Sopranist
Encyclopedia
A sopranist is a male singer who is able to sing in the vocal tessitura
of a soprano
usually through the use of falsetto
vocal production. This voice type
is a specific kind of countertenor
. In rare cases an adult man may be able to sing in the soprano range using his normal or modal voice
and not falsetto due to endocrinological
reasons, like Radu Marian
, or as a result of a larynx
that has not completely developed as in the case of Michael Maniaci
.
vocal range
which is approximately between C4
and C6
, though at times may expand somewhat higher or lower. Men of all voice type
s can possess the wide-ranged and effective reinforced falsetto
needed to produce the contralto
, mezzo-soprano
and soprano
vocal range
s. Some countertenors can sing up into the female vocal tessituras using the modal register (normal singing production) and need not employ any falsetto. However, this extension does not reach into the upper part of soprano range going no further than an E5 or F5. Therefore sopranists must at some point employ falsetto to sing notes in the upper part of the soprano tessitura. The exception would be those rare singers mentioned above.
and Radu Marian
can refer to themselves as true male sopranos because they are able to sing in the soprano vocal range using the modal voice like a woman would. Maniaci is able to do this because his larynx never fully developed as do most other men's voices during puberty.
– a voice type which, for all intents and purposes, no longer exists, as the practice of castrating trebles
was abolished before the end of the 19th century. Sopranists are very rare, since most countertenors are altos and mezzos. In fact, probably because early famous countertenors were altos (like Alfred Deller
), it was believed for a long time that countertenors can only be altos (and later, mezzo countertenors, like David Daniels or Jochen Kowalski
were recognized). While there is some modern repertoire written for countertenors (sometimes written specifically for certain singers, like Britten's
Death in Venice
, which has a part that was written specifically for James Bowman, at present there only a small number of modern pieces written specifically for the sopranist vocal type. An exception is Alfred Schnittke
's Faust opera
, which calls for both a female alto and a male soprano Mephistopheles
.
Tessitura
In music, the term tessitura generally describes the most musically acceptable and comfortable range for a given singer or, less frequently, musical instrument; the range in which a given type of voice presents its best-sounding texture or timbre...
of a soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
usually through the use of falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
vocal production. This voice type
Voice type
A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics. Voice classification is the process by which human voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types...
is a specific kind of countertenor
Countertenor
A countertenor is a male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzo-soprano, or a soprano, usually through use of falsetto, or far more rarely than normal, modal voice. A pre-pubescent male who has this ability is called a treble...
. In rare cases an adult man may be able to sing in the soprano range using his normal or modal voice
Modal voice
Modal voice is the vocal register used most frequently in speech and singing in most languages. It is also the term used in linguistics for the most common phonation of vowels...
and not falsetto due to endocrinological
Endocrine system
In physiology, the endocrine system is a system of glands, each of which secretes a type of hormone directly into the bloodstream to regulate the body. The endocrine system is in contrast to the exocrine system, which secretes its chemicals using ducts. It derives from the Greek words "endo"...
reasons, like Radu Marian
Radu Marian
Radu Marian is a Romanian/Moldovan male soprano or sopranist.Marian possesses a pure soprano voice in the range of C4 to C6, and he is considered an important singer in Baroque music. His repertoire incorporates cantatas written for soprano by composers like Handel, Bononcini, Carissimi, and...
, or as a result of a larynx
Larynx
The larynx , commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the neck of amphibians, reptiles and mammals involved in breathing, sound production, and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. It manipulates pitch and volume...
that has not completely developed as in the case of Michael Maniaci
Michael Maniaci
Michael Maniaci is an American opera singer who has appeared at many of the world's best opera houses. Possessing a unique male soprano voice, Maniaci is noted for his unusual ability to sing into the upper soprano register without using falsetto...
.
Voice
A sopranist is able to sing in the sopranoSoprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
vocal range
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
which is approximately between C4
Middle C
C or Do is the first note of the fixed-Do solfège scale. Its enharmonic is B.-Middle C:Middle C is designated C4 in scientific pitch notation because of the note's position as the fourth C key on a standard 88-key piano keyboard...
and C6
Scientific pitch notation
Scientific pitch notation is one of several methods that name the notes of the standard Western chromatic scale by combining a letter-name, accidentals, and a number identifying the pitch's octave...
, though at times may expand somewhat higher or lower. Men of all voice type
Voice type
A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics. Voice classification is the process by which human voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types...
s can possess the wide-ranged and effective reinforced falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
needed to produce the contralto
Contralto
Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
, mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
and soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
vocal range
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
s. Some countertenors can sing up into the female vocal tessituras using the modal register (normal singing production) and need not employ any falsetto. However, this extension does not reach into the upper part of soprano range going no further than an E5 or F5. Therefore sopranists must at some point employ falsetto to sing notes in the upper part of the soprano tessitura. The exception would be those rare singers mentioned above.
Controversy over the term male soprano
Typically, the term "soprano" refers to female singers but at times the term "male soprano" has been used by men who sing in the soprano vocal range using falsetto vocal production instead of the modal voice. This practice is most commonly found in the context of choral music in England. However, these men are more commonly referred to as countertenors or sopranists. The practice of referring to countertenors as "male sopranos" is somewhat controversial within vocal pedagogical circles as these men do not produce sound in the same physiological way that female sopranos do. Michael ManiaciMichael Maniaci
Michael Maniaci is an American opera singer who has appeared at many of the world's best opera houses. Possessing a unique male soprano voice, Maniaci is noted for his unusual ability to sing into the upper soprano register without using falsetto...
and Radu Marian
Radu Marian
Radu Marian is a Romanian/Moldovan male soprano or sopranist.Marian possesses a pure soprano voice in the range of C4 to C6, and he is considered an important singer in Baroque music. His repertoire incorporates cantatas written for soprano by composers like Handel, Bononcini, Carissimi, and...
can refer to themselves as true male sopranos because they are able to sing in the soprano vocal range using the modal voice like a woman would. Maniaci is able to do this because his larynx never fully developed as do most other men's voices during puberty.
Repertoire
There is a large body of music for the male soprano that was written when it was common to use a castratoCastrato
A castrato is a man with a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto voice produced either by castration of the singer before puberty or one who, because of an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity.Castration before puberty prevents a boy's...
– a voice type which, for all intents and purposes, no longer exists, as the practice of castrating trebles
Boy soprano
A boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily...
was abolished before the end of the 19th century. Sopranists are very rare, since most countertenors are altos and mezzos. In fact, probably because early famous countertenors were altos (like Alfred Deller
Alfred Deller
Alfred George Deller CBE , was an English singer and one of the main figures in popularizing the return of the countertenor voice in Renaissance and Baroque music during the 20th Century....
), it was believed for a long time that countertenors can only be altos (and later, mezzo countertenors, like David Daniels or Jochen Kowalski
Jochen Kowalski
Jochen Kowalski is a famous German alto or mezzo countertenor, noted for his very rich timbre. He began his studies as a dramatic tenor, specializing in Wagner, but soon switched to countertenoring and specializing in baroque and classical music...
were recognized). While there is some modern repertoire written for countertenors (sometimes written specifically for certain singers, like Britten's
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
Death in Venice
Death in Venice (opera)
Death in Venice is an opera in two acts by Benjamin Britten, his last. The opera is based on the novella Death in Venice by Thomas Mann. Myfanwy Piper wrote the English libretto. It was first performed at Snape Maltings near Aldeburgh, England on 16 June 1973.The astringent score is marked by some...
, which has a part that was written specifically for James Bowman, at present there only a small number of modern pieces written specifically for the sopranist vocal type. An exception is Alfred Schnittke
Alfred Schnittke
Alfred Schnittke ; November 24, 1934 – August 3, 1998) was a Russian and Soviet composer. Schnittke's early music shows the strong influence of Dmitri Shostakovich. He developed a polystylistic technique in works such as the epic First Symphony and First Concerto Grosso...
's Faust opera
Historia von D. Johann Fausten (opera)
Historia von D. Johann Fausten is an opera by the Russian composer Alfred Schnittke in three acts, with introduction and epilogue to the German libretto by Jörg Morgener and Alfred Schnittke after the anonymous prose book of the same name .-History of creation:Schnittke worked on this opera for...
, which calls for both a female alto and a male soprano Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles is a demon featured in German folklore...
.
Notable sopranists
Present day notable sopranists include:- Simone BartoliniSimone BartoliniSimone Bartolini is an Italian sopranist.Simone Bartolini was born in Pesaro, where he began to study singing. He moved to Rome where he carried out his studies with Anne English Santucci and began to study acting. He specialized with Gloria Banditelli....
- Max Emanuel CenčićMax Emanuel CencicMax Emanuel Cencic is a countertenor, currently based in Austria.- Early Career as a Boy Soprano :...
- Aris ChristofellisAris ChristofellisAris Christofellis is a sopranist who was born in Athens on 5 February 1960. After studying piano in Athens and Paris, he decided to concentrate on developing his singing voice.He made his debut in Bordeaux in 1984...
- Philippe JarousskyPhilippe JarousskyPhilippe Jaroussky is a French sopranist countertenor. He began his musical career with the violin, winning an award at the Versailles conservatory and then took up the piano before turning to singing...
- Vyatcheslav "Slava" Kagan-PaleyVyatcheslav "Slava" Kagan-PaleyVyatcheslav Kagan-Paley, also known as Slava , is a Belarusian countertenor and sopranist.He was born in Gomel, Belarus, and lives in Tel Aviv. As a child, he studied violin and piano. In 1976, he won the first television and radio competition for young performers in Minsk, as a singer...
- Adam LopezAdam LopezAdam Lopez Costa billed as Adam Lopez is a pop musician, vocal coach, and session vocalist. He is noted for his ability to produce extremely high notes in his whistle register and for his extensive vocal range...
(pop, jazz, latin) - Michael ManiaciMichael ManiaciMichael Maniaci is an American opera singer who has appeared at many of the world's best opera houses. Possessing a unique male soprano voice, Maniaci is noted for his unusual ability to sing into the upper soprano register without using falsetto...
- Angelo ManzottiAngelo ManzottiAngelo Manzotti is an Italian countertenor or sopranist born in 1971 in Marmirolo, Italy.He began singing in the falsetto register at the age of twelve. He studied at the Accademia Rossiniana in Pesaro and made his debut in August 1989 at the Rossini Opera Festival there...
- Radu MarianRadu MarianRadu Marian is a Romanian/Moldovan male soprano or sopranist.Marian possesses a pure soprano voice in the range of C4 to C6, and he is considered an important singer in Baroque music. His repertoire incorporates cantatas written for soprano by composers like Handel, Bononcini, Carissimi, and...
- Tomotaka OkamotoTomotaka Okamotois a Japanese sopranist.He graduated from Conservatoire Francis Poulenc with a first place award.He often dresses up in a very unique and original manner when he performs....
- Brian Charles RooneyBrian Charles RooneyBrian Charles Rooney is an American actor and singer. He is technically a Sopranista , yet he has also sung high Tenor roles in many theatrical productions across the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe...
(musical theatre) - Chris ColferChris ColferChristopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
External links
- The Male Soprano "Spero placare" from G. F. Handel's RadamistoRadamisto (Handel)Radamisto is an opera in three acts by George Frideric Handel to an Italian libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym, based on L'amor tirannico, o Zenobia by Domenico Lalli and Zenobia by Matteo Noris...
- The World of the Castrati and Male Soprano "Zeffiretti innamorati" from Albinoni'sTomaso AlbinoniTomaso Giovanni Albinoni was an Italian Baroque composer. While famous in his day as an opera composer, he is mainly remembered today for his instrumental music, such as the concertos, some of which are regularly recorded.-Biography:Born in Venice, Republic of Venice, to Antonio Albinoni, a...
Il nascimento de l’Aurora - Male Sopranos and Altos "Nessun dormaNessun dormaNessun dorma is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, and is one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, il principe ignoto , who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot...
" from Puccini's Turandot Gregorio Allegri's MiserereMiserere (Allegri)Miserere, full name "Miserere mei, Deus" by Italian composer Gregorio Allegri, is a setting of Psalm 51 composed during the reign of Pope Urban VIII, probably during the 1630s, for use in the Sistine Chapel during matins, as part of the exclusive Tenebrae service on Wednesday and Friday of Holy...
as first soprano "Brahms's Lullaby" - Chris ColferChris ColferChristopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...