alto — /al toh/, n., pl. altos, adj. Music. n. 1. the lowest female voice; contralto. 2. the highest male voice; countertenor. 3. a singer with such a voice. 4. a musical part for such a voice. 5. the second highest of the four parts of a mixed vocal… … Universalium
alto — high pitched high pitched adj. 1. high in pitch or frequency; used of sounds and voices. Opposite of {low}. [Narrower terms: {adenoidal, pinched, nasal}; {altissimo}; {alto}; {countertenor, alto}; {falsetto}; {peaky, spiky}; {piping}; {shrill,… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Alto — is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus , meaning high , that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, alto frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below… … Wikipedia
countertenor — [kount′ər ten΄ər] n. [ME countretenour < OFr contreteneur: see COUNTER & TENOR] 1. an adult male voice, usually in falsetto, with a range similar to the contralto and sometimes reaching the soprano 2. a singer with such a voice; a male alto 3 … English World dictionary
alto — [al′tō] n. pl. altos [It < L altus, high: see ALTITUDE] 1. the range of the lowest female voice or the highest male voice; specif., a) CONTRALTO b) COUNTERTENOR 2. a) … English World dictionary
Countertenor — Voice type Female voices Soprano Mezzo soprano Contralto Male voices Countertenor Tenor Baritone Bass A countertenor is a male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzo soprano, or (less frequently) a soprano,… … Wikipedia
countertenor — /kown teuhr ten euhr/, n. Music. 1. an adult male voice or voice part higher than the tenor. 2. a singer with such a voice; a high tenor. Also called male alto. [1350 1400; ME cownturtenur, appar. < AF; cf. MF contreteneur, OIt contratenore,… … Universalium
Alto — I Ạlto [italienisch], Musik: 1) Contrạlto, die Altstimme (Alt, Countertenor); 2) französische Bezeichnung für Viola (von italienisch alto viola); 3) im Jazz übliche Kurzform für Altsaxophon (vo … Universal-Lexikon
countertenor — I noun 1. a male singer with a voice above that of a tenor • Hypernyms: ↑alto 2. the highest adult male singing voice • Syn: ↑alto • Derivationally related forms: ↑alto ( … Useful english dictionary
alto — /ˈæltoʊ / (say altoh) Music –noun (plural altos) 1. the lowest female voice or voice part; contralto. 2. the highest male voice or voice part; countertenor. 3. a singer with an alto voice. 4. a musical part for an alto voice. 5. the second… …
