phenomenon of universalism – the conscious overcoming of typological boundaries. Conclusion. It has been established that the voice type is not only a fixed bio acoustic category, but also a cultural determinant, which at the present stage is being transformed in accordance with theatrical practices and performers’ interpretations.