# Fantastic countertenors



## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

The age of the countertenor has arrived! The likes of Philippe Jaroussky, Franco Fagioli, or Max Emanuel Cencic provide some of the most thrillingly virtuosic, beautiful singing you're likely to hear, male voices soaring into the stratosphere.

We've got threads dedicated to other voice types. Celebrate countertenors - and let's convince the doubters.


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## Dorsetmike (Sep 26, 2018)

A couple more for your list, I agree on Jarrousky, not heard all the others yet, (could be a pleasant evening)


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)




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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I am not a fan of countertenors, but this one works for me in this opera:


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

' David Hansen.. has a good high C, sings almost as fabulously as the supreme






Fagioli, but is rather gorgeous and sings without all those distorted faces., which make it impossible for me to watch Fagioli. I used to love Daniels before he raped that guy. Daniels was great in concert. In this last clip you can see Hansen's great clowning charisma as well as his jockish good looks along with his high C:


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Jacub Jozef Olinski is not only THE most gorgeous male opera singer in the world, he is a great countertenor who always sounds like a countertenor, which is unusual today:


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Seattleoperafan said:


> ' David Hansen.. has a good high C, sings almost as fabulously as the supreme
> View attachment 117127
> Fagioli, but is rather gorgeous and sings without all those distorted faces., which make it impossible for me to watch Fagioli. I used to love Daniels before he raped that guy. Daniels was great in concert. In this last clip you can see Hansen's great clowning charisma as well as his jockish good looks along with his high C:


Allegedly raped. Don't be too quick to believe everything you read. Seems some of the latest Michael Jackson revelations are unraveling and HBO is now being sued by the Michael Jackson estate for $100 million.

Admittedly it may be against my nature to lie or deceive to feather my own nest, but I have come across people who have done so and who have no compunction ruining someone's good name and career in the process. The case hasn't come to trial yet so I am keeping an open mind. The problem with these cases is that even if allegations are proved to be untrue, mud sticks and the damage done to the person falsely accused is usually irrevocable.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Great thread - I love countertenors.

Here's Andreas Scholl and a soprano Barbara Schlick singing 'And he shall feed his flock'
I like both of the voices, but the countertenor's best - seems to move me more.


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

I am loving my recent dive into baroque opera. I'm out of control with the counter-tenors. I can't get enough of _Artaserse_/


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

What about <cough, cough, cough!> Iestyn <cough... cough!> Davies?

One of the disappointments with countertenors can be that they just don't deliver the goods when heard live in the opera house. That's partly because this artificial voice (usually) doesn't carry in a big house. That's why I'd rather hear a mezzo in the castrato roles. Whilst we won't ever know what the famous castratos really sounded like we can get a partial idea from the recordings of the last ever castrato who sang in the Vatican choir and he sounds far more like a mezzo (with a rich depth to the tone and more substantial texture) than most countertenors.

I have heard both Scholl and Jaroussky live and they aren't quite as good as in the studio where the size of their voices can be managed with sound recording techniques. I have also heard 'Frank Beans' in the opera house and I'm not sure my ears will ever survive the experience!

Of countertenors one can encounter in the opera house or on the concert platform today there is one who can deliver live in the earth smattering way he does on disc and that is Iestyn Davies. If you are a countertenor fan then you absolutely must look into his performances and/or recordings. Actually, if you don't like countertenors then you should seek him out. His a countertenor for those who do and those who don't like countertenors.

N.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

The Conte said:


> What about <cough, cough, cough!> Iestyn <cough... cough!> Davies?
> 
> One of the disappointments with countertenors can be that they just don't deliver the goods when heard live in the opera house. That's partly because this artificial voice (usually) doesn't carry in a big house. That's why I'd rather hear a mezzo in the castrato roles. Whilst we won't ever know what the famous castratos really sounded like we can get a partial idea from the recordings of the last ever castrato who sang in the Vatican choir and he sounds far more like a mezzo (with a rich depth to the tone and more substantial texture) than most countertenors.
> 
> ...


I am inordinately fond of David Hansen. I don't know about the size of his instrument, but I do know he seems to limit his career to Europe and Australia where smaller theaters aboud. He is based in Norway and does most of his gigs in Germany, France, Australia and Russia. A place he frequently performs is with Pinchgut Opera in Sydney which seats 1250, and ideal size for Baroque theater.This is likely a wise decision. His voice sounds round and rich, but one can be deceived. I think he and Fagioli have two of the most beautiful voices in opera today.


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## Amara (Jan 12, 2012)

Iestyn Davies has a beautiful voice.

Christophe Dumaux is my all-time favorite countertenor. How many opera singers can do flips?











And Anthony Roth Costanzo is amazing live, has an incredibly loud and beautiful countertenor voice.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

Over the next month and a half I am lucky enough to be able to see Andreas Scholl and Jakub Józef Orliński (in _Rodelinda_, as Bertarido and Unulfo, respectively) in Frankfurt, then Iestyn Davies is performing Dowland, Purcell, and Handel in Berkeley, followed by Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen (Medoro in _Orlando_) at SF Opera.

Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen is a younger singer to watch out for; I've had the chance to hear him at several Merola and Adler concerts, and he just sang David in _Saul_ with Philharmonia Baroque; he was really incredible. "Oh Lord Whose Mercies" was achingly beautiful, it floated so well. (The entire evening was really wonderful; the reviews were good, too)

There's video of him singing from _Agrippina_ with Ars Lyrica in Houston from November.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

mountmccabe said:


> Over the next month and a half I am lucky enough to be able to see Andreas Scholl and Jakub Józef Orliński (in _Rodelinda_, as Bertarido and Unulfo, respectively) in Frankfurt, then Iestyn Davies is performing Dowland, Purcell, and Handel in Berkeley, followed by Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen (Medoro in _Orlando_) at SF Opera.
> 
> Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen is a younger singer to watch out for; I've had the chance to hear him at several Merola and Adler concerts, and he just sang David in _Saul_ with Philharmonia Baroque; he was really incredible. "Oh Lord Whose Mercies" was achingly beautiful, it floated so well. (The entire evening was really wonderful; the reviews were good, too)
> 
> There's video of him singing from _Agrippina_ with Ars Lyrica in Houston from November.


This is superb - tone, technique, musicality, everything.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

mountmccabe said:


> Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen is a younger singer to watch out for; I've had the chance to hear him at several Merola and Adler concerts, and he just sang David in _Saul_ with Philharmonia Baroque; he was really incredible. "Oh Lord Whose Mercies" was achingly beautiful, it floated so well.


Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen was really something as Medoro in SFO's _Orlando_. They put out a promo clip






A recent article on him notes that he's schedule for a Metropolitan Opera debut in 2021-22, but I saw no hint of what he may be singing. In other news, his debut album was just released with American Bach Soloists, performing the music of Gluck, Handel, and Vivaldi (including the latter's Stabat Mater).


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)




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