Twentieth-Century Countertenor Repertoire

In Twentieth-Century Countertenor Repertoire, Steven L. Rickards has provided a reference listing of over 600 entries, compiling and cataloging information about repertoire composed specifically for the countertenor from 1950 to 2000. Rickards collects works from 30 countries with texts in 31 languages-including early forms of Akkadian, English, Flemish, French, and Greek-representing over 350 composers. With reference numbers for easy accessibility, each entry presents significant data, including the composer's name, birth/death dates, and nationality; the title, medium, date, and duration of the composition; the instrumentation, voicing, range, and tessitura of the piece; and the author and language of the text. Rickards also provides the who, when, and where of the premier; whether the piece was commissioned or not, and, if so, by whom; and the publisher and availability of the piece. He also offers the composers' and his own observations on the work, including the difficulty and appropriateness of the work for differing levels of singers, from students to professionals.

Several indexes break the material down into searchable pieces, listing compositions by title, author of text, instrumentation, medium (song cycle, chamber work, opera, cantata, etc.), and vocal arrangements (duets, trios, quartets). Addresses of music publishers and information centers are also provided. This valuable reference will help countertenors and voice teachers to identify and become more familiar with contemporary works for countertenor, as well as promote the performance of contemporary works and encourage composers to continue to write for the countertenor voice.