Kurt Moll & great basses
I am cool
For me, bass voices sound very deep, dignified, and it must be my
favorite register ( despite my baritone :-) ). Anyone wants to offer
opinion on this?
My favorite bass singer now is Kurt Moll. Everytime I hear him sing
Sarastro ( and I've heard 3 different recordings with him as Sarastro ),
I am dumbfounded, he's so... ineffable! I also listen to the first
act of Der Rosenkavalier with him as the Count, and he's so awesome!
I'm looking for his other recordings, can any of you suggest some?
What about the new Parsifal ( w/ Levine ) or Figaro ( w/ Harnoncourt )?
I'm also looking for other great bass voices. Are there any out there?
( I still have to try out Sam Ramey and Boris Christoff ).
Oh well, long live the basses!!!
Ferry
Nadine S Harris
I am cool <fe...@snake23.cs.wisc.edu> wrote:
>Why don't bass singers get much appreciation as other voice registers?
Because there are so few great bass roles.
But they are there: Boris Goudunov's title role, Phillip II in
Don Carlos, Mefistofeles' title role (Boito), Attila's title role
(Verdi), Mozart's Figaro and Giovanni (though baritones poach
here; there really was no baritone voice type then so "basso"
covers a lot of ground). Many roles are legendary because
of the virtuosity required but rarely done today. (Rossini's
Mose and its earlier Italian incarnation Mose in egitto come to
mind.)
There are many character roles for basses and certain composers
like to write great bass scenes and numbers. (Verdi's tremendous
duet between the two basses, the Grand Inquisitor and the King,
in Don Carlos, is one that shouldn't be missed, for example).
Rossini's Philosopher in Cenerentola has music that is so
melimatic that hardly any basses today can perform it. Verdi
wrote beautiful music for basses--sometimes the most moving arias
are for this voice part (for example in Simon Boccanegra and
Macbeth).
And some of Wagner's most human characters are basses.
The music of Hunding and Hagen in the Ring, and Pogner
in Meistersinger, are favorite highlights for me.
>My favorite bass singer now is Kurt Moll. . . .
>I'm looking for his other recordings, can any of you suggest some?
He is SO awesome!! Especially live. When he sang Rocco in
Beethoven's FIDELIO at the Met, he used to upstage almost everyone
(it's impossible for anyone to upstage Jon Vickers as far as I'm
concerned!) He's recorded the role, with Karajan, and it's
worth having.
>I'm also looking for other great bass voices. Are there any out there?
>( I still have to try out Sam Ramey and Boris Christoff ).
Where to begin? *Certainly* Samuel Ramey, who is
a great all-around bass performer and actor and a technical
wizard. But it's best to actually *see* him, because he's one
of the few actors in opera today. Mefistofele, Figaro, Giovanni
are some of his roles and he recorded Showboat very effectively.
I'm afraid if I compile a list I'll miss someone, but I just
want to be sure to mention two basses who aren't around,
since you might miss them: Cesare Siepi and Ezio Pinza.
Nadine
R. Wilmer
>Rossini's Philosopher in Cenerentola has music that is so
>melimatic that hardly any basses today can perform it.
Do you mean Alidoro? What is melimatic? Why is this Hard to perform?
Please explain.
Thanks, Richard
Robert Coren
>I am cool <fe...@snake23.cs.wisc.edu> wrote:
>
>>Why don't bass singers get much appreciation as other voice registers?
>
>Because there are so few great bass roles.
And maybe because there are so few great bass singers.
>But they are there: Boris Goudunov's title role, Phillip II in
>Don Carlos, Mefistofeles' title role (Boito), Attila's title role
>(Verdi), Mozart's Figaro and Giovanni (though baritones poach
>here; there really was no baritone voice type then so "basso"
>covers a lot of ground). Many roles are legendary because
>of the virtuosity required but rarely done today. (Rossini's
>Mose and its earlier Italian incarnation Mose in egitto come to
>mind.)
>
>There are many character roles for basses and certain composers
>like to write great bass scenes and numbers. (Verdi's tremendous
>duet between the two basses, the Grand Inquisitor and the King,
>in Don Carlos, is one that shouldn't be missed, for example).
And, in a lighter vein but requiring some pretty seriously virtuoso
bass singing, there's Osmin in Mozart's _Entfuehring_.
If you don't insist on Real Opera(tm), there are a lot of fine bass roles
in the Handel oratorios. The title roles in _Hercules_ and _Saul_ come
to mind immediately. Timotheus in _Alexander's Feat_ has a couple of
impressive arias. There are plenty of others. (Not to mention the 4
great arias from the _Messiah_.)
>And some of Wagner's most human characters are basses.
>The music of Hunding and Hagen in the Ring, and Pogner
>in Meistersinger, are favorite highlights for me.
Other _Ring_ basses include Fafner (admittedly not the most human of
characters :-)) and, depending on what you mean by "bass", Wotan. (If
you can count Giovanni, I can count Wotan.)
If you happen to like _Parsifal_ (I haven't decided on this one, yet),
Gurnemanz is a splendid role for a bass.
>>My favorite bass singer now is Kurt Moll. . . .
>>I'm looking for his other recordings, can any of you suggest some?
>
>He is SO awesome!! Especially live. When he sang Rocco in
>Beethoven's FIDELIO at the Met, he used to upstage almost everyone
I still have a tinge of regret that he decided, however rightly, that
he would do himself harm if he sang Hagen.
>I'm afraid if I compile a list I'll miss someone, but I just
>want to be sure to mention two basses who aren't around,
>since you might miss them: Cesare Siepi and Ezio Pinza.
My first live opera experience was hearing Siepi as Giovanni at the
Met in about 1962. A memorable event, even from mediocre seats.
(Peerce and Price as Ottavio and Anna respectively didn't do anything
to hurt the occasion either, apart from a slightly distracting
physical contrast.)
--
"...and in the Eighth Square we shall be Queens together, and it's all
feasting and fun!" --Lewis Carroll, _Through the Looking Glass_
Salah S Zenieh
Totally agree with you. Classical music without bass would sound just
like turning your bass knob all the way down on your stereo.... ugghhhkhkhk.
Can't imagine how dull the music would sound.
In addition to supplying an essential part of the harmony, the bass voice,
especially in choral music, injects depth and authority into the music.
The truebass voice is unique in the sence of possessing it's own frequency
range (the BassClef). Unlike the soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, contralto,
tenor, countertenor, and what have you, who share an overlapping range of
frequencies. Man.. I can't even picutre Mozart's opera's without basses.
The tone of darkness reflected by the bass solos and choirs in all
Requiems, Stabat Maters and Passion's is a must to present the shadow
of the image of death. It is hard to imagine, for example:
- Mozart's Requiem being without the "Tuba Mirum.." (1)
(Try Marriner's version)
- Haydn's Stabat Maters being without the "Pro Peccatis" (2)
(Try Pinnocks version)
- Rossini's Stabat Maters being without the "Pro Peccatis" (2a)
(Try Bychkov version)
- Faure's Requiem being without the "Libera Me" (3)
(Try Dutoit and Shaw's versions)
- Pa"rt's Passion (4)
(There is only one available version to my knowledge)
- Handel's "The People That Walked" (5)
(Try Pinnock's version)
- Mozart's "Don Giovani" (6)
(Try Harnoncourt's version)
- Shostakovich's Symphony # 13 (Babi Yar) (7)
(Try Masur's version)
The power of the Bass voice is as well effective in presenting a powerful
message of joy, elation, or just general non-dark messages. Listen to
- Handel's "The Trumpet Shall Sound" (8)
(Try Pinnock's version)
- Haydn's "Creation" (9)
(Try Rattle's version)
- Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" opening (9th Symphony) (10)
(Try Harnoncourt's version)
- Mozart's "Non piu Andrai" (Nozze de Figaro) (11)
(Diaz, Mozart Arias, ASV label)
- Mozart's "In diesen heil'gen Hallen" (Magic Flute) (12)
(Try Harnoncourt's version)
- Verdi's "Di provenza il mar" (La Traviata) (13)
(Try Rizzi's version)
- Rossini's Barber of Seville (14)
(Can't recommend one)
If you are looking for a true powerful bass I feel you might be disappointed
with Samuel Ramey, as I was. Just compare Ramey's Mozart's "Non Piu Andrai"
(with Solti/Te Kanawa/London Label) to that of say Justino Diaz on his Mozart
Bass Arias CD (ASV Label), to know what I am talking about. And that album
does not even represent Diaz at his best, but I do recommend it highly,
nonetheless, especially since he chose the best Mozart bass opera arias to
sing.
To my limited knowledge of basses some of the best to me (who sang in
the above pieces of my CD collection) are Lloyd (1), Hauptmann (2) Furlanetto
(2a), Milnes (3), George (4), Tomlinsonn (5,8), Polgar (6?), Leiferkus,
baritone (7), Thomas (9), Diaz (11), Salminen (12)... Since I am more into
choral music my experience with almost all of the above has been with choral
music and not opera.
I think that Alastair Miles and Moll in addition to most of the above ones are
unsurpassable. If you know of others, or other works by the above (choral
music preferable) please enlighten me (I am mostly interested in Choral
music). I know there are tons of basses out there that I have not heard of.
_________
Sami deeb de...@vivaldi.nl.nuwc.navy.mil (POSTING FROM A FRIEND's ACCOUNT)
Jim Clow
>In article <37e79n$9...@daffy.cs.wisc.edu>, fe...@snake23.cs.wisc.edu (I am cool) writes:
>
>|> I'm also looking for other great bass voices. Are there any out there?
>|> ( I still have to try out Sam Ramey and Boris Christoff ).
>|>
>|> Oh well, long live the basses!!!
>
>much of an American career, let alone whether he sang at the Metropolitan.
>Frick's voice seemed to start in his shoes and go lower from there. His
>recording of the Commendatore on the 1961 Giulini _Don Giovanni_, once
>you get past the mispronunciations of Italian ("kvesta" for "questa"),
>stays in my memory as downright frightening.
>
>I'm of a generation with some wonderful memories of Giorgio Tozzi's great
>Daland in _Der Fliegende Hollander_, Jerome Hines' Gurnemanz in
>_Parsifal_, and George London's Dutchman and Boris Godunov (I know, he
>wasn't a "real" bass, but what the hell?...). But I wish I'd seen Frick.
>
>Ken Wolman
>--
> .----------.
> / .-. .-. \
>/ | | | | \
>\ `-' `-' _/ I never knew anyone could SING that low!
>/\ .--. / |
>\ | / / / /
>/ | `--' /\ \
> /`-------' \ \
I have a London recording I found in a cutout bin of Joseph Rouleau
singing a variety of arias. He is superb, but I've not found any
details about him beyond what the record jacket gives. Anyone with more
knowledge of him and his recordings?
Jim Clow
Ann Feeney
favorite is Nocilai Ghiaurov. Admittedly, he started losing his voice
far too early in his career (his pre 1980 recordings almost sound like
a different person, they're so full and warm and impressive) but
for a luxurious, full, room-filling bass, I love his early stuff.
--
Ann Feeney
Resource Center Librarian |Any similarity of opinions between
Ligature, Inc. |those expressed in this posting
(312)648-1233 |and anybody else's, including
afe...@mcs.com |Ligature, Inc. is purely coincidental.
William Kasimer
: My favorite bass singer now is Kurt Moll. Everytime I hear him sing
: Sarastro ( and I've heard 3 different recordings with him as Sarastro ),
: I am dumbfounded, he's so... ineffable! I also listen to the first
: act of Der Rosenkavalier with him as the Count, and he's so awesome!
: I'm looking for his other recordings, can any of you suggest some?
: What about the new Parsifal ( w/ Levine ) or Figaro ( w/ Harnoncourt )?
Moll was a pretty impressive Gurnemanz in the flesh at the Met, so you'll
probably want to buy the new Parsifal.
For something a little different, I recommend a couple of Lieder CD's
with Moll. One is Loewe Ballads (Harmonia Mundi label), the other
Schubert Lieder (on the Orfeo label).
: I'm also looking for other great bass voices. Are there any out there?
: ( I still have to try out Sam Ramey and Boris Christoff ).
There are quite a few that you'll want to investigate, including Ramey
and Christoff. Other modern basses worth hearing are Jose van Dam,
Robert Lloyd, Hans Sotin, Franz Crass, Jan Hendrik Rootering, and Nicolai
Ghiaurov. Great bass voices from the past include Ezio Pinza, Mark Reizen,
Gottlob Frick, Ludwig Weber, Ivar Andresen, Ludwig Hoffmann, Wilhelm
Strienz, Josef Greindl, Paul Robeson, Alexander Kipnis, and Cesare Siepi.
I know that I'm forgetting plenty here, but these are off the top of my
head.
That ought to be enough to get you started ;-). I suspect that you'll
want to start with Pinza and Reizen, two singers almost unanimously
considered among the greatest singers of the century.
Bill (wk...@netcom.com)
Ken Wolman
|> I'm also looking for other great bass voices. Are there any out there?
|> ( I still have to try out Sam Ramey and Boris Christoff ).
|>
|> Oh well, long live the basses!!!
One who never got enough attention: Gottlob Frick. I don't know if he had
Dimitrios Diamantaras
: For me, bass voices sound very deep, dignified, and it must be my
: favorite register ( despite my baritone :-) ). Anyone wants to offer
: opinion on this?
I am in total agreement!
: My favorite bass singer now is Kurt Moll. Everytime I hear him sing
: Sarastro ( and I've heard 3 different recordings with him as Sarastro ),
: I am dumbfounded, he's so... ineffable! I also listen to the first
: act of Der Rosenkavalier with him as the Count, and he's so awesome!
: I'm looking for his other recordings, can any of you suggest some?
: What about the new Parsifal ( w/ Levine ) or Figaro ( w/ Harnoncourt )?
: I'm also looking for other great bass voices. Are there any out there?
: ( I still have to try out Sam Ramey and Boris Christoff ).
I read several responses to you so far, but I believe nobody mentioned
Alexander Kipnis. Try "The Best of Alexander Kipnis" CD (Pearl, GEMM
CD9451) for starters (and in particular, In Diesen Heiligen Hallen from
the Magic Flute and A te l'estremo addio from Simon Boccanegra). I also
have and can highly recommend a two-CD set called "Alexander Kipnis Sings
Lieder". This is put out by Music and Arts, with number CD-661(2). In
particular, Brahms's Von Ewiger Liebe and Schubert's Aufenthalt are my
all-time favorite bass renditions of art songs, and I don't care about
some idiocyncracies of interpretation or the not so good sound (we are
talking 1920s and 1930s here). I have van Damme's Schwanengesang CD, which
includes Aufenthalt, and Kipnis makes me want to trash the van Damme CD
and never see it or hear it again! As for Von Ewiger Liebe, the *only*
other rendition (and I have seard some more) that I can compare to
Kipnis's is mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig's, for sheer emotional
intensity and beautiful voice.
I also agree with the people who recommended Ghiaourov, Frick, and
Christoff. Kurt Moll is very good I think, but not in the same class as
Frick, Ghiaourov, and Kipnis (Christoff sounds great on recordings but is
supposed to have had a small voice, so I guess he is also not top class).
: Oh well, long live the basses!!!
Yes!
: Ferry
--
Dimitrios Diamantaras
Department of Economics
Temple University
Reuben Settergren
>For me, bass voices sound very deep, dignified, and it must be my
>favorite register ( despite my baritone :-) ).
I know! What I wouldn't give to add, say, a fourth to the bottom of
my range! Actually, I've performed as second bass in an a cappella
group (Johns Hopkins Octopodes. yay.), I have to struggle for
anything under about an E/Eb.
>I'm also looking for other great bass voices. Are there any out there?
>( I still have to try out Sam Ramey and Boris Christoff ).
Perhaps my (absolutely) favorite singer is Jose van Dam, who does
double duty as bass or baritone; such control, beautiful voice
shaping, and expressive ability. He's Mephistopheles for Berlioz on
London with Solti/CSO (although von Stade sings out of tune and Riegel
is, like all tenors, annoying), and he's baritone for Karajan's German
Requiem (coupled with Bruckner's Te Deum). Karajan's deliberative
expansiveness suits the work well; beautiful hushed choruses, and van
Dam knocks my socks off with his "Herr, lehre doch mich". Hendricks
also splendid at soprano.
>Oh well, long live the basses!!!
Why thank you!
--
Reuben
PhD Student and Assistant Computer Bozo, Rutgers Center for Operations Research
email: reu...@rutcor.rutgers.edu *** Profound .sig on request ***
Peter Hoogenboom
: In article <37e79n$9...@daffy.cs.wisc.edu>,
: I am cool <fe...@snake23.cs.wisc.edu> wrote:
: >Why don't bass singers get much appreciation as other voice registers?
: Because there are so few great bass roles.
Perhaps there are so few great bass roles because bass singers don't get
as much appreciation.
;)
: (Verdi), Mozart's Figaro and Giovanni (though baritones poach
: here; there really was no baritone voice type then so "basso"
: covers a lot of ground). Many roles are legendary because
Then what is Mozart's Count Almaviva?
--
Peter Hoogenboom phoo...@wlu.edu
Department of Music, DuPont 208 phoog...@eagle.wesleyan.edu
Washington and Lee University (703) 463-8697
Lexington, VA 24450
R. Wilmer
>In article <37e79n$9...@daffy.cs.wisc.edu> fe...@snake23.cs.wisc.edu (I am cool) writes:
>>
>>I'm also looking for other great bass voices. Are there any out there?
>>( I still have to try out Sam Ramey and Boris Christoff ).
Don't forget Giorgio Tozzi.
>>
>>Oh well, long live the basses!!!
>>
>>Ferry
>
>
>In addition to supplying an essential part of the harmony, the bass voice,
>especially in choral music, injects depth and authority into the music.
>The truebass voice is unique in the sence of possessing it's own frequency
>range (the BassClef). Unlike the soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, contralto,
>tenor, countertenor, and what have you, who share an overlapping range of
>frequencies.
But sopranos, mezzos, altos, tenors, and baritones all do have their own
clefs:
Soprano: C on the first line
Mezzo: C on the second line
Alto: C on the third line
Tenor: C on the fourth line
Baritone: F on the third line
I don't know about Countertenors. Is their clef the treble?
In music printed nowadays the soprano, alto, and tenor clefs appear
mainly in orchestra scores or instrumental music. However, knowing
the mezzo and baritone clefs is helpful for transposing other
instruments.
For singers singing music transcribed between 1600 and 1850, knowledge
of the clefs of their voices (especially soprano, alto, and tenor) is
essential.
Richard
Andrys D Basten
>>My favorite bass singer now is Kurt Moll. . . .
>>I'm looking for his other recordings, can any of you suggest some?
>
>He is SO awesome!! Especially live. When he sang Rocco in
>Beethoven's FIDELIO at the Met, he used to upstage almost everyone
>(it's impossible for anyone to upstage Jon Vickers as far as I'm
>concerned!) He's recorded the role, with Karajan, and it's
>worth having.
When I first saw (heard, actually) Moll in the '70s in the Ring here, I was
in the balcony of the SF opera house, MILES from the stage. From this dot
on the stage came this amazingly sonorous, focused, gorgeous voice, and all
around me people were sitting up and whispering, "WHO is THAT?"
- A
--
,------------------------------------------------------------------------,
| Andrys Basten <and...@netcom.com> | Basten Micro Consulting (DOS) |
| Have Early Music, Will Travel | Berkeley-San Francisco, CA |
| Harpsichord, recorders | 510-235-3861 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Andrys D Basten
Salah S Zenieh <sal...@gus10.ecn.purdue.edu> wrote:
>music). I know there are tons of basses out there that I have not heard of.
Michael George is one of my favorite sounds these days.
James Kahn
>In article <37e79n$9...@daffy.cs.wisc.edu>,
>I am cool <fe...@snake23.cs.wisc.edu> wrote:
>>Why don't bass singers get much appreciation as other voice registers?
>Because there are so few great bass roles.
>But they are there: Boris Goudunov's title role, Phillip II in
>Don Carlos, Mefistofeles' title role (Boito), Attila's title role
>(Verdi), Mozart's Figaro and Giovanni (though baritones poach
>here; there really was no baritone voice type then so "basso"
>covers a lot of ground).
Hmm, when I think of Mozart bass roles I immediately think of Zarastro
in The Magic Flute. No room for a baritone there (I speak from experience).
"O Isis un Osiris" and "In Diesen Heilgen Hallen" are sumptuous arias.
>>I'm also looking for other great bass voices. Are there any out there?
>>( I still have to try out Sam Ramey and Boris Christoff ).
>Where to begin? *Certainly* Samuel Ramey, who is
>a great all-around bass performer and actor and a technical
>wizard. But it's best to actually *see* him, because he's one
>of the few actors in opera today. Mefistofele, Figaro, Giovanni
>are some of his roles and he recorded Showboat very effectively.
>I'm afraid if I compile a list I'll miss someone, but I just
>want to be sure to mention two basses who aren't around,
>since you might miss them: Cesare Siepi and Ezio Pinza.
How about the late great Marti Talvela?
--Jim
--
ka...@troi.cc.rochester.edu |
ka...@weiss1.wharton.upenn.edu|
(215) 898-4254 |
|
R. Wilmer
Nonsense, I heard him live at the Paris Opera. His voice was
powerful and his acting and stage presence extraordinary. Hearing
this tremendous performer in person revealed qualities well beyond
those heard in his recordings.
Richard
Peter Hoogenboom
(spelling?) has THE LOWEST VOICE OF ANYONE I'VE EVER MET. He can sing a
low b-flat at nine in the evening with the clarity I can only get before
noon. It is fabulously powerful and unstrained. It has much the quality
of a bassoon.
Harmonia Mundi USA
Herreweghe is really, really beautiful.
Clarke
I am cool
>especially in choral music, injects depth and authority into the music.
>The truebass voice is unique in the sence of possessing it's own frequency
>range (the BassClef). Unlike the soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, contralto,
>tenor, countertenor, and what have you, who share an overlapping range of
>frequencies. Man.. I can't even picutre Mozart's opera's without basses.
Definitely what I mean in my previous article. It's a pity that bass
voices don't get that high appreciation as, say, the tenors. I would
rather spend my money on Moll's recital than on Pavarotti's or Domingo's.
Too bad there aren't many bass recitals on discs.
>- Mozart's "In diesen heil'gen Hallen" (Magic Flute) (12)
> (Try Harnoncourt's version)
This is definitely an exemplary aria for bass. Highly dignified, with
a chance to probe very deep for the sonority. Since I'm a Magic Flute
buff, I've listened to 10 different performances ( and actually own 9
of them ). Actually I've got the Harnoncourt, but I don't really like
it. The Sarastro is OK, but you really have to listen to Kurt Moll's
rendition with Solti, or he's even better with Levine and the Met ( on
Laserdisc only I believe ), and his appearance in Colin Davis' really
makes things much better ( though this is the only Magic Flute I've
heard so far that I definitely don't want to buy!!! ).
Actually, Sam Ramey's Sarastro ( w/ Marriner ) is not bad at all. I
like it, although Moll is much firmer as Sarastro.
>To my limited knowledge of basses some of the best to me (who sang in
>the above pieces of my CD collection) are Lloyd (1), Hauptmann (2) Furlanetto
>(2a), Milnes (3), George (4), Tomlinsonn (5,8), Polgar (6?), Leiferkus,
>baritone (7), Thomas (9), Diaz (11), Salminen (12)... Since I am more into
>choral music my experience with almost all of the above has been with choral
>music and not opera.
>
>I think that Alastair Miles and Moll in addition to most of the above ones are
>unsurpassable. If you know of others, or other works by the above (choral
>music preferable) please enlighten me (I am mostly interested in Choral
>music). I know there are tons of basses out there that I have not heard of.
>
>_________
>Sami deeb de...@vivaldi.nl.nuwc.navy.mil (POSTING FROM A FRIEND's ACCOUNT)
>
Thanks for your info, and also thanks for all of you who gave me good
replies. I really have to check out those voices you recommend. Right
now I can't recommend anything, but stay away from Solti and his renditions
of the Mass in B Minor and St. Matthew Passion. My $50 would have been
better spent on other recordings. And the basses of the 2 recordings
don't prevail at all!!! ( Although von Otter is always a very good
mezzo ).
Regards,
Ferry
Peter Hoogenboom
: The truebass voice is unique in the sence of possessing it's own frequency
: range (the BassClef). Unlike the soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, contralto,
: tenor, countertenor, and what have you, who share an overlapping range of
: frequencies. Man.. I can't even picutre Mozart's opera's without basses.
Excuse me, but even the lowest bass voice overlaps the highest soprano voice.
All the others in between overlap with the bass to an even greater extent.
Thanks for plugging us, though!
Peter
Peter Hoogenboom
: I don't know about Countertenors. Is their clef the treble?
Most commonly alto clef, I'd imagine.
: In music printed nowadays the soprano, alto, and tenor clefs appear
: mainly in orchestra scores or instrumental music. However, knowing
I've never seen a soprano clef in an orchestral score (except in the
vocal parts). It used to be used (18th century) for keyboard music.