Castrato (18 of 23)

Castrato

The baroque music world is just beginning to wake up to the voice of the extraordinary young soprano, Michael Maniaci.
'I call myself a male soprano, because my voice seems' to most naturally sit in a soprano register.
And when I went through puberty and my voice changed, though my cords did lengthen and thicken somewhat, they didn't to the extent that most men experience.
Exultate Jubilate O vos animae beatae O vos animae O vos animae beatae Exultate Jubilate...
'My voice comfortably goes to a soprano high C, 'and I feel most comfortable singing within a two-octave range 'from about the high C down to a middle C.
'I guess, compared to a countertenor, my voice would sit about a sixth higher.'

When you sing you are not using falsetto, which surely allows you much more flexibility.
Yes.
One problem with a falsetto singing high is that most of us find it difficult to sing quietly.
Right.
And to sing sweetly.
Right.
And to avoid forcing, quite often.
Cos I know sopranistas who can sing right up through high C, high E flat, even.
But it tends to be one colour, one dynamic...
Loud and hard...
through the extremes of the register.
But you can sing piano, high As and high Bs and high Cs.
Yes.
I envy you that.
I can sing piano high Fs, but not high As, Bs...
I envy you everything you can do at the bottom of your register.
Fair enough.
Alleluja-ah Allelu-ujah...
'What a wonderful sound Michael makes when he sings.
'You hear this voice soaring up well above the range of countertenors.
' But is he today's castrato?
I think there are two reasons why he's not.