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Why a Contralto Corner?

Hello and welcome to the Contralto Corner. This is the place to come for all things “Contralto”. I started the Contralto Corner early in 2010, as there was nowhere on the web that featured this most fascinating of voices. Since that time, with the help of my readers, the Contralto Corner has become the place to be for those interested in the Contralto voice.

My interest in the Contralto voice has been with me since I was very young, as my mother is a Contralto, and can sing comfortably in the Tenor range. I grew up hearing Contralto singers from popular music and jazz who had become very successful in the music industry, but was always surprised at the relative lack of Contraltos in the Classical and Operatic world. 

In fact, it was very difficult to find contemporary Contralto singers during the 80’s and 90’s, especially as most of the roles in the Contralto tessitura were taken by Mezzo’s and increasingly by Countertenors. One had to make do with recordings of the great Contraltos of the past, such as Marian Anderson, Dame Clara Butt and Kathleen Ferrier. During the late 90’s and early 2000’s, the Contralto voice made a resurgence, with performers such as Sara Mingardo, Marijana Mijanovic, Sonia Prina and Delphine Galou coming onto the scene.

My favourite Contralto arias are the beautiful Erda’s Warning, from Wagner’s Das Rheingold, “Quel Torrente” from Handel’s Giulio Cesare, and “The Enchantress” by JL Hatton. In fact, there has only ever been one professional recording of Hatton’s “The Enchantress”, and that was by Dame Clara Butt.

I hope you all enjoy the Contralto Corner.

James