Paul Esswood

Paul Esswood (born June 6, 1942 in West Bridgford , England ) is an English singer ( countertenor ) and conductor. Together with his compatriots Alfred Deller and James Bowman , he has made a name for himself as a leader in the revival of countertenor literature.

Life

Paul Esswood studied at the Royal College of Music in London from 1961 to 1964 . He was then Lay Alto Vicar at Westminster Abbey from 1964 to 1971, and began a professional career in 1971 with a recording of Handel's Messiah for the BBC .

Esswood's recordings of the alto parts in the complete recording of the Bach cantatas by Teldec under the direction of Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt , as well as operas by Handel and Monteverdi, became particularly well known . He has also recorded four versions of Handel's Messiah as well as numerous works by Henry Purcell , Monteverdi, Francesco Cavalli , Marc-Antoine Charpentier and other composers. Roles written for him in contemporary works include the title role in Akhnaten by Philip Glass and the role of Death in Paradise Lost by Penderecki . He also sang the role of Seff in the setting of Schlafes Bruder by Herbert Willi at the premiere at the Zurich Opera House , followed by the Austrian premiere in Innsbruck .

Paul Esswood is the founder of Pro Cantione Antiqua , an English a cappella group made up of male voices that specializes in historical performance practice . He has also made a name for himself as a conductor of baroque operas .

The countertenor and musicologist Peter Giles describes his voice as follows: "Paul Esswood is a high counter tenor and seems to use only his head register" and notes that he uses vibrato throughout.

Web links

• Short biography in English
• Homepage of Paul Esswood

Individual evidence

1. ^ Peter Giles, The Counter Tenor, Muller, London 1982 p. 166.
2. ^ PI Tchaikovsky Conservatory Moscow: Paul Esswood (engl.)
3. ^ Peter Giles, The Counter Tenor, Muller, London 1982 p. 166.