I Tre Controtenori
Teatro dell’Opera di Roma keeps the beloved tradition of concerts by three tenors and takes it up a notch (literally) with I tre controtenori. Carlo Vistoli, Raffaele Pe and Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen will let their powerful voices soar as high as the classical male voice can go. The material, with which the three countertenors will demonstrate their talents, comes from the rich catalogues of George Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, Nicola Porpora, and Christoph Willibald Gluck. All four composers symbolise the heydays of late Baroque and early Classicism, time periods where the male vocal was traditionally pushed to its limits. The three singers thus offer an exciting evening of musical acrobatics and enchanting melodies that offer a slightly novel view of what a tenor can achieve. Audiences at Rome’s Teatro Costanzi are in for a treat.
The three countertenors on the bill bring impressive biographies and talents to the concert I tre controtenori. Carlo Vistoli has deep roots in Baroque music. After completing his primary musical education with a focus on guitar and piano in his native Lugo in Italy, he started developing his countertenor skills. A finalist of many Baroque singing contests and winner of numerous jury and audience awards, Vistoli is among the most active and notable young Italian countertenors of the day. His opera repertoire includes classics by Vivaldi, Purcell, Monteverdi and Cavalli, to name a few. Raffaele Pe’s fame precedes him, too. Crowned a ‘Baroque star’ by the Times, his effortless delivery of complicated and intense vocal lines has caught the eye and ear of critics and audiences alike. His interpretations of famous Baroque and Renaissance composers are second to none, and he often highlights the period’s hidden gems in his recitals and recordings.
Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen is an American countertenor who, much like his two Italian colleagues, is regarded as a rising star in Baroque music circles. Recipient of many awards and grants, he has honed his craft with lead roles in many of Handel’s operas. He will bring this experience to the stage of Teatro Costanzi as well. The concert I tre controtenori thus brings together three stellar young performers with unique experience and sensibility. A celebration of Baroque music will ensue.