Axwell@a... wrote:
>What I don't understand is why is there any need for a man to > sound like a woman. Aren't there more than enough women to >play these parts ? What is the advantage of having female sounding men.
It's historical. In the baroque, the castrato was a popular voice category, and great composers wrote music for them, like Handel. The "why's" can be a sociological or psychological discussion, but I'm only dealing with the fact of it.
So when we perform this music in our time, with no castratos, what do we do? In the past, before the popularity of countertenors took hold, they'd either do the part with a man (as intended by the creators) an octave down, which is dramatically satisfying, but musically it's not what was intended, and it doesn't sound as good when it's done in the wrong register, particularly in ensembles. The other option is to have a mezzo sing the role.
I recently heard a mezzo sing the lead in Giulio Cesare, written for a countertenor, and this particular mezzo's voice didn't fit the music. And neither did her persona. Yet the reviews were good (but not mine)! How I longed to hear a great countertenor like David Daniels in the role!
In our day, I think a good countertenor like Daniels or Asawa is the best solution. Next best is a mezzo who can do the music justice. And I'd rather hear a baritone sing the roles rather than not hear the works at all.
<<Is it so that they can play drag parts, and if so, what are the drag parts? Would baba the turk be considered a drag part because she has a beard? What are the other drag parts in opera ? >>
A well known one, usually sung by a tenor, is Arnalta, the nurse, in Monteverdi's opera Coronation of Poppea. Which is another opera that benefits with a countertenor in the lead role of Nero. Somehow, a female Nero making love with a female Poppea doesn't cut it, not with the passion and sex written into that opera. And there's no way a baritone can have the same impact in Monteverdi's incredible ensemble music. Or the final duet with the soprano. I saw David Daniels in this role, also, and it was one of the best things I'd ever seen.
Or > have I misread the use of counter tenors ? I don't particularly care for > David Daniels. I think that there are too many real women that sound better.
That's your opinion, and you're certainly entitled to it. I don't agree, but that's what makes the world go 'round! I will say that one of the most beautiful moments I've ever heard on CD from any singer is the opening note on Daniels' Handel CD of the aria "Ombra mai fu". Check out that messa di voce -- a long, slow crescendo from nothing to incredibly loud and them diminuendo back down to nothing, equally long and slow, on a single breath. This sort of stuff made women faint back in the baroque, I've read.
Why > should a sopranoish sound be coming out of the mouth of Caesar ? Is the author > trying to make some type of historical statement about his manliness of lack of > testosterone ? I can understand if a character such as Caligula were > protrayed in such a manner, but I have never read anything about Julius Caesar to > justify this type of portrayal. I understand the use of mezzos to portray adolescent > boys.
See above - it's history, and there it is, like it or not. Many have agreed with you, which is why it's taken so long for the countertenor voices to develop in a technical way so that they can do justice to this fantastic music. Before Daniels et al, the mezzos did sing it better. But now, I think the best countertenors are preferable, and though I'm sorry some mezzos may lose out on performance opportunities, I think the artistic benefits are worth it.
Peggy
-- Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA "Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile" mailto:peggyh@i...
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