I coulda told you that

[ellenkushner]

Indeed, throughout history, male sopranos, whether in sacred music, opera or pop, have been prized as much for an ideal of angelic purity as for romantic heroism. The voice does not, as some might have it, appeal chiefly to gay men: much of pre-19th-century opera — or for that matter, Shakespearean comedy — is based on the understanding that what drives a woman wild is a boy who may or may not be a girl.

-- Fernanda Eberstadt, "A Man Who Sings Like a Woman," NYTimes Sunday Magazine, 11/19/2010

Comments

[gows.livejournal.com]

. . . what drives a woman wild is a boy who may or may not be a girl.

BUH. *nods furiously*

[woodburner.livejournal.com]

"what drives a woman wild is a boy who may or may not be a girl."

Sure does work for me!

[asatomuraki.livejournal.com]

So very true.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

what drives a woman wild is a boy who may or may not be a girl.

*nods* I'm sure Lola of the film "Kinky Boots" would agree.

Same goes for male altos/countertenors, as far as I can tell. (I'm put in mind of the recent use of countertenor solo as a part of the "Doctor Who" soundtrack in Tennant's last season.)

[jadecat9.livejournal.com]

Here's another male soprano that I had the pleasure of seeing in person, Pascal Toussaint (http://www.pascaltoussaintmusic.com/Pascal_Toussaint_Music/PASCAL.html).

His voice is just *incredible*

[theniwokesoftly.livejournal.com]

Check out Daniel Taylor. He's a mezzo/contralto, but still. Lovely.

[bondgwendabond.livejournal.com]

I somehow totally missed this piece so thanks for the pointer! I tend to love Eberstadt's stuff. Her book about Gypsy/Romani music and culture in the south of France, Little Money Street, is a favorite.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

SRSLY. I have never gotten so much flirtation from girls in my LIFE as the summer at the Renfaire where I dressed in male array and told everyone to call me "Orlando."

I could also make note of a certain Morsel I dated for six months in 2007, where I spent the first half hour of observing this creature on the dance floor trying to make up my mind if this was a girl or a boy, and if it actually mattered to me in any case!

[theniwokesoftly.livejournal.com]

Countertenors are HOT :D

What makes hara so appealing?

[pingback-bot.livejournal.com]

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[peregrinejohn.livejournal.com]

This, combined with certain other observations I had made (entirely lacking, at that point, Eberstadt's depth of perception), confused me deeply for years. Then, by chance, I found this comment by Norman Luboff:

All the ladies swoon when the tenor sings; but the bass takes them home.

Suddenly, it all became clear.