Krishan P Oberoi <[log in to unmask]> writes:

>...had Britten fallen for a violinist, his compositional output would
>have been very different indeed.  There is, however, considerable evidence
>that song and the voice had a profound effect on him at a very early age.

Be that as it may, the thought caused me to reflect that a lot of straight
men prefer the male voice to the female.  I count myself among them, though
not urgently.  In opera, a good tenor voice usually stirs me more deeply
than an alto or mezzo.  Now, when Renee Fleming comes onstage, the juices
do begin to jangle, but I must hasten to admit that it's for reasons only
partly musical.

Denis Fodor