The soprano voice occupies the highest-sounding line of music (in Italian ‘sopra’ means ‘over’ or ‘above’) and it is subdivided into various types. The coloratura is the virtuoso, suited for rapid ornamentation such as in Mozart’s Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte). This quintessential collection of best-loved arias confirms that the soprano, in all her variety, sits at the very heart of the operatic experience. (Naxos)
