[Magdalen] Counter-tenors

[Scott Knitter]

A choirmaster let me try my hand (er, my voice) at countertenoring,
briefly.

It's difficult, IMHO. The notes seem closer together up there, and it was
hard to sing in tune. Back to baritone at my request. :)

David Daniels was the famous countertenor for a while until he got in
trouble a couple of years ago for sexual assault. Way to end a brilliant
career. He was so good in Peter Sellars' TV production of Theodora (Handel)
with Dawn what's-her-name (I'm getting bad with names). And the late,
amazing Lorraine Hunt Lieberman. Upshaw! Dawn Upshaw.

The hot countertenor right now is from Poland: Jakub Józef Orliński. Hot as
in popular, and as in handsome.

On Sat, Nov 21, 2020 at 10:36 AM ME Michaud <michaudme at gmail.com> wrote:

> Ob Ang, we had a counter-tenor in the choir (I don't remember his name).
>
> He was purloined, er, recruited, by Cirque du Soleil.
> He ran away with the circus
> :-)
> -M
>
>
> On Friday, November 20, 2020, Marion Thompson <marionwhitevale at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Oh, indeed, yes.  A really good counter-tenor is marvellous and there are
> > some terrific ones around these days.
> >
> > Marion, a pilgrim
> >
> > On Fri, Nov 20, 2020 at 5:18 PM Roger Stokes via Magdalen <
> > magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:
> >
> > > I have long thought that traditional men and boys choirs have suffered
> > > from a lack of depth in the Alto part. This evening I have been
> > > listening to the transmission of a concert version of Handel's opera
> > > "Ariodante". While the title role (which was originally sung by a
> > > castrato) was sung by a mezzo-soprano another major male roile was sung
> > > by a counter-tenor. This is in the vocal range of an Alto but has far
> > > more depth of timbre than can be offered by men singing falsetto.
> > >
> > > Roger
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>


-- 
Scott R. Knitter
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA