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countertenor
countertenor. High male v. not to be confused with male alto, falsetto, or castrato and with a strong, almost instr. purity of tone. Was popular in Handel's and Purcell's lifetimes and has been revived in 20th cent. largely thanks to artistry of Alfred Deller. Several modern composers, incl. Britten in his opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, have written parts for counterten. With the search for authenticity in perf. of early mus., it has reclaimed many roles in baroque works long since assigned to conts. or tens.
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MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "countertenor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "countertenor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O76-countertenor.html MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "countertenor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O76-countertenor.html |
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countertenor
countertenor a male singing voice in the alto range. Singing in this range requires either a special vocal technique called falsetto, or a high extension of the tenor range. Countertenors were required during the Renaissance and Baroque periods when women were not permitted to sing publicly. See also castrato . |
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"countertenor." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "countertenor." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-countert.html "countertenor." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-countert.html |
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countertenor
coun·ter·ten·or / ˈkountərˌtenər/ • n. Mus. the highest male adult singing voice (sometimes distinguished from the male alto voice by its strong, pure tone). ∎ a singer with such a voice. |
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"countertenor." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "countertenor." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-countertenor.html "countertenor." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-countertenor.html |
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countertenor
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Cite this article
"countertenor." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "countertenor." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-countertenor.html "countertenor." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-countertenor.html |
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