Hello everybody!

The Contralto corner has been revamped! Check out the new landing page, Contralto Arias section, and the Contralto updates, along with much more.

And for your pleasure, here is Contralto Ewa Podles singing "Cara Sposa" from Handel's Rinaldo.

The Contralto Corner has benifited from the interest of its readers on more than one occasion. Thanks to you, this page is now THE place to find information on those amazing women who sing in the contralto fach.

Once again, we have a suggestion from or readers. Ola Sletvold, who has already suggested two other contraltos, has pointed me in the direction of yet another fabulous singer. 

Aafje Heynes is a Dutch contralto, who focused manily in the concert and oratorio areas of performance, with a key interest in Mahler. Indeed, her perfromance of Mahler's Second Symphony is regarded as a classic.

Below is a video of her performing one of my favourite contralto pieces, the haunting Erbame Dich from Bach's St. Matthew Passion. Enjoy!

Well, this is a first for the Contralto Corner: a piece scored for not one, but three contraltos! It comes from the work called Beatus Vir, specifically from the version (RV 795) composed for the women of the Ospedale della Pietà, a home for abandoned children where Vivaldi worked from 1703 to 1715 and from 1723 to 1740 . The Pietà ensemble was all female, with women taking all the singing roles, including tenor and bass! There are records of an Anna dal Basso (the ladies were not known by surnames, but by the voice type or instrument they played) who by all accounts could sing well below C3.

The particular piece in the video below, which was forwarded to me by Jean Wakefield, who also made previous suggestions of ladies to be included in the Contralto Corner, is called "In Memoria Aeterna". Richard Vendome - Artistic Director of the Vivaldi's Women project, which recreated the choir of the Pietà with women singing all parts from Soprano to Bass - suggested that the lowest of the three contralto parts, which had a much lower tessitura than the other two, was "possibly written for Ambrosina", a contralto with "a voice like thunder, just like a tenor".

In the video below, the lowest part is performed by French contralto Nathalie Stutzmann, with the other parts being take by contraltos Hilary Summers and Alexandra Gibson. The piece is in the key of C minor, with Stutzmann's first entry coming on a solid G3. She stays below the stave for the majority of the work, and hits both F# and F natural! In fact, as they are at "Baroque pitch", Stutzmann is starting on a low F# and hits an E natural. Excellent stuff.

Today the Wigmore Hall once again played host to the sultry voice of Venetian Contralto Sara Mingardo. The theme of the concert was a songbook of Ancient Italian Airs, compiled by Alessandro Parisotti, with a couple of interlopers such as an aria from Handel’s Alcina. The song book includes an air attributed to Giovanni Pergolesi, “Se tu m’ami”, which is now believed to have been composed by Parisotti himself. The song book, called Arie antiche: ad una voce per canto e pianoforte and published in 1890, was Parisotti’s major claim to fame.

Performing with Mingardo were Benjamin Bayl, harpsichord, and Richard Sweeney, theorbo. Benjamin Bayl is usually seen in the role of conductor having taken part in productions such as Il parnaso confuso at London’s South Bank Centre and a critically acclaimed Ariodante with English Touring Opera. Richard Sweeney has extensive performance experience, having played with renowned ensembles including The Kings Consort, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Academy of Ancient Music, and Les Talens Lyriques.

The first composer selected by Mingardo was the Neapolitan Andrea Falconieri. Of the two song chosen it was the second, “O bellissimi capelli”, which made the greatest impression. Mingardo’s lilting, smooth voice flowed through the verses, while the intuitive accompaniment from Bayl and Sweeney ensured the light dynamic of the piece was well supported. Next was Antonio Lotti, a composer hailing from Mingardo’s native Venice, who thought to have influenced Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederic Handel. The air chosen, “Pur dicesti, O Bocca bella”, was tenderly sung, with some beautifully light touches on the arpeggios.

Two more Venetians followed on from Lotti. “Sebben crudele”, by Antonio Caldara, is a famous piece, sung by most singers of all fach at one point in their careers. It was performed with dramatic flair by Mingardo, whose ardent, lyrical presentation, and intelligent ornamentation, communicated perfectly the emotion of the piece. Vivaldi’s “Un certo non so che” was next, and it was here that Mingardo moved to a more “operatic” execution.

The melancholic “Quella fiamma che m’accende”, by Benedetto Marcello, provided the first opportunity for Mingardo to show off her rich, powerful lower register. The dives into the chest voice were both fierce yet controlled, with Mingardo in complete control of her instrument. The disputed “Se tu m’ami” was as emotive, yet it was more intimate, almost conversational in its delivery.

Mingardo and Bayl then left the stage, leaving Richard Sweeney to perform Alessandro Piccinini’s beautiful Toccata IV for theorbo. Sweeney’s playing bought out the lilting nature of the piece, and it reminded me of being on a long train journey, through the countryside, watching the landscape out of the window.

Mingardo and Bayl returned to finish the concert with four contrasting songs. The first, “Intorno all’idol mio” by Antonio Cesti, saw Mingardo’s warm, rich tone project powerfully through the hall. After this came Handel’s “Ah, mio cor, schernito sei” from the opera Alcina, which was the highlight of the concert. The dark, passionate phrases were beautifully handed, and there was a lovely resonance in Mingardo’s lower register.

Another opera aria, “Se il ciel mi divide” from Niccolò Piccinni’s Alessandro nell'Indie, was the penultimate offering from the trio, with Mingardo at her most aggressive, modulating the dynamic spectacularly in the syncopated sections. The last piece was “Nel cor più non mi sento” by Giovanni Paisiello. Mingardo managed to make the wistful, dreamy music engaging, imparting the nostalgic remembrances of an older person remembering the fires of youth.

The encore was the delightful “'Si dolce e'l tormento” by Claudio Monteverdi. It was an excellent way to end the concert, with each of the trio bringing an educated understanding to this frequently performed song. The last verse was so tender, that one was left with a lightness of being which lasted past the end of the fading chords. It was a delightful concert and another elegant triumph for Mingardo.

© James Edward Hughes 2011

Hello again everybody!

Welcome to our third reader feature here at Show Me Something Interesting. Nigel Hobbs has written in to tell us about another Contralto for the Contralto Corner. Her name is Alfreda Hodson.

I asked Nigel a couple of questions about his interest in Alfreda, and music in general.

SMSI: Where did you first hear Alfreda Hodgson?

Nigel Hobbs: I first heard her in the early 70's on a disc of highlights from Purcell's The Fairy Queen. I think it was conducted by Britten. She had a wide repertoire ranging from the baroque, through to Mahler and Britten. I did see her live a few times at ENO and the ROH.

SMSI: What music do you most enjoy?

NH: I enjoy a huge range of music from medieval and baroque, through to contemporary. If I had to be really specific it would probably be the operas of Britten - especially Peter Grimes.

SMSI: What is your favourite Contralto aria or piece?

NH: This is tricky. I know this is most often performed by a mezzo, but perhaps the Veil Song from Don Carlo. I've always prefered the darker contralto voice performing this aria.

SMSI: Me too! Here's Polish Contralto Ewa Podles performing the aria.

Thank you Nigel for writing in to Show Me Something Interesting.

Hello everybody! It's time for the second "Reader Feature" here at Show Me Something Interesting. This time, Ola Sletvold suggests more Contraltos for the Contralto Corner. Ola lives in Northern Norway (a wonderfully magical place), but originally hails from Trondheim. He has been singing in choirs since he was a boy, says of singing that it "is not a profession, but a passion" for him.

I asked Ola about his interest in the Contralto voice:

"It goes back to the 60's, when our cathedral choir in my home city Trondheim regularly performed Bach's Christmas Oratorio. Some of the most beautiful arias [in the work] are given to the alto."

Indeed they are! Does he have a favourite Contralto?:

"I don't think I prefer one above all the others, but I think that Kathleen Ferrier is unique."

So, which Contraltos have been added to the Contralto Corner? Well, their names are Birgit Finnilä, a Swedish Contralto, and French Contralto Delphine Galou.

There is precious little out there about these two women on the internet. If anyone has any links I can add to these pages, please let me know.

Thanks again to Ola for writing in!

Now, this is one of my favourite pieces. It has had many famous renditions, from sopranos such as Maria Callas and Jessye Norman, through a plethora of Mezzos, to a few countertenors. Even the alternative rock band Muse sampled it in the song "I Belong To You / Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix" from their symphonic rock album The Resistance. 

But for me it is the Contralto voice that has that husky darkness capable of seduce the Biblical hero Samson. Recordings by artists such as Dame Clara Butt and Marian Anderson exist, and have their own power, but this wonderfully understated performance by Anna Larsson is possibly the most touching I have heard. I hope you enjoy listening.

After launching the Contralto Corner pages, Jean Wakefield, herself a Contralto, contacted me and told me about three more Contraltos that should be included in the Contralto Corner. These singers are Jeanne Gerville-Reache (1862-1915) from France, and Kerstin Thorborg (1896-1970) and Anna Larsson (b 1966) from Sweden. 

Gerville-Reache had a brilliant but short career, premiering the role of Geneviève in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, before dying aged 32 from Ptomaine poisoning, while Thorborg, who had to move twice to escape from the Nazis, was regraded as one of the finest actresses in Opera. The last of these Contraltos, Larsson, is still singing, and is due to sing with Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra at the Armstrong Concert Hall on 18th March this year.

After reading an article about Contraltos in the Classical Singer magazine, Jean decided to write in to us here at Show Me Something Interesting. Jean says:

"Contralto voices are so rare that many people don't realize there are differences within the category, just like with Soprano and Mezzo voices. Many seem to think that a Contralto is essentially a female Tenor or Baritone."

It is indeed true that many concert houses (and some opera houses) persist in labeling all non-Soprano voices as Mezzos. It is this lack of exposure, and the denial sections of the industry of the very existence of the Contralto voice, that leads many singers do be trained as Mezzos, or indeed to leave the classical world altogether to join the Jazz, Blues, R&B and Pop worlds, where the voice type receives much greater appreciation.

This situation is beginning to change, as the proliferation of women calling themselves Contraltos in their own marketing shows. Many great Contraltos can be found now in Scandinavia, such as Larsson, and there are more main-stream Contraltos from all countries, such as Prina, Mingardo, Mijanovic, and Lemieux. Of course, the breakthrough in the modern era was the great Polish Contralto Ewa Podles. YouTube also plays a great role in creating exposure for the Contralto voice, as Jean herself says:

"Thanks to YouTube, I've discovered Eula Beal, and the next generation of Contralto voices plus recordings of other Contralto voices I've heard about, Maureen Forrester, Dame Clara Butt and Jeanne Gerville-Reache."

It was via YouTube that I myself found out about many of the Contraltos listed here. Beginning with Gerville-Reache, I shall be producing YouTube playlists for each Contralto so it will be easier for Contralto enthusiasts to find recordings of their favorite performers.

Finally, Jean also has an interesting hobby: she makes bead and chain maille jewelry! Many thanks to Jean for writing in, and for shedding light on these excellent Contraltos. If you know of any Contraltos that you think should be a part of the Contralto Corner, please contact me via the About Me page.