It is always a shock to hear the beautiful mezzo voice coming through the body of a man. The name of the voice category assigned to this phenomenon is called the “countertenor”. I was so lucky to hear a really wonderful countertenor in a concert with Philharmonia Baroque under the spirited direction of Nicolas McGegan, who I hear is retiring next year, a terrible shame as he has plenty left to give and he will be sorely missed.
I actually went to hear Ann Sophie von Otter who has specialized in Baroque and modern repertoire as well as Mahler and other lied composers. Best on her program were the modern pieces by Shaw and Arvo Pärt as she internalized them so that they seemed to come from her deepest essence. She is now coming to the end of a long and successful career and still sings well although her opening aria from Handel’s great oratorio,”Solomon” which is one of my all time favorites was too externalized and lacked the depth of musicality to touch our hearts.
The great surprise of the evening was the countertenor Daniel Moody.The beauty of his voice, his outstanding musicality and the simplicity of his execution seemed to cut to the very core. Few countertenors have a really beautiful sound. I remember being moved by the great countertenor of yesteryear, Paul Esswood, under the direction of the late great Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Andreas Scholl and the Italian countertenor of extraordinary musicality, Filippo Mineccia, another recent discovery, and now Moody share with Esswood, a truly extraordinary sound quality in addition to a musicality that cuts to the heart.www.volovnavocalstudio.com
To Sing or Not To Sing? 