Alfred Deller
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Alfred Deller (31 May 1912 – 16 July 1979) was an English singer, one of the main figures in popularising the use of the countertenor voice in renaissance and baroque music.
Deller was born in Margate, and as a boy sang in his local church choir. When his voice broke, he continued singing in his high register, eventually settling as a countertenor. Throughout the 19th century, it was only in the tradition of all-male cathedral choirs that the countertenor voice had survived.[1] Deller was himself successively a member of the choirs of Canterbury and St Paul's Cathedrals (1940-47 and 1947-62 respectively). He emerged as a soloist from this choral tradition largely due to the admiration of the composer Michael Tippett, who heard him while at Canterbury, and recognised the unique beauty of his voice. Tippett introduced him to the public as a countertenor rather than a male alto. He also became better known with a BBC broadcast (on the then new "Third Programme") of Henry Purcell's Come ye sons of Art. He concentrated on popularizing and recording the music of English baroque and renaissance music by composers such as John Dowland and Purcell.[2] He formed the Deller Consort in 1948, a group dedicated to historically accurate performances of that kind of music.[3] The group significantly expanded popular notions of the baroque repertoire, producing high-quality authentic "period performances" of the works of Bach, Handel, Purcell, Dowland, and even folk songs. In 1964 Deller's son, Mark Deller, joined the consort.
In 1960, Deller sang the role of Oberon in Benjamin Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream. Britten wrote this role with Deller specifically in mind, although he was dropped from staged revivals of the work, against the composer's wishes.[4] He recorded the opera, with the composer conducting.
The lutenist Desmond Dupré performed with him, initially as a guitarist; in later years he also worked with the harpsichordist Harold Lester. His recordings (as both a performer and conductor) include the lute songs of Dowland, Handel operas, Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Purcell songs and semi-operas (such as The Fairy-Queen), traditional English folk songs, the works of Thomas Tallis, and the Bach alto repertoire. He recorded for HMV, Vanguard Classics and, after 1967, for Harmonia Mundi.
Deller died while working in Bologna, Italy.
[edit] References
- J.B. Steane: "Deller, Alfred", Grove Music Online ed L. Macy (Accessed 06 February 2007), grovemusic.com, subscription access.
- Peter Giles and J.B. Steane: "Countertenor", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (accessed 06 February 2007), grovemusic.com (subscription access).
