Russell Oberlin, Male Alto. Handel,Their Land Brought Forth Frogs

Their land brought forth frogs, Air (Alto) from the oratorio Israel in Egypt (from Psalm 105:30; Exodus 9:9). George Frideric Handel. Russell Oberlin, male alto.

Their land brought forth frogs,
yea, even in their kings' chambers.
He gave their cattle over to the pestilence;
blotches and blains broke forth on man and beast.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Oberlin
• Israel
• in
• Egypt
• oratorio
• Baroque
• male
• alto
• castrato
• countertenor
• contretenor

[CountertenorJ]

It makes it sounds so easy...and it's in a dreadful tessitura. He leaves me jealous too often.

[sfkcbf]

@CountertenorJ I always have said that singing countertenor (as we use the term now) is somewhat like trying to wrestle with one arm tied behind the back. Oberlin had the advantage of singing mostly in his natural, full voice. Which brings to mind, imagine the great opera castrati singing soprano with full voice.

[snoopyflick]

So is this singer is an unusually high male voice, as supposed to countertenors with extremely high operatic extensions?

[serenaluce]

@sfkcbf Well,if the majority of modern countertenors wrestle with only one arm against Oberline who theoretically has somewhat advantages singing in his so called "natural" unbroken voice, they must be very strong MASCULINE men if they easily beat him with only one arm! LOL Sorry, but in this case I prefer their "broken", so called "unnatural" voices (though all voices are natural now as nobody is castrated!) to this natural phenomenon!:-) Kowalski with his unbroken voice sounds great,but not IT

[CountertenorJ]

@CountertenorJ Indeed, sfk. Though, I have an odd feeling that the standards back then were lower than we have today -- thanks to how critical our ears have become in the recording age. And my comment should be "he makes it sound so easy"  instead of "it." lol

[pianomags]

Very nice, very listenable-to.

[mradaChris]

Very nice. I always like to listen to Russell.