TERMIUM Plus®

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COUNTERTENOR [1 record]

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Alphabetical list of terms

Record 1 1988-09-09

English

Subject field(s)
  • General Vocabulary
DEF

Old name for (male) alto, derived from contratenor altus.

CONT

Originally the alto was a high male voice which through use of falsetto nearly reached the range of the female voice (contralto). This type of voice, also known as countertenor, was cultivated especially in England, where the church music of the 16th and 17th centuries definitely implies its use.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Vocabulaire général
DEF

Voix d'homme adulte, de l'étendue approximative d'une douzième allant environ de sol2 à ré4 ou mi4. Contrairement à la voix d'homme alto, obtenue par une basse chantant en voix de fausset, la vraie voix de countertenor provient de l'emploi naturel, sans fausset, de la voix de tête d'un ténor (...)

Spanish

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