coloratura

American  

[kuhl-er-uh-toor-uh, -tyoor-uh, kol-, kohl-] / ˌkʌl ər əˈtʊər ə, -ˈtyʊər ə, ˌkɒl-, ˌkoʊl- /

Also colorature

noun

1. runs, trills, and other florid decorations in vocal music.

2. a lyric soprano of high range who specializes in such music.

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coloratura British  

/ ˈkɒlərəˌtjʊə, ˌkɒlərəˈtʊərə /

noun

1. 1. (in 18th- and 19th-century arias) a florid virtuoso passage

   2. ( as modifier )

      a coloratura aria

2. Also called: coloratura soprano.  a lyric soprano who specializes in such music

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coloratura Cultural  

1. Elaborate ornamentation in a piece of vocal music. A coloratura soprano is one who can sing such highly ornamented parts.

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Etymology

Origin of coloratura

1730–40; < Italian < Late Latin: literally, coloring. See color, -ate ¹, -ure

Explanation

Coloratura is a very fancy style of singing that includes lots of flourishes, trills, and high notes. In opera, a coloratura is a soprano who sings in this ornamental style. In Italian, coloratura means "coloring," and in music, coloratura takes a basic song or tune and adds splashes of musical color to it. Opera sopranos are especially good at this, singing lines and adding sobbing sounds to make them more tragic or happy trills to make them sound flirtatious or funny. In baroque music, instruments are often required to use coloratura, elaborate flourishes that add something extra to the music.

Example Sentences

Emma Grimsley’s soprano had the necessary brightness and coloratura flexibility for Manon, but her monochromatic timbre missed the character’s pathos.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

“She is a lyric coloratura, with a relatively small voice that carries in a big auditorium by virtue of its concentrated tone. And she is a complete actress, in voice and movement.”

From Seattle Times • Aug. 16, 2023

“Of course, darling,” she said, with a coloratura laugh.

From Slate • May 27, 2023

She careered around the stage in a wheelchair during “Der Hölle Rache,” bringing thrilling drama to a coloratura showpiece so fiendish that sopranos are lucky to get through it when they’re standing stock still.

From New York Times • May 21, 2023

Coloratura Soprano — This is not really a different range from the soprano, but a coloratura soprano has a voice that is unusually high, light, and agile, even for a soprano.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Related Words

• singer