1.   At one time there was a lot of talk about Ludwig taking on soprano roles.

2.   Because women generally were forbidden to appear on stage, the castrati were needed to sing the soprano roles.

3.   A big attraction is the famed mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, here singing two soprano roles, both wonderfully.

4.   But Ms. Nilsson moved cautiously in taking on the touchstone dramatic soprano roles of the German repertory.

5.   She had been aware from the first that hers was a heavier voice that would move toward the dramatic soprano roles.

6.   The problem is that it is a great soprano role.

7.   Cheryl Studer, who apparently can and will tackle just about any soprano role in the recording studio, is a worthy Desdemona.

8.   When she was old enough to attend Juilliard full time, she was given light soprano roles in opera productions.