Top 10 Countertenors
Eric Betthauser
I just had to do it. Music afficianados love this sort of fanciful
exercise, don't they? And doesn't like voicing their opinion. These
are mine (in somewhat of an order, but completely), and they are all men
who are still singing.
1. Michael Chance
2. Andreas Scholl
3. David Daniels (I haven't heard him yet, but I've got to beleive
that he'd be on my list)
4. Derek Lee Ragin
5. Jochen Kowalski
6. Gerard Lesne
7. Paul Esswood
8. Brian Asawa
9. Drew Minter
10. Angelo Manzotti
Sorry, no James Bowman: I respect what he's done, but I've never liked
his voice. I expect plenty of dissenting opinions here; don't
disappoint me.
Eric B.
Howard Slenk
My favorite countertenor is Jeffrey Gall. He, like Russell Oberlin,
doesn't have any of that affected
"Alfred Deller" hoot, which always did set my teeth on edge.
Howard Slenk
sl...@calvin.edu
Laurie Fleming
I haven't heard all on your list, but basically I agree. Paul Esswood I would put
higher than 7th place though - he has a immense subtlety that the others, despite their
skill, lack.
I quite agree with your comments on Bowman. I recently bought 'Deborah' by Handel
with him singing on it. In the recit 'Great Prophetess' he goes flat on the second
note. Blech. I find the aria following unlistenable because of that.
Laurie Fleming | On a clear disk, | (+64 4) 479-1589
4 Kenya St | you can seek forever. | (+64 21) 688-140
Ngaio | | lfle...@actrix.gen.nz
Wellington 6004 | | flem...@ho.acc.org.nz
New Zealand | |
Jubilate
In article <339c5433...@news.interport.net>, pi...@interport.net
(Piper) writes:
>Is Jeffrey Gall a _NATURAL_ countertenor, singing in CHEST voice?
>
>
What on earth is that supposed to mean?
Russel Oberlin isn't a countertenor. He can be classified as one of the
"freaks" (pardon my use of such a distasteful term) who's voice is
completely unique in itself. Other singers who fall into this
classification are Aris Christofellis and Randall Wong. Both have high
speaking voices and may suffer from Kallmann's Syndrome. I'm afraid I've
never heard Russel's speaking voice and only very little of his recordings
so I can't say too much about him.
I don't understand your terminology: "natural countertenor". All
countertenors are falsettists. Everybody on Eric's list is a falsettist.
What does singing in chest voice have to do with anything? Any good
countertenor will combine both registers and utilize them both in his
singing, otherwise the result is a weak tone near the passagio. What you
may have meant to say was "Is Jeffrey Gall's larynx smaller than most
other men thus allowing him to produce tones in that range more
'naturally' than other 'countertenors'?".
Check out Andreas Kopp's male soprano page at:
http://www.mpae.gwdg.de/~kopp/disc/
There is much useful information within, although Misters Christofellis,
Wong, and Oberlin are misclassified.
^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^
Christian Pampinella Harpsichordist, Countertenor
E-mail: jubi...@aol.com
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"Let Amor triumph, and let all the world serve the empire of beauty!"
Raniero de' Calzabigi - Orfeo ed Euridice
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"Only the truly pretentious quote themselves..."
Christian Pampinella
^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^
Gadfly
In article <339c5433...@news.interport.net>,
sl...@ursa.calvin.edu (Howard Slenk) wrote:
>My favorite countertenor is Jeffrey Gall...
Fans of Jeff's may be interested to know that he will be teaching next
fall at Montclair State University (NJ). He got a tenure-track
position.
*** ***
Ken Perlow ***** ***** Bell Labs / Lucent Technologies
****** ****** 10 Jun 97 [22 Prairial An CCV]
***** ***** gad...@bell-labs.com
** ** ** **
...L'AUDACE! *** *** TOUJOURS DE L'AUDACE! ENCORE DE L'AUDACE!
The Pattles
Eric Betthauser <bett...@uwec.edu> wrote in article
<339B36...@uwec.edu>...
> I just had to do it. Music afficianados love this sort of fanciful
> exercise, don't they? And doesn't like voicing their opinion. These
> are mine (in somewhat of an order, but completely), and they are all men
> who are still singing.
>
> 1. Michael Chance
> 2. Andreas Scholl
> 3. David Daniels (I haven't heard him yet, but I've got to beleive
> that he'd be on my list)
> 4. Derek Lee Ragin
> 5. Jochen Kowalski
> 6. Gerard Lesne
> 7. Paul Esswood
> 8. Brian Asawa
> 9. Drew Minter
> 10. Angelo Manzotti
>
> Sorry, no James Bowman: I respect what he's done, but I've never liked
> his voice. I expect plenty of dissenting opinions here; don't
> disappoint me.
>
> Eric B.
>
I was trying to resist joining in this one but I can't!. However I would
find it hard to put them in a strict pecking order. First would have to be
James Bowman, I just love the sound he makes. I think it's a love or loath
voice though and very English. You really need to see him live, it's quite
something. After the saintly James I would have Dominic Visse (it took me a
while to appreciate him check out his Ptolemy - thrillingly
vicious).Michael Chance, Gerard Lesne, Andraes Scholl (provided he puts a
bit of thought behind it, too often it is just a beautiful noise). Derek
Lee Ragin, Henri Ledroit, Robin Blaze (up and coming Brit),Alfred Deller
and lastly Drew Minter I guess.
Absolutely not Oberlin who made the most risible noise I have ever
encountered and not Esswood whose constant vibrato drives me bonkers.
Jane Pattle
Jubilate
In article <339db4bc...@news.interport.net>, pi...@interport.net
(Piper) writes:
>Like Russell Oberlin. Since you consider only falsettists to be
>countertenors, what is Oberlin? He sang in the alto range. Calling him
>a "freak" doesn't seem too exact a terminology :)
According to information I've recently obtained, Oberlin is a high lyric
tenor whose voice is pitched a minor 4th higher than a usual tenor. I
suppose his larynx is just a tad smaller than normal.
>
>And as a "freak" his voice was much more pleasing than the
>falsettists' IMO. A very small number of the falsettists I've heard
>are pleasing, but I prefer full voices.
And IMO he sounds like a chipmunk. Explain "full voices".
Piper
On 12 Jun 1997 23:57:24 GMT, jubi...@aol.com (Jubilate) wrote:
>>And as a "freak" his voice was much more pleasing than the
>>falsettists' IMO. A very small number of the falsettists I've heard
>>are pleasing, but I prefer full voices.
>
>And IMO he sounds like a chipmunk. Explain "full voices".
You like falsetto. Fine. I don't, with very few exceptions. And I
think the soprano and alto female voices are less dissimilar to the
castrato voice than the falsettists' voices are.
I can't explain to you what you don't hear. If falsetto is a full
voice to you and Oberlin sounds like a chipmunk to you by comparison,
that's how you hear it, and I have nothing to say about it.
Chacun a son gout, &c.
Piper
On 12 Jun 1997 23:57:24 GMT, jubi...@aol.com (Jubilate) wrote:
I just noticed from your signature that you're a countertenor, so it
wouldn't be surprising if you've been taking my negative comments
about falsettists personally. There exists the possibility that you
have a very flexible and pleasing falsetto voice which I would like.
It _has_ happened.
Richard Ward
>
> Sorry, no James Bowman: I respect what he's done, but I've never liked
> his voice.
Tastes vary of course. James Bowman makes a very masculine sound. He
has very strong lower notes without changing register and usually sings
to A415 or thereabouts. Many of the newer altos seem to put a lot of
work into perfecting the highest possible notes, this is to be expected
in a climate that demands performers are always the mostest. You
know.... the highest, the loudest etc etc. If you prefer the gentle,
feminine sounding voice then of course you will prefer singers other than
James Bowman.
League tables of singers seems silly to me. Why not a list of favourite
pieces for alto instead? This would be potentially very useful to anyone
looking for ideas to add to their collection, repertoire or simply to
listen to soonest.
richard
Thomas Michel
On all trhe lists i miss Axel Köhler, who is at Halle theatre but
regularily sings in Montpellier, Innsbruck, Leipzig and Berlin.
Best wishes from Thomas Michel from Meiningen / Thuringia
Visit my homepage with many links mainly to culture
homepage: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ThomasMichel
Jim Jozwiak
> >And IMO he sounds like a chipmunk. Explain "full voices".
>
> I can't explain to you what you don't hear. If falsetto is a full
> voice to you and Oberlin sounds like a chipmunk to you by comparison,
> that's how you hear it, and I have nothing to say about it.
To me, Oberlin was quite exciting to listen to, and Deller was an
acquired taste--just the same I get great pleasure from Deller's relaxed
and intelligent use of his voice. If I were starting out to train as a
countertenor, would I want to go the high-pressure Oberlin route and
burn out fast, or the relaxed Deller route and still be singing at 60?
Jim Jozwiak
jmfs...@gmail.com
> I just had to do it. Music afficianados love this sort of fanciful
> exercise, don't they? And doesn't like voicing their opinion. These
> are mine (in somewhat of an order, but completely), and they are all men
> who are still singing.
>
> 1. Michael Chance
> 2. Andreas Scholl
> 3. David Daniels (I haven't heard him yet, but I've got to beleive
> that he'd be on my list)
> 4. Derek Lee Ragin
> 5. Jochen Kowalski
> 6. Gerard Lesne
> 7. Paul Esswood
> 8. Brian Asawa
> 9. Drew Minter
> 10. Angelo Manzotti
>
> disappoint me.
>
> Eric B.
papamar...@gmail.com
oswe...@gmail.com
Long before IESTYN DAVIES hit the news.
And what about Michael Taylor? Listen to To love, to Die