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From:  Tako Oda <toda@m...>
Date:  Fri Jun 9, 2000  7:46 pm
Subject:  Historical Countertenors/Castrati


"Alain Zürcher" <az@c...> wrote:
>> It's not well known, but countertenors have a much richer and longer
>> history than the castrati.
>
> I'd like to learn more about this! I had read the opposite (and common)
> opinion, that when castrati were available, there was no point in training
> countertenors, whose technical possibilities were lower...

There was an extremely interesting post on the subject of the Spanish
countertenors in Renaissance times on the AndreasScholl list a few days
ago. Since it makes specific mention of their relationship to the
castrati (who were soon to come), I asked the author, Stephen Guy, for
permission to post his message here:

Steven Guy wrote:
> Grandi, Victoria and Morales were all supposed to be falsetto sopranos.
> Bartolomeo Barbarino (fl.1593 - ca.1617) was also a falsetto soprano
> in Venice. Two of his remarkable compositions are sung by David Hurley
> on the McCreesh/Gabrieli Consort's MUSIC FOR SAN ROCCO CD (ARCHIV 449
> 180-2) and Video.
>
> I am not sure but until Monteverdi took over at St.Mark's no castrati
> were regular members of the 17 voice male choir which would have
> consisted of falsetti, tenorini, tenors, baritones and basses.
> Nearly all of Gabrieli's vocal works only need natural male voices and
> no castrati or boy trebles are needed to perform this music. The
> "cappella" parts for the choir are almost always: ATTB.
> The solo vocal parts, the bottom voice of 'high choirs' and the
> highest voice of 'low choirs', are always for tenors, countertenors or
> baritones.
> Sopranists ("falsetti") were often from Spain where there was a great
> tradition for falsetto soprano singing (You're in the wrong century
> Flavio!). The male sopranos were considered a better bet than boy
> sopranos who would only be able to concentrate and sing for a few
> years. The falsettists could be employed for 30 years or more (or
> until their voices "packed up" after using the upper falsetto so
> much!) a much better deal for the church's money!
>
> The Englishman, Thomas Coryat, witnessed the feast of St. Roche in
> 1608 and described it in his travel journal published as Coryat's
> Crudities is London in 1611. He wrote:
>
> The feast consisted principally of Musicke, which was both vocall and
> instrumentall, so good, so delectable, so rare, so admirable, so super
> excellent, that it did even ravish and stupifie all those strangers
> that never heard the like. But how others were affected with it I know
> not; for mine owne part I can say this, that I was for the time even
> rapt up with Saint Paul into the third heaven. Sometimes there sung
> sixteene or twenty men together (So much for "one voice per part in
> Gabrieli and Monteverdi!!! Steven) , having their master or moderator
> to keepe them in order; and when they sung, the instrumentall
> musitians played also. Sometimes sixteene played together upon their
> instruments, ten Sagbuts (trombones), foure Cornets, and two
> Violdegambaes of an extraordinary greatnesse (must have been big
> Violones - Steven); sometimes tenne, six Sagbuts and foure Cornets;
> sometimes two, a Cornet and a treble violl (violin). Of those treble
> viols I heard three severall there, whereof each was so good,
> especially one that I observed above the rest, that I never heard the
> like before. Those that played upon the treble viols, sung and played
> together upon Theorboes, to which they sung also, who yeelded
> admirable sweet musicke, but so still that they could scarce be heard
> but by those that were very neare them. These two Theorbists concluded
> that nights musicke, which continued three whole howers at the least.
> For they beganne about five of the clock, and ended not before eight.
> Also it continued as long in the morning: at every time that every
> severall musicke played, the Organs, whereof there are seven faire
> paire in that room, standing al in a rowe together, plaied with them.
> Of the singers there were three or foure so excellent that I thinke
> few or none in Christemdome do excell them, especially one, who had
> such a peerelesse and (as I may in a manner say) such a supernaturall
> voice for the sweetnesse that I thinke there was never a better singer
> in all the world, insomuch that he did not onely give the most
> pleasant contentment that could be imagined, to all the hearers, but
> also did as it were astonish and amaze them. I alwaies thought that he
> was a Eunuch, which if he had beene, it had taken away some part of my
> admiration, because they do most commonly sing passing wel; but he was
> not, therefore it was much more admirable. Againe it was the more
> worthy of admiration, because he was a middle-aged man, as about forty
> yeares old. For nature doth more commonly bestowe such a singularitie
> of voice upon boyes and striplings, than upon men of such yeares.
> Besides it was farre the more excellent, because it was nothing
> forced, strained or affected, but came from him with the greatest
> facilitie that I ever heard. Truely, I thinke that had a Nightengale
> beene in the same roome, and contended with him for the superioritie,
> something perhaps he might excell him, because God hath granted that
> little birde such a priveledge for the sweetnesse of his voice, as to
> none other: but I thinke he could not much. To conclude, I attribute
> so much to this rare fellow for his singing, that I thinke the country
> where he was borne, may be as proude for breeding so singular a person
> as Smyrna was of her Homer, Verona of her Catullus, or Mantua of
> Virgil: But exceeding happy may that Citie, or towne, or person bee
> that possesseth this miracle of nature.
> _______________________________________________________
>
> Alas! We don't know the name of the singer! He could have well been
> Grandi (who would have been around the right age) or Barbarino.
> Some of the works mentioned are almost certainly works by Giovanni
> Gabrieli - Magnificat a 33 voci for 7 Choirs (needing the seven
> organs), Sonata XVIII a 14 for 4 cornetts and 10 trombones (a minor
> masterpiece - full of colour and a wealth of melodic material) and the
> Sonata con Tre Violini o altri instromenti for 3 violins and continuo.
> The works for solo voice may have been by Barbarino or Grandi - we
> have many to choose from.
>
> Blame Monteverdi for the Castrati! Gabrieli and Grandi were doing fine
> without them!
>
> I hope Coryat's writings were readable - I preserved his original
> spelling and language.

Thanks to Steven Guy.

Tako


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