Fioritura vs. Coloratura — What's the Difference?

Fioritura ( fee-OR-i-TURE-ə, Italian: [fjoriˈtuːra], meaning "flourish" or "flowering"; plural fioriture) is the florid embellishment of melodic lines, either notated by a composer or improvised during a performance. It usually involves lengthy, complex embellishments, as opposed to standardized local ornamental figures such as trills, mordents, or appoggiaturas, and its use is documented as early as the thirteenth century.

Coloratura is an elaborate melody with runs, trills, wide leaps, or similar virtuoso-like material, or a passage of such music. Operatic roles in which such music plays a prominent part, and singers of these roles, are also called coloratura.

(music) A musical embellishment or ornamentation.

Elaborate ornamentation of a vocal melody, especially in operatic singing

The ornamentation of music written for the voice with florid passages, especially trills and runs.

Vocal music characterized by florid ornamental passages.

A singer, especially a soprano, specializing in such ornamentation.

(uncountable) Florid or fancy passages in vocal music.

(countable) A singer of such passages, especially a soprano.

Pertaining to coloratura.

A lyric soprano who specializes in coloratura vocal music

Singing with florid ornamentation