It is unusual for styles in opera to carry over from one era into another--and even more unusual to linger two generations. Yet this is what happened during the first half of the nineteenth century, when the intricacies of the fleet bel canto style were combined with the Romantic era's heroic declamation and formidable orchestral emphasis, resulting in the creation of the assoluta voice. This work traces that phenomenon and also covers the uniquely versatile divas who made their mark from the time of Cherubini to that of a young Verdi.