Hi,
A haute contre is not *necessarily* an altino. Assuming one can 1) float a G4 in the "natural" voice (which is most tenors and a few lyric baritones) and 2) produce a focussed light head voice and 3) switch between the two registers without any break, one can sing haute contre.
It *does* help to be an altino, though. The chest tones will be, as you point out, rather feminine sounding because of the smaller larynx and thinner vocal folds, allowing for a smoother switch to the light head register, assuming there is one.
Perhaps the most celebrated haute contre of our times, Russell Oberlin, does not have an unusually high speaking voice. Padmore is a natural tenor, to be sure, but not exactly what I'd consider altino. A true altino is exceptionally rare, trailing only behind the true basso profundo (I've participated in many a cappella competitions, and have only known 3 true profundi personally..., whereas I've met maybe 10 true altinos)
A great number of pop tenors are using the haute contre registrational trategy, albeit not the style. :-) Robert Plant, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Jon Anderson are some notable examples.
Tako
chenweijie81@y... wrote: chenweijie81@y... wrote: > From the way I hear from the two > sound clips,it is indeed hard to imagine that the tenor altino could > go sing very high since his voice is already so high.To a certain > point,I would think he won't be able to go any more higher since the > voice would sound feminine without the support/link from his lower > chest voice.I mean it seems as though he is using head voice most of > the time.Any comments are welcome but please try to explain with > reasons.Although I can reach G4 with much ease,I would still think > that it won't be as light as what the haute-contre sing G4.Maybe it's > the characteristics and fach of my voice.
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