Loved the Three Tenors? The Three Counter Tenors want to take us to a great height!
Countertenors are all the rage and three Queenslanders are about to have ‘their moment in the sun’ as one of the headline acts at this year’s 4MBS Festival of Classics.
Remember The Three Tenors – Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo and José Carreras? But what about The Three Counter Tenors? They are new to the classical music scene. They sing a little higher, it must be admitted, and you might not know their names … yet.
We’re talking about the talented trio of Hartley Newnham, Adam Lopez and Tobias Merz. The threesome will be one of the star turns at this year’s 4MBS Festival of Classics, which is on from May 18 to June 8.
This year’s festival has three themes: Cinema Classics – featuring music used in or composed for film; Really Romantic – Rachmaninov, Mendelssohn and others in the Piano Marathon plus lieder and more; and Beautiful Baroque, with the headline act being The Return of The Three Counter Tenors.
If you follow classical music, you might have noticed that countertenors are all the rage. An example is the hugely successful recent tour with the Bach Akadamie Australia of American countertenor Reginald Mobley – a big man with a heavenly voice who sang in Brisbane in the sacred space of The Cathedral of St Stephen.
4MBS general manager Gary Thorpe agrees that countertenors are having their moment in the sun.
“The Return of the Three Counter Tenors concert is a reflection of the increased popularity of countertenors worldwide and the Festival of Classics brings us three, yes three, Queensland countertenors,” Thorpe says. “Come and be transported into the beautiful world of the countertenor.”
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Some highly celebrated countertenors include James Bowman, Andreas Scholl, Alfred Deller, Philippe Jaroussky, Bejun Mehta and Jakub Józef Orliński. These singers are known for their high, bright vocal range and distinctive interpretations of music, often associated with Baroque and early classical periods.
Countertenors are relatively rare. Their high, clear vocal quality is distinctive and sought after
Countertenors have gained considerable popularity recently, especially in classical music, particularly in the Baroque and modern genres. The rise of the countertenor is linked to the resurgence of Baroque opera and the need for male singers to replace the roles originally sung by castrati. Countertenors are also in demand in many modern operas and other forms of classical music. While relatively rare, their high, clear vocal quality is distinctive and sought after.
The countertenor voice has historical roots in religious choirs and the replacement of castrati roles in Baroque opera. The resurgence of interest in Baroque opera has led to a greater need for countertenors to sing the high, lyric roles previously sung by castrati – male singers castrated before puberty to preserve a high vocal range, a practice that only ceased at the end of the 19th century.
With countertenors in such high demand, we are fortunate to have three Queensland countertenors for the 32nd annual 4MBS Festival of Classics, which goes from strength to strength.
“This year the 4MBS Festival of Classics is bigger than ever,” Thorpe says. “We continue to highlight Queensland’s brilliant musicians, this year across three themes spanning three centuries from the Baroque to Cinema Classics.
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“And again we have a magnificent grand finale – join us for a Gilbert and Sullivan Spectacular. We are looking forward to sharing the festival’s 25 concerts with music lovers.”
The Return of The Three Countertenors is on May 31 at the City Tabernacle Baptist Church, with the singers backed by Queensland Baroque, led by artistic director John Foster.
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Countertenor Tobias Merz.
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Queensland Baroque Orchestra.
The festival’s opening event is Art of The Score: The Music of Hans Zimmer, featuring Queensland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vanessa Scammel with mezzo soprano Cassandra Seidemann. Hans Zimmer’s film scores are famous and, in this concert, you hear music from The Da Vinci Code, The Pirates of the Caribbean and other films. This concert is hosted by Andrew Pogson and Dan Golding, creators of the popular podcast Art of the Score.
The Queensland Youth Symphony under Simon Hewett is also on the program and the acclaimed Canticum Chamber Choir and Orchestra, conducted by Emily Cox, will be playing Part and Bach. There’s plenty more on offer and the festival winds up with the Gilbert & Sullivan Spectacular featuring superstar soprano Mirusia, baritone and compere Jason Barry-Smith, mezzo soprano Jessica Low, tenor Billy Bourchier and bass Matthew Broadbent.
They will be accompanied by Ensemble Q Orchestra, Brisbane Chorale and the UQ Singers, conducted by Paul Dean. The event is a collaboration with Queensland Musical Theatre.
There is plenty to listen to on the airwaves, too, during the festival, including At the Opera: The Cult of the Castrato, prepared and presented by Jenny Dawson. This is a bit of history, filling in the backstory that gave rise to the repertoires for today’s countertenors who, by the way, have not had to lose any body parts in pursuit of their art.