>From: Ron Chaplin <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Countertenors
>Date: Sun, 23 May 1999 17:12:42 PDT
>
>I was wondering what the artistic purpose was for countertenors.  Were
>there female altos during the Baroque period? Was it because the tradition
>was for men singers only and only gradually were women accepted? In
>Handel's oratorio Esther, the part of the Priest of the Israelites is sung
>by a countertenor.  Was this to give an other-worldly quality to the part?
>
>I would appreciate anyone clarifying this for me.
>
>Thanks, as always
>
>Ron Chaplin

There is no artistic need for countertenors although it was fashionable in
the Baroque period to use them. Some music was, indeed exceptionally
difficult to sing by females - look at the roles they took. Purcell for
example wrote solely for countertenors as he was involved with the chapel
royal. See Dido and Aeneas for examples of countertenor range. Your average
female alto cannot sing bottom D's for example. Also Blow's     Ode for the
Death of H. Purcell would not be sung by females for the same reason. It's
probably influenced by the castrati of Italy also. I feel dismayed at the
sound many countertenors produce - Andreas Scholl is one of my favourites. I
sing high tenor and can produce the range countertenors produce normally,
through my chest voice.

Purcell was a countertenor and a bass. Couple their ranges and you've got
three and a half octaves!

Nicholas J Roberts

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