The High Male Voice, An Introduction

This brief history and explanation of the high male voice is meant to assist those persons who are newcomers to this genre. To me, it is not surprising that the majority of people are unfamiliar with the high male voice.




To begin with, serious (or classical) music is of relatively little interest to most people. I have noted that especially in the U.S. Secondly, music written for high male voices was neglected for a long time. The golden age of the high male voice was during the Baroque era, roughly between 1648 and 1750, although the high male voice was known and utilized much before that era and for some time thereafter. Opera seria, along with oratorios and other forms of vocal music, lost popularity and rarely were sung except for a few excerpts occasionally, almost always by female altos and sopranos. Those people who studied music or who attended performances, therefore, rarely encountered performances of vocal works meant for high male voices. Too often when they did, the works were sung by inappropriate sounding voices and by singers who had been trained in a much looser, less precise technique.

Thirdly for several hundred years, the vast majority of high male voices were created artificially through prepubescent emasculation (castrati), thereby maintaining the alto or soprano tessitura of the youth; however, the practice ceased for the purpose of producing singing voices. Although 80% of the vocal music was written before the year 1800 and 70% of the opera roles were for castrati, the only ways to approximate those voices have been to use women’s voices, boys’ voices, lowering the tessitura to tenor or baritone, seeking the extremely rare, natural male alto or soprano, or to use countertenors or sopranists, a technique that had yet to be developed fully.




Throughout the world (e.g., Middle East, India, China) and for hundreds of generations, it was noted that prepubescent emasculation (done for a wide variety of reasons) resulted in unchanged voices. Undoubtedly, many of those persons who possessed good voices and were taught appropriate technique added singing to their activities. Most famous of these, of course, would have been Bagoas, favourite of the Persian King Darius, who would have been required to sing, play Persian instruments, and to dance for the king. Naturally, he continued those skills after he presented himself to Alexander.

In the 15th and 16th centuries and throughout the wide-spread Christian world, “spreading the Word of God” began to be expressed through solo, singing voices. It is believed that some of the singers were castrati, while others had developed methods of reaching the high tessitura through special vocal techniques, although written accounts were not very complimentary of the latter.

The Catholic Papal States, controlled by the Vatican, denied all women the right to speak or sing in churches or on the stage. Female roles, therefore, were assumed by castrati, often young singers in their first roles. Although Europe had, over time, a few female opera singers (such as composer Johann Adolf Hasse’s wife), most lacked the training or vocal power and agility to compete with the castrati.

The popularity of the unique beauty of castrato voices began to spread throughout Europe and especially in the Italian states. Before the era of grand opera, Catholic officials sometimes commissioned opera-oratorios to promote the church teachings. Gradually, composers began to write secular works based upon Greco-Roman history and mythology, as well as shorter cantate and motets for private gatherings. Rapidly thereafter, the public demanded more and more works, resulting in such a passion that Rome and Venice, for example, each had five opera houses and multiple performances every week. Everyone from kings to gondoliers attended and supported this unique art.




Alto and soprano castrato voices, natural high male voices, and properly developed countertenors have a very special sound (timbre) to their voices which generally differs greatly from female or children’s voices (although occasionally some singers such as Maria Cristina Kiehr, Emma Kirkby, and Gundula Janowitz have voices good enough to sing Baroque). Written descriptions of the training methods for developing the ideal castrato voice, along with informed reports of musicians observing castrato performances, clearly stated that such voices had to possess a very limited vibrato, a highly precise technique, and clear, beautiful tone for each and every note. The resulting sound enraptured thousands of attendees in opera houses, churches, and private homes.

Because the castrato sound was perceived to be so pure and beautiful, it often was described as “angelic” or “celestial.” Churches and great cathedrals filled their choirs with them long after opera seria had faded (Alessandro Moreschi sang with the Sistine Choir until 1913.) The great opera castrati traveled far and wide throughout Europe, singing in places as far away as England, Russia, Sweden, and Spain. The opera roles of gods, angels, kings, and heroes were assigned to alto and soprano castrati.

Physiological Differences in Vocal Development of Castrati and Women

A young child’s vocal cords are approximately six to eight millimeters in length. By the age of 6, the cords have grown to twelve to fifteen millimeters. Girls’ vocal cords develop very little beyond that length throughout puberty. Boys’ vocal cords, however, continue to grow to eighteen to twenty-three millimeters, as well as thickening, resulting in the well-known, adult-male voice ranging from bass to tenor. The position of the larynx also descends, especially with the male.

When a prepubescent boy is emasculated, 90% of normal male hormone production is eliminated (the other 10% being from the adrenal glands.) The larynx remains in place, providing the singer with an advantage singing highly complicated, “gymnastic” vocal lines. Primary hypogonadia also resulted in the castrato’s joint (epiphyses) growth not slowing and ceasing normally, which resulted in longer arms and legs and, especially, larger chest cavities (pectus carenatum), allowing for greater expansion of the lungs. The consequence of their unique physical development, along with rigorous vocal and musical training, was that castrati were able to sing with voices that were very pure, agile, and in very long, connected lines. Studies of physiological effects upon voice production have discovered that an adult male has several times the wind capacity of an adult female, and a castrato has several times that of an adult male. The sonorous, chest-tone voice of the opera castrato produced a full-voiced coloratura, a sound that enraptured audiences then and only can be approximated today.




Boy sopranos, or trebles, have been used for many generations and especially in Britain and Europe in church choirs and as occasional soloists in oratorios or operas in roles such as angels. Even with fine training, they lack the breath duration, range, power, resonance from adult physiology, and richness of voice to approximate the castrato sound. Some of them have been successful as treble soloists. Better known ones are Connor Burrowes, Peter Jelosits, and Richard Bonsall.

On very rare occasions, a developmental anomaly, such as Kallman’s Syndrome, may occur with a boy resulting in restricted puberty, and resulting in a boy’s voice remaining unchanged. If this occurs, if the boy has the intelligence and musical talent to be a good singer, if the syndrome is not identified and is allowed to continue to maturation, and if parents and others take note of a boy’s ability and desire to sing, he may receive the necessary training and support to sing with a full, high male voice, as is the case of Radu Marian.

The more frequent alternative these days, especially since the reintroduction of interest in the high male voice by Alfred Deller in the mid-20th century, is the employment of countertenors. The terms “countertenor” or “contretenor” originally referred to a second singer added to the main singer, usually a tenor, in church vocal works. The higher voice may, or may not, have been natural; it may have utilized special training techniques to reach a higher range. Now days, the common usage refers to adult males, tenors or baritones, who employ recently improved vocal training techniques to reach the alto tessitura and, more rarely, the soprano range. Singing countertenor is very demanding and lacks the advantages of the natural high voice or castrato voice. Examples of more successful countertenors are Andreas Scholl, Paul Esswood, and Philippe Jaroussky. Occasionally, a singer may expand his range to soprano, as did Aris Christofellis, although the sound is unusual, and enunciation is difficult.




Resurgence of interest in Baroque opera, especially throughout Europe, has resulted in greater demand for high male voices to sing the many roles once sung by castrati. Directors who prefer a more authentic sound and stage appearance for male roles are seeking, these days, a greater number of countertenors and, if so lucky, an actual male soprano. When all else fails, the more caring directors seek a female singer with clear voice and clean technique (some have trained especially in Baroque opera) to fill the role. Some directors, however, still either do not understand or do not care what voice is chosen provided that the notes can be reached. For the music lover, new to the world of the high male voice, one should choose to listen to the better voices and more authentic musical productions in order to gain an informed understanding. There are some excellent CD s and DVD s one can listen to, in addition to the videos on MaleSopranos and YouTube.

sfkcbf

I couldn't have made it clearer, but in my opinion, Radu Marian wasn't educated well enough in the right technique

Great article, sfkcbf.

Can you please explain your comment? I would very much like to know why exactly you think he was not trained well enough for baroque.

One obvious issue is of course that he hardly uses his chest register. I am aware of that. However I have one recording ( from the Bononcini CD ), a recitative, where he does use it and it's very interesting to hear it. I can upload it if you want. He definitely doesn't use it enough though but perhaps it tires him. Remember that he had laryngitis and like the article says, his speaking voice is still a little like a whisper.

I'd like to hear it; i't has not enough power; when i read about Ber nacchi singing against a trumpet or an orchstra, then in my opinion he wasn't educated in the right Technique; The only real Belcanto thing in his voice is that he sings very in tune, but there is no power, no chestiness, and it sounds a bit like the Farinelli voice from the film; he has got indeede the most approriate voice, but his technique is historicaly incorrect

The above posting has a valid point. I doubt whether any singer today is taught in the manner of Farinelli or Caffarrelli, let alone in some manner that may have had different results from Radu's current voice. One logically cannot imagine Radu Marian, as much as we love his voice, singing Italian opera on stage nor, especially, having a lead, male role.

There may be more to the difference to his singing than just training, however. I suspect that whatever caused him to retain his soprano voice has resulted, in some ways, in different physical form and capabilities from the artificially created castrati of the 18th century. Even with years of training by a "Porpora," I doubt whether Radu could sing with the power and masculine timbre required in Baroque opera.

Oddly enough, the extremely difficult effort to sing as a sopranist did not seem to diminish Aris Christofellis' vocal power and astonishing agility. Obviously however, his sound was very unnatural and his enunciation hampered.

Fortunately enough, we can still enjoy Aris's singing quite much due to the points mentioned above. The enunciation problems simply feel unimportant when we listen to his voice although we're always aware of them.

Of course Radu's laryngitis must have left a long lasting effect as I said above. His voice as a boy was quite different.

yes, you're right, especially when you think tzhat testosteron is not only produced by the testicles. I don't know, but i think that Radu must have a complete Problem with that, but i'm no doctor, so i cant't say anything. But in my opinion, the right Training would have made different in any case.

I know some like Aris Christofellis' high notes but at times I think he sounds shrill. Jacek sounds sweeter in tone that Aris, well at least to me.

chris