View Full Version : Countertenor Double Dose
I’m not sure if this fits in here but as there is no Live Concert Board, I’ll post it all the same.
In the old R3 MBs, there were at least three people who liked countertenors (and one who didn’t :winkeye:). Here is an article by Tom Service in the Guardian about tonight’s concert at the Barbican, which, alas, I am not going: Andreas Scholl and Philippe Jaroussky sing…. Purcell. Brave men.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/dec/06/andreas-scholl-phillipe-jaroussky-countertenors
What do Purcell experts/purists think? Tom Service mentions Purcell’s writing for countertenors. I always had an impression that English countertenors traditionally belonged to church choirs.
Chris Newman
07-12-10, 09:45
doversoul,
I think that both you and Tom Service are correct here. Henry Purcell was a countertenor (and bass) himself: he was highly praised for his singing of "'Tis Nature's Voice" at the first performance of "Hail, Bright Cecilia". He, of course, worked musically in Westminster Abbey in a number of capacities.
Flosshilde
07-12-10, 12:59
Andreas Scholl was on In Tune last night. He commented on countertenors of Purcell's day, saying that they were more like the French haute-contre than modern counter-tenors.
He then went on to sing Dido's Lament, in a voice that I thought was rather lower than his usual counter-tenor, but a bit higher than his speaking voice. Not sure that I liked it.
Wish I could go to the concert - yummy Philippe, as well as wonderful music!
Freddie Campbell
07-12-10, 20:29
...Well Counter-Tenor is,after all,a rather imperfect defination of a Male Alto! Actually it was
Alfred Deller who started the Title-being tired of endless jokes as to the.."lady with a beard" etc. Really a CT is a high-sounding(chest-voice)Tenor,who can reach the Male Alto range...
I’m not sure if this fits in here but as there is no Live Concert Board, I’ll post it all the same.
In the old R3 MBs, there were at least three people who liked countertenors (and one who didn’t :winkeye:). Here is an article by Tom Service in the Guardian about tonight’s concert at the Barbican, which, alas, I am not going: Andreas Scholl and Philippe Jaroussky sing…. Purcell.
Count me in as a countertenor fan, especially of Jaroussky. I would have loved to have been there tonight, too, but there were only a couple of 45 quid tickets left, a bit steep for me before Christmas. Still, there's J's reappearance in Orlando Furioso to look forward to in March with a star-studded cast.
pilamenon
I did :biggrin: (smiley's day off)
I can’t find the link but I am sure I read it somewhere that Jaroussky was coming with L’Arpeggiata to the Wigmore Hall as part of its Art of Countertenor series next year. Unless I dreamed it, which is quite likely.
Flosshilde
08-12-10, 12:16
Doversoul, sweet dreams indeed if they included Philipe
(OK, I'll stop going on about him)
Flosshilde
Was it not you who said ‘I’ve never come across this singer,’ a couple of weeks before R3 MBs closed? If it was you, I’d say these message boards have worked wonders. Do keep on talking about Jaroussky in particular and countertenors in general.
Pilamenon, we’ve done well!!
Chris Newman
08-12-10, 18:09
Especially for doversoul, flossie and Pilamenon here is the man himself in Purcell (once the chat is done with):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvW7j2MpkcM
Chris Newman
08-12-10, 18:26
And here he is with Christina Pluhar as you've never known her before.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2ctQ_80yQo
And here he is with Christina Pluhar as you've never known her before.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2ctQ_80yQo
Good Heavens!! Can you imagine Robin Blaze or Iestyn Davies doing anything remotely like this? Even the Purcell clip (I have seen this one), would any British chat show be interested in inviting a classical singer to this extent (actually, I don’t watch any chat show so I am not in any position to make such a comment. For all I know they may be inviting singers and conductors ever other day)? And would we immediately disapprove the singer for ‘popularising’ or ‘dumbing down’ him/herself in this way? Is this the different musical culture? Should we envy it or should we be glad that things are, well… in order on this side of the Channel? What a lot of questions!
In the meantime, the Barbican concert seems to have gone well. Wish I’d been there…
http://www.theartsdesk.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=2727:scholl-jaroussky-ensemble-artaserse-barbican&Itemid=27
Flosshilde
08-12-10, 21:43
Flosshilde
Was it not you who said ‘I’ve never come across this singer,’ a couple of weeks before R3 MBs closed? If it was you, I’d say these message boards have worked wonders. Do keep on talking about Jaroussky in particular and countertenors in general.
Pilamenon, we’ve done well!!
Yes it was, Doversoul, & I am grateful to you for drawing my attention to him. I need to go back to the old boards & find the links you posted there.
I've 'always' been a fan of countertenors.
Flosshilde
08-12-10, 22:40
And here he is with Christina Pluhar as you've never known her before.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2ctQ_80yQo
Chris, thank you so much for that - it brought a file to my lips - so camp!
Flosshilde
08-12-10, 22:49
Even the Purcell clip (I have seen this one), would any British chat show be interested in inviting a classical singer to this extent
To be fair, doversoul, it doesn't seem to be an ordinary chat show, but a programme called "La Boîte à Musique" ('Music Box'). In fact, back in the early days of Parknison's chat show he did have some good guests that might have included classical musicians. (this was before he moved to ITV & became obsessed with aging film stars & the Beckhams)
Flosshide
I can’t remember which links I posted but here are some (rather tame after seeing Chris’s):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWj1ffELN3c&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjypsSH58Kc&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GqjlOFagcU&feature=related
Will we ever hear his concert on R3…?
Re: the chat show. Yes, it does look quite a luxury kind of a chat show. It would be good if Radio3 would adopt a ‘show’ like this. I suppose In Tune has the element but it’s too bitsy. Ah well.
One more for luck: an entire concert
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Iie9g4clRY&feature=related
That Stupendous Late Night Baroque Prom is back on tonight’s Performance on 3. 7.30pm.
(Sorry to keep on. It’s Christmas after all:smiley:).
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