Definitions for countertenor
ˈkaʊn tərˌtɛn ərcoun·tertenor

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. countertenornoun

   a male singer with a voice above that of a tenor

2. countertenor, altoadjective

   the highest adult male singing voice

3. countertenor, altoadjective

   of or being the highest male voice; having a range above that of tenor

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. countertenornoun

   (Older) a part or section performing a countermelody against the tenor or main part

2. countertenornoun

   adult male singer who uses head tone or falsetto to sing far higher than the typical male vocal range

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Countertenornoun

   One of the mean or middle parts of musick; so called, as it were, opposite to the tenor. John Harris

   Etymology: from counter and tenor.

   I am deaf for two months together: this deafness unqualifies me for all company, except a few friends with countertenor voices. Jonathan Swift.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Countertenor

   A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist (a specific kind of countertenor) may match the soprano's range of around C4 to C6. Countertenors often have tenor or baritone chest voices, but sing in falsetto or head voice much more often than they do in their chest voice. The nature of the countertenor voice has radically changed throughout musical history, from a modal voice, to a modal and falsetto voice, to the primarily falsetto voice which is denoted by the term today. This is partly because of changes in human physiology and partly because of fluctuations in pitch.The term first came into use in England during the mid-17th century and was in wide use by the late 17th century. However, the use of adult male falsettos in polyphony, commonly in the soprano range, was known in European all-male sacred choirs for some decades previous, as early as the mid-16th century. Modern-day ensembles such as the Tallis Scholars and the Sixteen have countertenors on alto parts in works of this period. There is no evidence that falsetto singing was known in Britain before the early 17th century, when it was occasionally heard on soprano parts.In the second half of the 20th century, there was great interest in and renewed popularity of the countertenor voice, partly due to pioneers such as Alfred Deller, as well as the increased popularity of Baroque opera and the need of male singers to replace the castrati roles in such works. Although the voice has been considered largely an early music phenomenon, there is a growing modern repertoire collection for countertenors, especially in contemporary music.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. countertenor

   A countertenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto or mezzo-soprano. This type of voice is often achieved using falsetto, and is the highest male singing voice typically used in Western classical music. Some may sing within the female vocal range using full-chest sound. The term is also used to refer to male singers who use this vocal technique in modern music genres.

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Countertenor

   A countertenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto or mezzo-soprano voice type. The term first came into use in England during the mid 17th century, and was in wide use by the late 17th century. However, the use of adult male falsettos in polyphony, commonly in the alto range, was common in all-male sacred choirs for some decades previous, as early as the mid-16th century, and modern-day ensembles such as the Tallis Scholars and The Sixteen maintain the use of male altos in period works. During the Romantic period, the popularity of the countertenor voice waned and few compositions were written with that voice type in mind. In the second half of the 20th century, the countertenor voice went through a massive resurgence in popularity, partly due to pioneers such as Alfred Deller, by the increased popularity of Baroque opera and the need of male singers to replace the castrati roles in such works. Although the voice has been considered largely an early music phenomenon, there is a growing modern repertoire.

Matched Categories

1. • Alto

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce countertenor?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say countertenor in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of countertenor in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of countertenor in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=countertenor
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Countertenor
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=countertenor
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countertenor
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=countertenor
7. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=countertenor