Vocalist.org archive


From:  Reg Boyle <bandb@n...>
Reg Boyle <bandb@n...>
Date:  Fri Mar 16, 2001  12:56 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Gay? Re: What's a countertenor?


At 03:42 AM 15-03-01 -0500, you wrote:
>In a message dated 3/15/2001 12:08:11 AM Eastern Standard Time,
>bandb@n... writes:
>
><< Mike why should you presume I was referring to myself?
> The discussion I responded to was lamenting the fact that
> internationally the CT was saddled with a description which
> included the term FALSE in falsetto.
>
> My objection on behalf of any casual opera goer was to the
> poaching of the name TENOR as a means of remedying that
> lamentation. >>
>
>reg,
>
> i think the casual opera goer is more likely to be fooled by the term
>'dramatic tenor', thinking that would be a tenor who can act, than they would
>be by the term counter-tenor.

Sorry Mike, but what rubbish. Even if the expectations of the 'poor dupe'
were not met by the dramatic tenor, at least he might not walk out on the
show as angry as if he expected to see an ordinary tenor that turned out
to be a soprano. And not a particularly good one at that!

As well as that I've yet to see an advertisement that listed a performer as
a male soprano. They always choose one of two other ways. Either just list
the names, the usual one, or describe the artist in tiny letters as a counter
-tenor. Any self respecting wharf-lumper in the audience would reach
for the ENOs or go out for a reviver.

What's an anti-tenor Mike? A pop tenor? Reg.



"One must have loved a woman of genius
to comprehend the happiness of loving a fool."


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