Archive for November, 2010

Watch This Now! Max Emanuel Cencic

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November 28, 2010
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Countertenor Max Emanuel Cencic singing Ah che non posso from La Fida Ninfa by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5veoSNqIg4

Ok, so this is far from a high fidelity-video (the audio is thin and the balance isn’t perfect ~ blame the camcorder microphone), however all you young countertenors out there take note: Cencic is able to sing without tension at the quiet end of his dynamic range, and crescendo seamlessly with consistent vibrato and color. This stable approach serves him equally well on the highest pitches he sings here.  He never pushes to make his voice work.

This is very stable and well setup singing, consistently vibrant and vitalized. Keep this in your ears as you are practicing; don’t give into the lure of ‘success’ by any means. :-)


Watch This Now! Chanticleer

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November 26, 2010
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Chanticleer’s stylistic departure into indie-rock is a great feature for first year member, Casey Breves.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl12ZXZeqa4&feature=player_embedded#!

This video (shot entirely with webcams and cell phones) gives you a little insight into what touring year-round is like.


The New York Times has the adjectives, but does it know what it is describing?

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November 24, 2010
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Following the recent New York Times article on countertenors via a feature on Philippe Jaroussky (Who Can Resist a Man Who Sings Like a Woman? by Fernanda Eberstadt), I stumbled upon a critique by Bernard Gordillo (who deftly beat us to the punch). The NYTimes article once again brings up the old question of whether a countertenor is a genuine male voice type, or a feminine affectation.


The Countertenor Voice: An Online Journal

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November 23, 2010
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Welcome to The Countertenor Voice – By Countertenors, For Countertenors

Our inaugural post…

You can feel it, right… that ‘tingle on the back of your neck’ sense that something big is about to happen in the countertenor world? Perhaps you are an aspiring countertenor looking for appropriate repertory, technical resources, or an online community to help answer your questions? You might be a voice teacher trying to understand how to work with a countertenor, or maybe like us, you are a professional performer in search of a curious community. There is certainly a good deal of misinformation out there about what countertenors do and how they do it, and we are here to be a source of clarity and information for all. [...]


Our Official Launch 1/1/11

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November 23, 2010
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Check back with us on January 1st, 2011 when we launch Issue 1 of The Countertenor Voice as well as our first selection of impeccably edited, countertenor appropriate scores at Counterpoints Publishing.


Watch This Now! Lawrence Zazzo

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November 23, 2010
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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4m4Di-aXBs&feature=player_embedded

We have been fans of Lawrence Zazzo’s singing for some time.  Check out this video of Coronato il crin d’alloro from Handel’s Agrippina (Ottone), and check back regularly for this feature.  We’ll weed out the crap and bring you the best countertenors on YouTube.


All About Counterpoints Publishing

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November 22, 2010
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Counterpoints Publishing LLC was formed to answer the question, “who does a countertenor have to know to get his hands on some repertoire?” While the countertenor voice has experienced a well-deserved renaissance since Alfred Deller stepped out of the choir stalls at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, much of the music from the countertenor’s Baroque heyday remains either bound up in libraries, or in illegible or prohibitively expensive scores. Take a moment to read all about our vision and the scores we will offer starting January 1st.


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