9 definitions by Pitti-Sing
A female character in the Gilbert and Sullivan masterpiece The Mikado. The role of Yum-Yum should be sung by a soprano.
Yum-Yum is the beautiful young ward of Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner, and she is preparing to be his bride when she reunites with Nanki-Poo, a childhood friend and the son of the Mikado, and falls in love with him instead. During the opera, Yum-Yum is distressed by not being able to marry her beloved, until finally Ko-Ko releases her from the engagement because he has fallen in love with Katisha.
Yum-Yum is the beautiful young ward of Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner, and she is preparing to be his bride when she reunites with Nanki-Poo, a childhood friend and the son of the Mikado, and falls in love with him instead. During the opera, Yum-Yum is distressed by not being able to marry her beloved, until finally Ko-Ko releases her from the engagement because he has fallen in love with Katisha.
Yum-Yum sings quite a bit during the midsection of the Mikado, but her biggest solo is "The Sun, Whose Rays."
by Pitti-Sing June 24, 2006
The Lord High Executioner of Titipu in Gilbert and Sullivan's masterpiece The Mikado. Ko-Ko is usually played by a baritone. He is generally considered the male lead in this operetta, and while he sings during almost every song, his only true solos are "I've Got a Little List" and "On a Tree By a River."
At the beginning of the operetta, Ko-Ko has been condemned to death for flirting, but the Mikado releases him and makes him the Lord High Executioner. His ward Yum-Yum is to be his bride, but she is in love with Nanki-Poo, the Mikado's son, who is in turn lusted after by a noblewoman named Katisha. After the entire cast attempts multiple times to sort out their mangled love lives, Ko-Ko finds love with Katisha, and they sing their famed duet, "There is Beauty in the Bellow of the Blast."
At the beginning of the operetta, Ko-Ko has been condemned to death for flirting, but the Mikado releases him and makes him the Lord High Executioner. His ward Yum-Yum is to be his bride, but she is in love with Nanki-Poo, the Mikado's son, who is in turn lusted after by a noblewoman named Katisha. After the entire cast attempts multiple times to sort out their mangled love lives, Ko-Ko finds love with Katisha, and they sing their famed duet, "There is Beauty in the Bellow of the Blast."
by Pitti-Sing June 24, 2006
The Mikado is an operetta which was written by Gilbert and Sullivan and first performed in 1885.
The operetta is highly comedic, satirical depiction of life in the Japanese town of Titipu. While the plot appears to be poking fun at Japanese tradition, it is actually a cleverly disguised parody of British politics. The plot follows Nanki-Poo, the son of Japan's lordlike Mikado, in his attempts to woo the fair Yum-Yum away from her fiance Ko-Ko, whilst avoiding the affections of his own betrothed, the elderly Katisha.
The male roles in the Mikado are:
-The Mikado (bass)
-Nanki-Poo, his son (tenor)
-Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner (baritone)
-Pooh-Bah, the Lord High Everything Else (baritone)
-Pish-Tush, a nobleman (baritone or bass)
The female roles in the Mikado are:
-Yum-Yum, Ko-Ko's betrothed (soprano)
-Peep-Bo, a ward of Ko-Ko (soprano)
-Pitti-Sing, her sister (mezzo-soprano)
-Katisha, a noblewoman (contralto)
However, sometimes people with different ranges can play various roles in the operetta. Pitti-Sing can be successfully sung by an alto, while any female singer could play Katisha as long as she has a low range. If the actor playing Pish-Tush cannot hit a bottom F, another character, Go-To, may be played by a bass to sing Pish-Tush's lower parts.
The operetta is highly comedic, satirical depiction of life in the Japanese town of Titipu. While the plot appears to be poking fun at Japanese tradition, it is actually a cleverly disguised parody of British politics. The plot follows Nanki-Poo, the son of Japan's lordlike Mikado, in his attempts to woo the fair Yum-Yum away from her fiance Ko-Ko, whilst avoiding the affections of his own betrothed, the elderly Katisha.
The male roles in the Mikado are:
-The Mikado (bass)
-Nanki-Poo, his son (tenor)
-Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner (baritone)
-Pooh-Bah, the Lord High Everything Else (baritone)
-Pish-Tush, a nobleman (baritone or bass)
The female roles in the Mikado are:
-Yum-Yum, Ko-Ko's betrothed (soprano)
-Peep-Bo, a ward of Ko-Ko (soprano)
-Pitti-Sing, her sister (mezzo-soprano)
-Katisha, a noblewoman (contralto)
However, sometimes people with different ranges can play various roles in the operetta. Pitti-Sing can be successfully sung by an alto, while any female singer could play Katisha as long as she has a low range. If the actor playing Pish-Tush cannot hit a bottom F, another character, Go-To, may be played by a bass to sing Pish-Tush's lower parts.
by Pitti-Sing June 23, 2006
1. An intensely beautiful style of singing. It is characterized by flowery, extravagant passages and lots of trills and runs.
2. A coloratura soprano, meaning a soprano who sings the coloratura style.
3. A role in an opera or musical which employs coloratura techniques.
Contrary to popular belief, any properly trained vocalist can sing coloratura--it is not limited to sopranos.
2. A coloratura soprano, meaning a soprano who sings the coloratura style.
3. A role in an opera or musical which employs coloratura techniques.
Contrary to popular belief, any properly trained vocalist can sing coloratura--it is not limited to sopranos.
1. "Every Valley Shall Be Exalted" is a coloratura aria.
2. Beverly Sills is a coloratura soprano.
3. The Queen of the Night is a coloratura role.
2. Beverly Sills is a coloratura soprano.
3. The Queen of the Night is a coloratura role.
by Pitti-Sing June 24, 2006
A superior form of entertainment in which most of the characters' lines are sung. Not many young people like opera, because their brains are so clogged by rap and sex that they are unable to appreciate the dignity and beauty of opera.
by Pitti-Sing June 23, 2006
Pitti-Sing is a character in the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, The Mikado. She is the sister of Yum-Yum and Peep-Bo, and the ward of Ko-Ko. She, Ko-Ko and Pooh-Bah are falsely blamed for the execution of Nanki-Poo, and the trio is condemned to death. However, they are able to prove their innocence at the last possible moment, and Katisha arranges for them to be pardoned.
The role of Pitti-Sing is usually sung by a mezzo-soprano, but an alto could also play the role. She doesn't have any proper solos, but she sings a stanza by herself in "The Criminal Cried," and leads the chorus in "Braid the Raven Hair" and "For He's Going to Marry Yum-Yum."
The role of Pitti-Sing is usually sung by a mezzo-soprano, but an alto could also play the role. She doesn't have any proper solos, but she sings a stanza by herself in "The Criminal Cried," and leads the chorus in "Braid the Raven Hair" and "For He's Going to Marry Yum-Yum."
by Pitti-Sing June 23, 2006
The lowest female singing voice. At their lowest, contraltos sometimes sound like Barry White. There are traditionally very few roles for contraltos in operas, though modern musical theatre has begun to include them. A common saying is that contraltos are only allowed to play "witches, bitches and britches," with "britches" referring to a trouser role.
Some famous contraltos are Cher, Fiona Apple, Patti LuPone and Marilyn Horne.
Some famous contralto roles in musical theatre are Katisha (The Mikado), Dalila (Samson et Dalila) and Charity (Sweet Charity).
Some famous contralto roles in musical theatre are Katisha (The Mikado), Dalila (Samson et Dalila) and Charity (Sweet Charity).
by Pitti-Sing June 23, 2006