The Voice as a Character in Opera: Between Instrument, Identity and Dramaturgy

Abstract

This article explores the voice in opera as a living musical instrument with a specific sonority, but also as an autonomous character, through the prism of my personal experience as a performer. Starting from my own repertoire in bel canto, Verdi, and Puccini, the analysis highlights how timbre, register, agility, and vocal expressiveness build the identity and psychology of the characters. In bel canto, agility and ornamentation serve to define the lyrical character and outline the scenic contrasts. In Verdi's operas, the voice is used to express drama and inner tensions, while in Puccini's work, emotional intensity and vocal crescendo function as narrative and dramaturgical elements. The voice is configured as a "parallel text" capable of revealing hidden emotions and tensions, capitalising on the interdependence between music and theatre through vocal performances. It becomes an actor, situated between instrument, identity, and dramaturgy.