it seems to me that, as taylor suggested, where the castrati were able to sing so high in chest, that these singers probably sounded more like aretha franklin (stylistic considerations aside) than counter-tenors. aretha franklin's high notes are closer to what male singers, who don't use falsetto, do, in that she extends a mix for her upper range rather than switching to head voice. female opera singers and counter-tenors have more in common in their sounds, in their upper range, than either have in common with ms. franklin. so, perhaps this would account for the descriptions of the castrati's sounds as being 'trumpet-like' or 'clarion'.
mike
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