Yeah, I mean London has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to choirs capable of providing opera treble soloists. Apart from Trinity Boys who provide soloists all over Europe, but particularly for Glyndebourne and Grange Park, and of course CVMS, there are soloists from plenty of other places. For instance the soloists in Jephtha at the ROH last year were Kaelan O'Sullivan and, the one I got, Ivo Clarke who is Temple Church (he competed in YCOTY against Luca). Ivo also sang in one of the trios at the ENO Magic Flute in March and the other members of the trio I saw were from different choirs.Surpinto wrote: ↑<span title="Fri Jun 07, 2024 10:47 am">6 months ago</span> Thanks for the videos, good stuff! Funny thing about Magic Flute, is that even though I've been an opera fan from a young age, I never realized that trebles were used for the three spirits until many years (any several performances) later, having heard and seen the opera with women singing those parts. Women are still used in most performances as good trebles are only made available for the bigger performances....I guess they're more of a hassle.
Interestingly, Mozart wrote several operas in which women play the roles of young boys and young men. Everything from Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro to Sesto in The Clemency of Titus. In the latter, the first performance was apparently done by a castrato, unlike the former which was always a woman's role.
Even then, some producers decide to use women in the parts. I guess it is just easier to do so, or they want to guarantee a big sound? Earlier this year I was at the Royal Ballet, and the third ballet of the evening was to the music of Faure's Requiem. It was stunning visually and musically, apart from one thing... the Pie Jesu was sung by a woman soprano!! The first time I have ever heard it not sung by a treble! I didn't like it.
(she was heavy on the vibrato and it just sounded wrong to me)
