Countertenor

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A singer of the male gender who is distinguished by the use of a falsetto voice, allowing him to perform melodies traditionally associated with female roles, especially in choral works
2. This voice type describes a male vocalist capable of reaching elevated vocal pitches, often taking on parts normally sung by women in various musical performances
3. A male singer who utilizes a falsetto technique to produce high notes, often performing roles typically assigned to female voices across various musical genres

Etymology: In medieval polyphony, the "tenor" was the voice that held the main melody, sung by a man, and a "contratenor" was a part written to sit alongside it, usually in a range close to the tenor. The Latin term "contrātenor" combined "contra" ("against" or "opposite") with "tenor," so it literally meant something like a voice set against the tenor. Over time, the word came to describe the voice of an adult male singing in the high register, a range that often needs falsetto or a specialised head voice. English borrowed the word in its modern sense as a designation for that high male range, and the ordinary "counter-" prefix in the English word still carries the sense of opposition or counterpart that the Latin original had. The modern term therefore describes a singer's range rather than a musical role, a shift from a position in the texture of a piece to a category of voice.

Synonyms: alto, contralto, soprano, mezzo-soprano, falsetto