Alfred Deller
Alfred Deller was the first renowned countertenor. As a child, Deller studied voice first with his father as a boy soprano, and when his voice changed he continued his singing as a countertenor. He joined the Canterbury Cathedral choir in 1940, where Michael Tippett heard him and invited him to London to make his debut. He came to the attention of the English public after a 1946 radio broadcast of Purcell's Come, ye sons of art, away. During the early years of his career, he concentrated on performing English Baroque and pre-Baroque composers such as Purcell and Dowland. In 1950 he formed the Deller Consort, a group that dedicated itself to performing early music using authentic performance practice. For many years, the group toured Europe and the Americas, bringing the music of this period to a new public. In 1964, Deller's son, Mark, joined the Deller Consort, also as a countertenor. Deller founded the Stour Music Festival in 1963 in order to have another venue for his Consort and to team with other early music specialists such as Franz Bruggen and Gustav Leonhardt. In 1960, he sang the role of Oberon in the premiere of Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream. This was the first important countertenor role in opera of the 20th century. He repeated the role at Covent Garden Opera House, London, the following year. Other composers who wrote works specifically for Deller include Fricker, Mellers, Ridout, and Rubbra. In 1970, he was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He died while on vacation in Italy.
Alfred Deller set the standard for countertenors for many years. His voice was very light with a wonderful lyric quality. He was most effective in the more contemplative pieces, but when necessary he was able to sing very florid pieces extremely well. Although he could sing the dramatic arias of Handel, he never allowed his voice to be pushed beyond its basically light sound. Deller's recordings cover the entire range of his repertoire from the lute songs of Dowland to Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream with many stops along the way. Without Alfred Deller, the international recognition of countertenor voice might not have come as quickly as it did.
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Purcell : Music for a while (Remastered)
Alfred Deller, William Christie, Wieland Kuijken, Roderick Skeaping
Classical - Released by harmonia mundi on 1 Sep 1979
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Purcell : King Arthur (Remastered)
Alfred Deller, Roderick Skeaping, The King's Musick
Classical - Released by harmonia mundi on 1 Jan 1979
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Alfred Deller : The Voice of Purcell (Remastered)
Classical - Released by harmonia mundi on 8 Nov 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Purcell : The Fairy Queen (Remastered)
Opera - Released by harmonia mundi on 1 Jan 1972
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Agnus Dei & Cantates BWV 54 & 170 - Œuvres de Purcell, Dowland, Parsons, Campian & Bartlett (Diapason n°558)
Classical - Released by Les Indispensables de Diapason on 30 Nov 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Purcell: O Solitude (Remastered)
Mélodies - Released by harmonia mundi on 1 Jan 1978
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Purcell Album – Alfred Deller & Consort
Classical - Released by Musical Concepts on 22 Nov 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Alfred Deller: English Ballads and Folk Songs
Alfred Deller, Desmond Dupré, John Sothcott
Classical - Released by Alexandre Bak - Classical Music Reference Recording on 11 Jan 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Purcell: The Indian Queen (Remastered)
Opera - Released by harmonia mundi on 1 Jan 1977
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Purcell: Music for a while (Alfred Deller)
Vocal Recitals - Released by harmonia mundi on 1 Jan 1979
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dowland: Lute Songs
Alfred Deller and Robert Spencer
Classical - Released by harmonia mundi on 12 Jun 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Madrigal Masterpieces
Classical - Released by Omega Vanguard on 17 Jul 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Purcell: King Arthur (Deller Consort, The King's Musick, Alfred Deller)
Classical - Released by harmonia mundi on 1 Jan 1979
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Alfred Deller: The Complete Vanguard Classics Recordings - Folk Songs And Ballads
Classical - Released by Musical Concepts on 22 Jul 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Folksongs (Alfred Deller, Mark Deller, Desmond Dupré)
Classical - Released by harmonia mundi on 1 Jan 1972
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Britten: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Alfred Deller, Elizabeth Harwood, Choirs Of Downside And Emanuel Schools, London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1966
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Music of Henry Purcell
Classical - Released by Musical Concepts on 5 Aug 2008
10 de Classica-RépertoireChoc du Monde de la MusiqueDiapason d'or16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Monteverdi - Bach - Purcell (Alfred Deller, contreténor)
Classical - Released by INA Mémoire vive on 1 Sep 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Folk Songs of Britain
Classical - Released by Omega Vanguard on 26 Aug 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Folksongs by Alfred Deller: The Three Ravens; The Wraggle-Taggle Gypsies
International Pop - Released by Musical Concepts on 1 Jan 1955
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Couperin: Leçons de ténèbres pour le mercredy
Alfred Deller, Raphaël Perulli, Michel Chapuis, Philip Todd
Classical - Released by harmonia mundi on 1 Jan 1968
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo