Yoshikazu Mera and other countertenors

[knight66]

This is a continuation of posts on countertenors that were distorting another thread. Rather than to send us further off topic, I thought I would start a new thread.

Harry kindly drew my attention to the voice of Mera and I thought I would give it a go. I bought his Best of disc, from BIS. As you would expect it is a collection of bits and pieces.

Mera has as exceptionally pure and sweet voice. He also seems to be a good linguist, he sings in a number of languages. There are some Japanese art songs included on the disc, he expands his styles further with film soundtrack music and one item that strikes me as Euro-pop.

He tackles the Rachmaninoff Vocalise and then we move into the Bach/Handel mood. I say mood, because at best I feel he merely manages to create a general mood of whatever he is singing, ideally slowly. He was the countertenor used initially on the Suzuki Bach Cantata recordings and I know his departure was lamented. He has also been taken up by John Elliott Gardiner.

He has all the required notes in his range. However, there is something very soft centred about how he comes across. For example, from The Messiah he sings But who may abide. That aria has slow and fast sections. In the fact sections there is no what I would think of as fire in the belly. No projection of the meaning of the words, the challenge and the question, who is good enough when the saviour comes to judge as a refiners fire. This is nevertheless in pretty flawless English. By contrast, I yesterday heard Brigitte Fassbaender sing But who may abide, in German. There we are in another world interpretively. She makes the words count and throws down the challenge within them very decisively.

This marshmallow approach holds through the Bach, it is very beautiful and worth hearing, but somehow a world away from that profound contemplation of faith that Bach is so fond of. Perhaps had I simply heard his arias in context I would not have felt so smothered in sweetness as I did listening to an hour of him. Great beauty of sound can be allied to meaning and in this type of music, listen to Arleen Auger for an object lesson. On the countertenor side, Scholl is I think superior in Bach.

A Dvorak song fares well, then comes the group of Japanese art songs. I suggest these are pleasing in a group of say three after which they seem rather boring. They are accompanied by piano and remind me most of French art songs, but without real inspiration and with extremely simple piano accompaniments.

He sounds pretty much as his photos portray him. What you see is definitely what you get.

[Maciek]

Nice thread, Mike.

Are male sopranos allowed here too?

[knight66]

I am not sure of the distinction between a male soprano and a countertenor, to the extent there is one, do feel free.

Mike

[Maciek]

I'm not sure either. I just know there are singers out there referred to as male sopranos, so I assumed there was some sort of difference...

[Harry]

The sweetness of Mera is blending perfectly into the Bach cantatas, the duets are fantastic, as if his voice is floating in mid air.
I have heard many counter tenors in my life, but non comes as close to the ideal as Mera, and you are right Mike, it is much lamented that Suzuki has put him aside!

[uffeviking]

I have a CD by Sverrir Goðjónsson titled Epitaph where he, the composer, arranger and performer calls himself Countertenor, yet when I first heard him I was sure I was listening to a soprano, not even a mezzo, but a regular soprano. Every note crystal clear, not strain, no pulling up from the kneecap, as Daniels has been doing lately.

Does not answer the question if there is a difference between a countertenor or a male soprano. Maybe any vocal experts here can comment.

[knight66]

Not that this answers it, but I have a recording by Stephanie Blyth where on one track she is partnered by Daniels, who is singing higher than she is and in comparison sounds like a soprano to her contralto.

Mike

[uffeviking]

And there is Jochen Kowalski starring in Handel's Orfeo ed Euridice who, in an interview, calls himself a male soprano. - Not that it's of importance to this thread, Kowalski, with a big smile, assured the interviewer "Everything's all there!". 

[knight66]

Do try this out and have a listen to his other tracks on YouTube.

An extraordinary colluratura aria....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7PTeoDDZNA

A slow lament, both Vivaldi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJoalfIaOz0&mode=related&search=

Philippe Jaroussky Countertenor
-------------------------------------------------------------
Here is Mera singing some Handel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNbbVHnTecw

Mike

[uffeviking]

Now I have listened to all your offerings, Mike, interesting to compare. The Vivaldis by Jaroussky turned me off, because he sounded so flat, no 'meat' to the tone. Then came Mera. Ok, sweet and nice and clean, maybe a bit too sweet. While I was at UTube I listened to the segment titled Farinelli, which is of course misleading because  it is from the movie by the same name and the singing was electronic mixed and manipulated with a real female voice.

Then back to Jaroussky singing the same aria, the Lascia, and there is what I had hoped to hear: A perfect and beautiful male soprano. So it depends on what he sings, - Vivaldi too fast, - giving him the chance to show his talent. His extremely good looks of course don't do any harm either! 

[knight66]

Lis, I am glad you enjoyed them, I did not think the counter tenor would be your cup of tea.

I thought the Vivaldi was very impressive, but I can understand what you mean. I think Jaroussky is a singer to watch....quite a future ahead of him.

Folks, do add in your comments and clips of countertenors, good or bad.

Mike

[uffeviking]

Lis, I am glad you enjoyed them, I did not think the counter tenor would be your cup of tea.

Mike

Had not paid any attention to the category of male singers pretending to be females until I bought the LVD of the 1991 ROH production of Orfeo ed Euridice directed by Harry Kupfer. This version won the Olivier Award for "Most outstanding Achievement in Opera" and I was fascinated by Jochen Kowalski's acting and singing, a rather athletic performance. Now I just read on the back cover of the LVD that Kowalski is called a male alto. Oh well, I take Kowalski's word any time: a male soprano he is!

[Anne]

Is a question welcome?  I have read that Rene Jacobs was a great counter tenor and had a good career in that.  Then, for whatever reason he became a terrific conductor of Baroque and Classical music.  I love his conducting in Haydn's 4 Seasons and Bach's Christmas Oratorio.

Another remark I read said he was not a good singer.  Does anyone know which is right?  Is/was he or is/was he not a good singer and why did he change to a conductor?

[uffeviking]

Questions are always welcome, Anne! That's one of the main reasons for the existence of this forum!

Here is your answer:

http://www.harmoniamundi.com/usa/artistes_fiche.php?artist_id=54

[Que]

Is a question welcome?  I have read that Rene Jacobs was a great counter tenor and had a good career in that.  Then, for whatever reason he became a terrific conductor of Baroque and Classical music.  I love his conducting in Haydn's 4 Seasons and Bach's Christmas Oratorio.

Another remark I read said he was not a good singer.  Does anyone know which is right?  Is/was he or is/was he not a good singer and why did he change to a conductor?

René Jacobs was an awful countertenor (IMO), but he was lucky to one of the pioneers in the HIP field.
He is on the other hand a very talented conductor - one of the best, or even the best of baroque opera.
Why he switched careers, I don't know - maybe problems with his voice?
Anyway - I'm glad he did.

BTW on the topic of this thread: I think Paul Esswood did a very fine job in the Harnoncourt/Leonhardt Bach cantatas cycle.

Jaroussky I like in Vivaldi. I've grown quickly weary of the voices of Andreas Scholl and Gérard Lesne.

Q

[knight66]

Jochen Kowalski, yes, I did once see a stage version of him singing Orfeo. It was televised, one thing I recall is that he was in a field of TVs, (Televisions, not transvestites Lis.) that I seem to recall were showing him what Euridice was up to down below...if you know what I mean.

He was a very high profile singer at one point. I have one best of disc from him, but I felt he was frequently singing flat. But at his best he was terrific and put forward the virile side of the voice category. He also sang Orlovsky, though for me, no one has been better than Fassbaender at that role.

Anne, I got rid of a Rene Jacobs disc, I could not get along with what I though of as a hooty uneven production of his voice.

Mike

[uffeviking]

But, Mike, as Prince Orlovsky he fixed one of the chairs, damaged during the celebration! That's something Fassbaender never managed! You did catch that, didn't you?

Agree with you, Fassbaender is the best Orlofsky, no matter how many had tried this role!

[knight66]

But, Mike, as Prince Orlovsky he fixed one of the chairs, damaged during the celebration! That's something Fassbaender never managed! You did catch that, didn't you?

Lis, I did not recall that. BTW, is the production of Orfeo the one with all the TV sets?

Mike

[uffeviking]

I haven't watched it for some time, and not sure about the TV sets. I am sure about all the beds on old fashioned metal frames and Kowalski, in jeans and leather jacket, leaping and bouncing from one to the other, playing an acoustic guitar. Is that the same one you saw? If it's important let me know and I take a run-through.

[knight66]

Liz, Thats OK, I think it is the same one, I would guess it must be about 25 years old by now.

Mike