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About

Why a Countertenor Corner?

A couple of years ago, I started a website called the Contralto Corner. It has gone from a small collection of essays and curios about my favourite singers, to become the place for information about currect and historical contraltos.

During this time, I have also been listening to the men who sing the alto and mezzo roles left behind by the castrati: the countertenors. Today, there are several amazing figures in the countertenor world, such asn David Hansen, Franco Fagioli and Philippe Jaroussky, who are blazing a trail back to the virtuosity of the castrati singers Farinelli, Caffarelli and Carestini.

These great singers also deserve to have recognition for the work they are doing, bringing a new voice to roles which have for so long been lost.

This site is a home to information about these men who have made the falsetto register their home, and who, year after year, further push the boundaries of what musicians and fans alike consider to be the limit of the countertenor voice.

I hope you enjoy the site.

James