Editing Countertenor (section)

=== Early centuries ===
In [[polyphony|polyphonic]] compositions of the 14th and early 15th centuries, the ''contratenor'' was a voice part added to the basic two-part contrapuntal texture of discant (''[[superius]]'') and [[tenor]] (from the [[Latin language|Latin]] {{lang|la|tenere}}, which means to hold, since this part "held" the music's melody, while the ''superius'' [[descant]]ed upon it at a higher pitch). Though having approximately the same range as the tenor, it was generally of a much less melodic nature than either of these other two parts. With the introduction in about 1450 of four-part writing by composers such as [[Johannes Ockeghem|Ockeghem]] and [[Jacob Obrecht|Obrecht]], the ''contratenor'' split into ''contratenor altus'' and ''contratenor bassus'', which were respectively above and below the tenor.<ref name="Giles1982" /> Later the term became obsolete: in Italy, ''contratenor altus'' became simply ''altus'', in France, ''[[haute-contre]]'', and in England, countertenor. Though originally these words were used to designate a vocal part, they are now used to describe singers of that part, whose vocal techniques may differ (see below).<ref name="Stark2003" />

In the Catholic Church during the Renaissance, St. Paul's admonition ''"mulieres in ecclesiis taceant"'' ("let the women keep silence in the churches")<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Corinthians|14:34|ASV}}</ref> still prevailed, and women were banned from singing in church services. Countertenors, though rarely described as such, therefore found a prominent part in liturgical music, whether singing a line alone or with boy [[Boy soprano|treble]]s or [[alto]]s. (Spain had a long tradition of male falsettists singing soprano lines). Countertenors were hardly ever used for roles in early opera,<ref>During the first half of the seventeenth century, some falsettist altos, such as Lorenzino Sances and [[Mario Savioni]], occasionally appeared onstage, especially in Rome.</ref> however, the rise of which coincided with the arrival of a fashion for [[castrato|castrati]]. For example, the latter took several roles in the first performance of [[Claudio Monteverdi|Monteverdi]]'s ''[[L'Orfeo]]'' (1607). Castrati were already prominent by this date in Italian church choirs, replacing both falsettists and trebles; the last soprano falsettist singing in Rome, Juan [Johannes de] San[c]tos (a Spaniard), died in 1652.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sophia.smith.edu/~rsherr/frmst1.htm|title=SingerList|website=sophia.smith.edu|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326004513/http://sophia.smith.edu/~rsherr/frmst1.htm|archive-date=26 March 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In [[Italian opera]], by the late seventeenth century castrati predominated, while in France, the modal high tenor, called the ''haute-contre'',<ref>the nature of the ''haute-contre'' voice has been the subject of much debate, but it is now generally accepted that ''haute-contres'' sang in what voice scientists term "[[Modal voice|modal]]", perhaps using [[falsetto]] or ''[[falsettone]]'' for their highest notes (cf. Lionel Sawkins, "Haute-contre", in {{harvnb|Sadie|1997|loc=vol. II, pp.&nbsp;668–669}}, and {{harvnb|Cyr|1977}})</ref> was established as the voice of choice for leading male roles.

In England [[Henry Purcell|Purcell]] wrote significant music for a higher male voice that he called a "counter-tenor", for example, the roles of Secrecy and Summer in ''[[The Fairy-Queen]]'' (1692). "These lines have often challenged modern singers, who have been unsure whether they are high tenor parts or are meant for falsettists".<ref name="Potter">[[John Potter (musician)|Potter, J.]] (2009), ''Tenor, History of a voice'', Yale University Press, New Haven/London, p. 19 (included footnote 35). {{ISBN|978-0-300-11873-5}}</ref> Contemporary vocal treatises, however, make clear that Purcell's singers would have been trained to blend both methods of vocal production.{{sfn|Ravens|2014|pages=130–138}} In Purcell's choral music the situation is further complicated by the occasional appearance of more than one solo part designated "countertenor", but with a considerable difference in range and [[tessitura]]. Such is the case in ''[[Hail! Bright Cecilia|Hail, bright Cecilia]]'' (''The Ode on St Cecilia's Day 1692'') in which the solo, {{"'}}Tis Nature's Voice", has the range F<sub>3</sub> to B{{music|flat}}<sub>4</sub> (similar to those stage roles cited previously), whereas, in the duet, "Hark each tree", the countertenor soloist sings from E<sub>4</sub> to D<sub>5</sub> (in the trio "With that sublime celestial lay". Later in the same work, Purcell's own manuscript designates the same singer, Mr Howel, described as "a High Contra tenor" to perform in the range G<sub>3</sub> to C<sub>4</sub>; it is very likely that he took some of the lowest notes in a well-blended "chest voice"&nbsp;– see below).