Coloratura << KUHL ur uh TOOR uh or KUHL ur uh TYOOR uh >> is a term used to describe a flowery, ornate style of singing, especially suited to sopranos with very high vocal ranges. The word is an adopted Italian musical term deriving originally from the German word, Koloratur, meaning coloring. Coloratura has also become a general term for any kind of vocal ornament of the melody, such as a trill (tremulous vibration). The term coloratura soprano is often used to describe a soprano with an exceptionally high voice who specializes in music that is full of rapid scales passages, wide musical leaps, trills, and runs (a rapid succession of tones). Such singing requires great vocal agility. Classic examples of coloratura singing appear in the Queen of the Night’s two arias in The Magic Flute (1791) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Other famous coloratura arias are found in operas by Gioachino Antonio Rossini and Gaetano Donizetti.
