Michael Maniaci, Male Soprano. Mozart: Exsultate Jubilate, Andante

[GwenBeauregard]

Michael's is a True Male Soprano voice.

Not a castrato, not a falsetto, not a boy soprano, he is rather

rare in that a true male soprano's vocal chords have never

developed beyond the age of puberty,..hence the boyish vocals.

Has nothing to do with gender identity either. I heard Vitas, who

has an extraordinary ability for falsetto, but none will ever know

if his is a True Soprano, he is a Russian pop singer. Tkx for the

upload. Nice choice.

[azormage]

@GwenBeauregard We know that Vitas is NOT a "true soprano" because he sings in a tenor/baritone range in his songs.

[thefarewell]

it's not falsetto, its different, im a controtenore(countertenor) the equivallent to a castrato but i do have balls and my voice its normal it just happens that i can sing high notes, but the colour of the castrato's voice it's different than to the countertenor's voice... i study proffesional singing in italy and it's really amazing how the story about the castratos...

[CrystalFlames]

didn't Mozart write this for his wife or something?

[sfkcbf]

@CrystalFlames Mozart was not married at that time; he was only 17 years old. He wrote it while in Milan for castrato Venanzio Rauzzini and after he had written and successfully present his operas Lucio Silla and Mitridate for the Duke of Milan.

[sfkcbf]

The Mozart Exsultate Jubilate is part of the new CD and is a much better quality recording than the earlier live recording used for this video. The chosen Mozart selections appear to show off his voice to his best advantage.

[OperaPhan1]

Maniaci's first solo album comes out in late January -- it's on amazon already -- yay! I think this aria is on it!

[hibyeeee2]

Michael Maniaci is amazing! He is a male soprano with a voice that is as loud and powerful as a spinto or dramatic tenor! Does any one agree?

[fionastaun]

Sung with passion and beauty. So different from the often strident female interpretations. Blessed with talent, gifted with compassion.

He is his own voice - a gift to us all.

[CubbyNH]

So I believe his cd of Mozart should be out very soon... I think like next month or durring the 1st of the year.. I cant wait.

[Nakkinak]

So he doesn't use falsetto??? WOW

[sfkcbf]

If you would like further information about Michael Maniaci, along with interview information, go to the specialty website (altered here so that it can be posted)

MaleSopranos dot com

Then Forums, then Michael Maniaci.

[Nakkinak]

Thanks, I'll do!

[Zerrith]

@Nakkinak What's falsetto mean?

[thefarewell]

@Zerrith

falsetto means: a false voice, its not your chest voice or head voice, we use middle voice mixed with head and chest voice(we the countertenors)

[knink24]

Vitas is a much better singer then this guy. VItas can go much higher using his falsetto voice and has a better vibrato.

[sfkcbf]

Vitas does have an amazing falsetto, better than most who try. It is interesting also, that musically and visually, his productions "pull out all the stops," much as Baroque opera did 250-350 years ago. I doubt, however, that he has had Classical or Baroque vocal training. He may also have a range limited to those very high notes, whereas opera arias require a much wider range + shades of tone and expression. It would be interesting to hear him sing Baroque. Please let me know if he does.

[balthcat]

It would probably be in better spirit to mention, in passing, your love of Vitas, and let us make up our own minds, rather than sounding petty.

[MissFarinella]

Benissimo!!!

[Greatheil]

this is without a doubt the most beautiful voice I have ever heard.

[sfkcbf]

For modern times, Michael's voice is extremely rare for a male (I have heard him live); however, there are some voices that (to my understanding and perception) are more pleasing. For examples: Gundula Janowitz had a golden tone and a more focused, controlled voice, e.g., with higher, louder notes. The "artificial" voice of countertenor Andreas Scholl is more focused and controlled. For my productions, I rejected Michael's recording of the other parts of "Exsultate" for these reasons.

[OlDoinyo]

Janowitz was formidable--that's a tough standard to hold anyone to. And to a certain extent, it's apples and oranges, anyway: a modal countertenor is no more a female soprano than he is a bass.

I wonder if he has ever done "Deh per questo istante solo." One of my pipe-dream fantasies is to cast him and Radu Marian together in La Clemenza di Tito.

[richardcurrier]

Beautiful!!!

[CubbyNH]

I heard him down in Boston this past fall in the title role of Xerxes and it was quite impressive. I was on the edge of my seat every time he walked onto the stage. He told me that he will be recording a Mozart album with Boston Baroque. ( -:

[poperagurl]

a whole album with Michael singing Mozart *sigh*....:p Has he recorded any other albums I don't know about?

[CubbyNH]

No other albums yet, and I heard that the Mozart will be out this winter.

[mossieindublin]

how odd.

[principalbass]

Get bent.

[nffelix]

Superb! Better than Scholl, Jarousky, Daniels.....

[delauge]

Maybe fir dus aria, because it is for soprano and for other range than Scholl´s.

[philomelodia]

Scholl could never hope to compete against a full-voiced male alto if one stepped forward. Never. He's a falsettist and that's that. An exceptional one but a falsettist just the same. Compare Michael's rendition to one by a falsettist and you'll see the analogy. Heck, compare him to a woman soprano and you can see the analogy. Very few women would have the power needed to truly carry this off like a man.

[janiscortese]

Plenty of women sopranos have the necessary voice and power -- any good singer would. Maniaci's voice is actually quite sweet and light, although it may deepen as he ages. For the moment however, his is a relatively light soprano voice. Full and without the flutey qualities of a falsettist and the flatness of a castrato -- but quite light all the same. Comparatively, Voigt could blast the people out of the first three rows of seats.

[philomelodia]

I forget who is Voigt. Why would you want to be "blasted" out of your seat though? Power isn't the same as volume anyway. Truth is, this was written for a man to sing because a man's full soprano voice has something about it that a female's doesn't. It's less penetrating, for one, and something of the child's sweetness about it but highly amplified.

[janiscortese]

If you don't know who Voigt is, you aren't really knowledgeable enough about opera to have an educated opinion, really ...

[philomelodia]

As it happens, I looked into her. Your comment is silly. My not knowing of one verismo singer who sings at the Metropolitan opera negates my entire ability to opine on opera in general and a baroque opera singer in particular? What monstrous narrow-mindedness you have, really.

[GoBogi]

Lol @ the flatness of a castrato.

You've only heard one castrato that was recorded in 1902/1904 (i.e. bad equipment) and there were others who were way better than he was. For all intents and puposes, a Castrato could hit higher notes than he could, because there we no development in their Vocal chords. Michael had development, just not enough to bring his voice down to the range of most "normal" men.

A castrato also developed differently than a normal man - able to hold notes for 1min+.

[APaivaM]

Not really true....

[GoBogi]

It's definitely true. This man does not have the same physical development of a Castrato, nor does he have the same training. Castratos did not even sing in this way. Listen to Cecilia Bartoli in Son Qual Nave to see something that sounds more like the Castrato technique.

Castratos had voice flexibility, range, and power beyond this man.

Radu Marian has a more Castrato-like timbre, but lacks the technique (as do most). Listen to him.

[ArnesonZach]

Yeah, Maniaci did experience the same physical effects that a male castrated before puberty would experience, The changed lung capacity from extreme breath training and large rib cages (testosterone not hardening the joints properly), the child vocal chords' flexibility, and naturally Maniaci has had a much different musical training.

Still, it is nice to see a man singing male roles, even if it isn't exactly like a castrato.

[driesdree]

I wonder how you know that. Is there any person alive to have actually heared a castrato sing? I don't think so...

[cryozo]

There was one castrato who was actually recorded, his name was... Alessandro Moreschi.

[GoBogi]

If we are to believe historical accounts from people who have heard the Castratos (and not just random Joe Schmoes), Farinelli could hit and sustain a perfect F6. Other Castratos like Velluti could get that high. They also have much stronger chest voices. Even though they were classified as Soprano/Alto, they were often able to sing arias at extremely high or low tessituras. For example, one Farinelli aria Tessitura is around C4 for Soprano.

[GoBogi]

Oh, and like I alluded to, you can see these things by looking at the scores of the arias written for the Castratos - some of which are ornamented by the singers themselves!

[yellowwitch1]

there is paulo abel do nascimento who was a natural castrato died in 1992 aids. he is on utube.

[sirmercutio99]

Wow Michael could really be a Castrato. I could only imagine what a Castrato would sound like but this must be the closest thing to a true Castrati.

[stanthology]

what a blessing to hear this..

[lottietoo]

Really beautiful! I was looking forward to seeing him in Santa Fe this year (08) singing with David Daniels in Radamisto, but apparently he has cancelled.

[sfkcbf]

Too bad that you will not hear Micheal at Santa Fe, but I know it is very hard to book him. Now that Baroque is becoming more popular, we could use 100 times as many male sopranos. Santa Fe, however, is not the best way to hear him unless you are sitting front-row, center. The more subtle differences in voices can be lost in that large, open setting.

[Celticswynd]

hopefully it won't be enough to bring back the practice of castrating boys to retain a high pitched voice.

[philomelodia]

I don't think our society will be at that point ever again without some pretty massive changes. Opera isn't as popular or lucrative to give incentive. The churg wouldn't dare reinstitute them in its choirs. And, noone would make the sacrifice anyway. What we may see is mroe cases like Radu Marian where the parents saw to it their son got training when they saw his voice wouldn't break. I've mixed feelings on that one.

[Celticswynd]

Oh OK. It is intresting to hear a man sing a soprano range. (I thought he'd sound a bit sterytopical "Bish" due to the immature vocal folds, and was suprised to hear he sounds normal!)

[compeld2sing]

The boys are doing fine singing soprano, alto and countertenor WITHOUT castration. So why would they go butcher themselves unnecessarily? Especially since there's always room for actual tenors, baritones and basses. But then youth can't even get a nose job before 18 years of age, so this would open a whole can of worms. Let's hope the idea of castration is TOTALLY DEAD.

[philomelodia]

To add to your comment, Steven, not only will he be in demand because baroque is gaining in popularity but, new music in this style is being written even now! There are a few composers who've grown disenchanted with the atonal crap prevalent these days and have turned back to the old masters for inspiration. I knwo of two guilds that have been formed, the Delian Society and the Vox Saeculorum. There's a countertenor aria featured by a Delian composer that Michael would be perfect for.

[mradaChris]

I find what you say very exciting as I have thought that I would love to see new music with a baroque style!!! I need to check out those guilds you mention.

[philomelodia]

I can't recommend it highly enough. They write beautiful music. Their sites are chalk full of mp3's but they're midis since they can't get the establishment to take them seriously. Tragic, that. To think that such beautiful music may never see the concert hall, at least, not for a few more decades while the atonality breathes its last.

[mradaChris]

Well they might want to speak with me. I can take midi files and make real music from it with the software program I just purchased. Stay tuned....

[philomelodia]

Clarification: What they would like, many of them, is for an ensemble to play their music before an audience. If you write a Concerto Grosso or an Opera Seria, you want it performed by musicians. One guy lied and claimed that his music was written by several ancestors (took up pen names) and said it was long lost lute music. They ate it up and started playing his stuff. When they found out it was somebody writing here and now, they discarded it as antiquated and unoriginal.

[mradaChris]

I understand. What I was proposing is the getting away from the midi sound with a more realistic sound. True you'd want performers to execute the music, however, to give ideas to prospective investors, real sounding music is better than midi.

[Caffarelli81]

I'd love to hear him singing arias for Caffarelli like e.g. "Passaggier che su la sponde" from Porpora's "Semiramide riconosciuta".

[sfkcbf]

Based upon my years of research, I would guess that Caffarelli and Maniaci's voices would be very different, primarily in that Caffarelli's voice would have been very voix blanche while Maniaci has a rather pronounced vibrato.

[classictomatosoup]

Just have to say, that while Maniaci does have noticeable vibrato, it isn't 'wobbly' or 'pitchy'. His purity of tone is not compromised, which I think makes him suitable for Cafferelli arias.

[SHAKEDATBOOTYLEILA]

I have sung this myself many times before...but there is still something about the male voice which over rides a female's...and this guy is fab!! well done!!!!...Could do with him singing with me in my next engagement!!???

[sfkcbf]

I suspect that, Michael having a voice that is the type that statistically is 1 in 1,000,000,000 people, will be in increasing demand for roles. For example, the General & Artistic Director of the Central City Opera, who aims for quality and authenticity, attempted to hire Michael for the role of Nerone in Monteverdi's "Poppea;" however, Michael was already booked.

[essenciademusica]

amazing thanks stefhen!

[philomelodia]

Frantastic! thanks for posting, Stephen.

[Thrax1982]

I was thinking about posting it myself but fortunatly I was too lazy. Your choice of pictures is excellent as always.