Editing Mezzo-soprano (section)

{{Short description|Type of classical female singing voice}}
{{Other uses|Mezzo soprano (disambiguation)}}
{{Voice type}}
A '''mezzo-soprano''' ({{IPA|it|ˌmɛddzosoˈpraːno|lang}}, {{lit|half soprano}}), or '''mezzo''' ({{IPAc-en|lang|ˈ|m|ɛ|t|s|oʊ}} {{respell|MET|soh}}), is a type of [[classical music|classical]] female [[singing]] [[human voice|voice]] whose [[vocal range]] lies between the [[soprano]] and the [[contralto]] [[voice type]]s. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below [[middle C]] to the A two [[octave]]s above (i.e. A<sub>3</sub>–A<sub>5</sub> in [[scientific pitch notation]], where middle C = C<sub>4</sub>; 220–880&nbsp;Hz). In the lower and upper extremes, some mezzo-sopranos may extend down to the F below middle C (F<sub>3</sub>, 175&nbsp;Hz) and as high as "high C" (C<sub>6</sub>, 1047&nbsp;Hz).<ref name=Appelman>{{cite book
|title= The Science of Vocal Pedagogy: Theory and Application
|last= Appelman
|first= D. Ralph
|year= 1986
|publisher= Indiana University Press
|isbn= 978-0-253-20378-6}}</ref>
The mezzo-soprano voice type is generally divided into the [[coloratura]], lyric, and dramatic.