Sopranist

Voice

A sopranist is able to sing in the soprano vocal range which is approximately between C4 and C6, though at times may expand somewhat higher or lower. Men of all voice types can possess the wide-ranged and effective falsetto or head voice needed to produce the contralto, mezzo-soprano and soprano vocal ranges. Some countertenors can sing up into the female vocal tessituras using the modal register (normal singing production) and need not employ any falsetto.{{cite book

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. Radu Marian can refer to himself as a true male soprano because he is able to sing in the soprano vocal range using the modal voice.

Repertoire

There is a large body of music for the male soprano that was written when it was common to use a castrato – 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 are only a small number of modern pieces written specifically for the sopranist vocal type. An exception is Alfred Schnittke's 1995 opera Historia von D. Johann Fausten, which calls for both a female alto and a male soprano Mephistopheles.

Notable sopranists

Present day notable sopranists include:

• Cem Adrian
• Simone Bartolini
• Aris Christofellis
• Edson Cordeiro (opera, pop, gospel)
• Robert Crowe
• David Hansen
• Russell Hitchcock
• JJ (born Johannes Pietsch)
• Vyatcheslav Kagan-Paley
• Dimash Kudaibergen
• Adam Lopez (pop, opera, Latin)
• Michael Maniaci
• Angelo Manzotti
• Radu Marian
• Samuel Mariño
• Tomotaka Okamoto
• Brian Charles Rooney (musical theatre)
• Bruno de Sá
• Tonex (gospel)
• André Vásáry (opera, pop)
• Vitas
• Zhou Shen
• Maayan Licht

References

References

1. (12 October 2007). "The man with the 300-year-old voice". [[The Times]].
2. (4 October 2012). "Cem Adrian on stage at Jolly Joker". Hürriyet Daily News.
3. "Simone Bartolini: Biography". Future Style.
4. (2015). "Aris Christofellis". Opera Verona.
5. Heilbut, Anthony. (1 July 2012). "The Male Soprano". Believer Mag.
6. Heilbut, Anthony. (2012). "The Fan Who Knew Too Much". Alfred A. Knopf.
7. (May 14, 2014). "Shocked By His Own Voice: Male Soprano Soars In World's Smallest Vocal Category". [[WBUR-FM]].
8. Melissa Lesnie. (6 October 2013). "David Hansen: It's a Long Way to the Top".
9. Answers.com. ''What type of voice is Russell Hitchcock?'' (online) Available at: [https://qa.answers.com/other-qa/What%20type%20of%20voice%20is%20Russell%20hitchcock https://qa.answers.com/other-qa/What_type_of_voice_is_Russell_hitchcock] (Accessed: May 25th 2024).
10. (2025-01-30). "Meet Austria's artist for Basel - JJ".
11. [http://www.hbf.lv/index.php?1&609&view=artist&artist_id=102 Vyatcheslav Kagan-Paley] bio from the Herman Braun Foundation
12. Quaquero, Myriam [http://www.reginella.net/stampa/articoli/art000000180.htm 'Una voce molto speciale'], ''[[L'Unione Sarda]]'' June 2, 1997 (in Italian). Accessed 3 March 2019.
13. Mark Brown. (12 April 2010). "Bath celebrates the life of the bedhopping singing star of the 1700s". [[The Guardian]].
14. "Meet opera's rare male soprano". BBC News.
15. Tom Ambrose. (8 August 2021). "Tokyo thanks the world as closing ceremony marks the end of a unique Olympic Games". [[Evening Standard]].
16. Panarello, Joseph F.. (5 June 2006). "Gender Bending with Brian Charles Rooney". Joseph F..
17. (May 2021). "Biography: Bruno de Sá".
18. Robinson-Martin, Trineice. (2016). "So You Want To Sing Gospel". Rowman and Littlefield.
19. "Vásáry André". Capricco Művészügynökség és Műsoriroda.
20. (1 July 2012). "The Male Soprano". [[The Believer (magazine).
21. "Maayan Licht".