Plural of contralto; a group of singers with the lowest female vocal range.
Italian plural of 'contralto' (from 'contra-' against + 'alto' high). The term developed in Renaissance vocal music when composers needed names for different voice parts.
Contralti can hit notes so low that they're closer to men's vocal range than to sopranos—some contraltos can sing harmonies with tenors. This is why opera composers obsessed over getting the right contralto for roles.
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