Yoshikazu Mera and other countertenors

[FideLeo]

He sounds quite good.

Q

I like his voice but wish he could be as assured in technique as someone like David Daniels.  He studied with Barbara Schlick, and there seems to me to be a degree of simiarity in their vocal timbres.

Pergolesi: Vidit suum dulcem natum 

[Expresso]

Lis, Que, and Mike,

Thank you all for replying to my question about Rene Jacobs.  Unless someone recommends a specific performance of a given work, I'll avoid his counter tenor productions.  Much appreciated.

When it comes to vocals, it's all about personal taste. Personally i like Jacob's voice... maybe you should listen to some music clips before you buy anything...that's what i always do.

[Harry]

When it comes to vocals, it's all about personal taste. Personally i like Jacob's voice... maybe you should listen to some music clips before you buy anything...that's what i always do.

With all respect my friend, but Rene Jacobs voice is terrible, and although its personal, if you know the voice of the counter as I do, you are aware of how it should sound, and what is good and bad. Nothing to do with taste but more with knowledge.
But if you like him, you would be the first of the people I know.
And that is truly amazing.

[FideLeo]

With all respect my friend, but Rene Jacobs voice is terrible, and although its personal, if you know the voice of the counter as I do, you are aware of how it should sound, and what is good and bad. Nothing to do with taste but more with knowledge.
But if you like him, you would be the first of the people I know.
And that is truly amazing.

Considering that Jacobs appeared in so many recordings before he retired from professional singing (Leonhardt's wonderful Bach SMP, for example), it appears as a distinct possibility to me that some colleagues of his actually liked his singing, at least for its technical merits, but perhaps more.   And CT is hardly the only kind of voice where this happens; Jennifer Smith does not seem to have many fans among early music types, but Marc Minkowski obviously found her voice perfect for certain repertories, for example.

[Harry]

Considering that Jacobs appeared in so many recordings before he retired from professional singing (Leonhardt's wonderful Bach SMP, for example), it appears as a distinct possibility to me that some colleagues of his actually liked his singing, at least for its technical merits, but perhaps more.   And CT is hardly the only kind of voice where this happens; Jennifer Smith does not seem to have many fans among early music types, but Marc Minkowski obviously found her voice perfect for certain repertories, for example.

Rene Jacobs was one of the very rare countertenors in his time, therefore he got more prominence as he deserved.

[FideLeo]

Rene Jacobs was one of the very rare countertenors in his time, therefore he got more prominence as he deserved.

Jacobs was active until into sometime in 1990s and countertenors were not exactly rare by that time.   If Leonhardt
actually thought his voice truly ugly he could have opted for Michael Chance, or Dominique Visse, or Gerard Lesne or James Bowman or Drew Minter (to name a few CTs active at the time), no?

[Harry]

Jacobs was active until into sometime in 1990s and countertenors were not exactly rare by that time.   If Leonhardt
actually thought his voice truly ugly he could have opted for Michael Chance, or Dominique Visse, or Gerard Lesne or James Bowman or Drew Minter (to name a few CTs active at the time), no?

When Rene started he had the field for him alone.
Honestly, listen to the HM recordings with Judith Nelson, Monteverdi I believe, and hear how he murders the music, with this funny voice of his.
All the other voices you name came later into prominence, and since there was a serious stress on counters to perform for many conductors, there simply was no choice for them.
But listen my friend I accept and respect you like his voice.

[FideLeo]

But listen my friend I accept and respect you like his voice.

No, I don't actually like Jacobs's voice, if at all.  But I want to suggest that conductors like Leonhardt chose him as a soloist in an important recording most likely out of appreciation for certain aspects in his singing and not out of sheer desperation.  Jacobs had his share of students - Andreas Scholl, for example, and that is saying something.   

[Harry]

No, I don't actually like Jacobs's voice, if at all.  But I want to suggest that conductors like Leonhardt chose him as a soloist in an important recording most likely out of appreciation for certain aspects in his singing and not out of sheer desperation.  Jacobs had his share of students - Andreas Scholl, for example, and that is saying something.   

O, dear yes, he is a excellent teacher, and there was a reason he turned to direction and teaching you know.
I keep it to sheer desperation, for no one in his right mind would take a voice like RN in his recording project.
Sorry, but that is the way I feel about him, very good conductor and pedagogue, but a terrible counter.

[FideLeo]

Sorry, but that is the way I feel about him, very good conductor and pedagogue, but a terrible counter.

You can feel any way about RJ you like, but I was speculating about condcutors who actually chose him for their recording projects and who I believe were in their right frame of mind when making that choice. 

[Marc]

When it comes to vocals, it's all about personal taste. Personally i like Jacob's voice... maybe you should listen to some music clips before you buy anything...that's what i always do.

With all respect my friend, but Rene Jacobs voice is terrible, and although its personal, if you know the voice of the counter as I do, you are aware of how it should sound, and what is good and bad. Nothing to do with taste but more with knowledge.
But if you like him, you would be the first of the people I know.
And that is truly amazing.

Right now I'm listening to the Aria "Wer Gott bekennt aus wahrem Herzensgrund" from Bach's Cantata BWV 45 Es ist dir gesagt, Mensch, was gut ist. (Directed by Gustav Leonhardt.) René Jacobs is singing this very good, IMHO. His voice also sounds good.
With all respect ye friends , I personally think that Jacobs' voice was good in the beginning of his singing career, but from a certain point a shrill edge was audible, especially in the higher regions, which made listening to him rather tiring.

[Maciek]

Has anyone heard of Artur Stefanowicz (samples here)? He seemed to have a great career ahead (around 1990) but I don't know what he's up to now...?

[Maciek]

On another thread I've just posted a batch of new DUX releases that have been recently added to my wishlist () but one item seems better suited for this thread. A song recital by the Polish countertenor Dariusz Paradowski (with Jeff Cohen at the piano). I've got one disc with Paradowski singing Mozart arias and there he's credited as a "soprano". The DUX people have decided to call him a "mezzo". According to the infamous "Male Soprano Page" his range is g - b'' (G3 - B5). Whatever...

For many years, he used to work at the Warsaw Chamber Opera. I'm not sure what he's doing right now.

Here's the recording in question. Apparently, he is taking a David Daniels type approach - putting together a disc of stuff written for women singers. Looks rather interesting, to say the least:



Mozart Abendempfi ndung KV 523
Komm, liebe Zither KV 351
An Chloë KV 524
Beethoven Adelaide op. 46
Schubert Der Tod und das Mädchen D. 531
Litanei auf das Fest Aller Seelen D. 343
An die Musik D. 547
Rachmaninov Cон op. 8 nr 5
Rimski-Korsakov Не ветер, вея с высоты op. 43 nr 2
Tchaikovsky Песнь Миньоны op. 6 nr 6
Karłowicz Po szerokim morzu op. 3 nr 9
Talk to me Still Op. 3
Śpi w blaskach nocy op. 3 nr 4
Chopin Lithuanian Song Op. 74 No. 16
Precz z moich oczu op. 74 nr 6
Wichrowski Liście
Obradors El vito
Del cabello más sutil
Coplas de Curro Dulce
Strauss Morgen! op. 27 nr 4
Zueignung op. 10 nr 1

[Maciek]

Oh, forgot to mention an interesting recording released last year (by PWA), with Pawel Mykietyn's Shakespeare's Sonnets - a contemporary piece - sung by the "male soprano" Jacek Laszczkowski:



[I don't really like the piece, so this has only halfway made it into my wishlist. ]

[Mandryka]

Hi

Does anyone know what has happened to Mera? Someone told me he does pop music now.

The countertenor I like most is Deller -- especially in Bach and Purcell.

And I recently heard David Daniels singing Bach on the radio, and it sounded unbelievably musical. Has anyone heard the whole CD?

[Bulldog]

Does anyone know what has happened to Mera? Someone told me he does pop music now.

No idea, but I hate that Suzuki replaced him with Robin Blaze who sucks.

[knight66]

Hi

Does anyone know what has happened to Mera? Someone told me he does pop music now.

The countertenor I like most is Deller -- especially in Bach and Purcell.

And I recently heard David Daniels singing Bach on the radio, and it sounded unbelievably musical. Has anyone heard the whole CD?

Reply 58 on this thread.

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,555.msg223971/topicseen.html#msg223971

Mike

[Harry]

No idea, but I hate that Suzuki replaced him with Robin Blaze who sucks.

I could not agree more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!