Thomas Otten(countertenor/alto/ France) - Close to Silence.wmv

Описание: 1 - ''Qualitati Umane'', from Sonnet XV of Petrarch. Frédéric Momont, arr.; 2 - ''Divigi Tu'', Frédéric Momont; 3 - Ombra Mai Fu'', Haendel. Frédéric Momont, arr.

Thomas Otten is a countertenor, a male who sings with the range and quality of a female alto. Otten says his voice never broke at puberty, then he spent years of training to achieve a honeyed sound of incredible richness. He sings repertory from the baroque in his native France, but for this album he teams up with composer Frédéric Momont, who also performs orchestral/choral/groove duties on the keyboard. His albums are intriguing musical creations. The sound is generally dark and atmospheric -- almost Zen like -- with a stately dignity that falls somewhere between spiritual fullness and cold oblivion. Most song lyrics are in an invented kind of Latin, but the spiritual, soul-searching intent is obvious. There are no lyrics or translations in the liner notes. Here the soul has no redemption; silence and the abyss are the only salvation. Otten's unusually high voice can be lyrical and even playful, " but he often controls his tonal quality to be more penetrating, creating an amazingly pure and vibratory effect.

http://www.strathan.com/artists/thoma...