The Modern Countertenor

October 13, 2011

The genetics meetings go on and on and on, from around 8 in the morning to late at night, but tonight we were treated to a rare cultural exception. We had a private concert for conference attendees at the Basilica of Notre Dame. The church itself is a magnificent gothic revival building that was constructed in 1824-1829. The singers were Suzie Leblanc, a Canadian soprano, and Daniel Taylor, who was described as Canada's star countertenor. They sang selections from Handel's Rinaldo (1711) and Giulio Cesare (1724), accompanied by a group that specializes in playing early music. It was very inspirational to hear this music in the cathedral. Imagine my surprise, however, when Daniel starting singing in a very high range that was similar to the soprano's. I then realized that I had no idea what was a "countertenor." And every geneticist I spoke to afterwards had the same reaction. It turns out that the term "countertenor" first came into use in the mid 17th century. The "modern" countertenors of today sing roles that were originally written for the castrati. They have special training so that they sing in the soprano voice range with little or no falsetto. Apparently, the countertenors are currently having a resurgence and many are considered to be matinee idols. Another perk of being the conference co-chair is that I got to go to a room at the back of the chapel after the performance to meet Suzie and Daniel. He was very charming and his speaking voice is in the normal range for a man. For those of you who need a factoid that is a little less highbrow than Handel's opera, please note that Celine Dion married Rene Angelil in the Notre Dame Basilica!