The history and technique of the counter-tenor

This volume offers a uniquely comprehensive survey of the counter-tenor, his role in the history of western art music, its present state, and begins to ponder on its possible future condition. In two parts, the first covers the history of the voice from the early application of the 'falsetto' effect, through its heyday in the 17th and 18th centuries, its decline in the 19th century and early 20th century and eventual post-war revival. The second part describes the mechanism and techniques of the counter-tenor, including contemporary comment on the 'feigned voice' of the Renaissance, the relationship between different high male voices and the ranges and styles of the counter-tenor voice family.

The author adopts something of an alternative approach to a controversial subject. Though championing and celebrating the counter-tenor voice range, he is by no means uncritical of some aspects of it as heard today. In this work, in some respects, standard musicology is complemented rather than complimented. The breadth of perception of this book make it invaluable reading for all those who are involved or interested in the counter-tenor voice, in historical singing techniques and in pre-baroque and baroque music generally.