Altino

The altino, essentially a male contralto, is a rare male voice type, commonly considered the "true" countertenor. This person can sing high without falsetto that the usual male passagio. Typically, this rare voice has problems reaching depths of even low C unlike most men, and usually has an androgynous tone, even when speaking. The typical altino will speak normally between the range of F# and B below Middle C, more in keeping a female than a typical male, whose speaking voice settles closer to low C. An even rarer full voice can sing tenor and female contralto (or even mezzo-soprano) parts with equal ease.

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The altino is very rare and may owe its existence in part to low testosterone levels or disorders like Klinefelter's syndrone.

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Falsetto: Falsetto (fall-SET-oh) is a singing technique that produces sounds that are pitched higher than the singer's normal range. It can also mean an artificially-raised speaking pitch. This often occurs momentarily, if repeatedly, in males during puberty as their voice changes. The break between voice reg...

Low C: Low C is the C one octave below Middle C, and is also named C3. It is named because it is considered the low note of the voice (only the baritones and basses go much lower). It is the low note of the tenor in classical music....

Androgynous: REDIRECT androgyny...