David Cordier (1 May 1959 – 19 May 2025) was an English

countertenor A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist (a ...

. He made an international career based in Germany, and appeared both in concert and opera. While focused on roles by Handel such as Radamisto, he also performed in contemporary opera, including works by

Aribert Reimann Aribert Reimann (, 4 March 1936 – 13 March 2024) was a German composer, pianist, and accompanist, known especially for his literary operas. His version of Shakespeare's ''King Lear'', the opera '' Lear'', was written at the suggestion of Dietr ...

and

Péter Eötvös Péter Eötvös (, ; 2 January 194424 March 2024) was a Hungarian composer, conductor and academic teacher. After studies of composition in Budapest and Cologne, Eötvös composed film music in Hungary from 1962. He played with the Stockhaus ...

Life

Born in

Rochester, Kent Rochester ( ) is a town in the unitary authority of Medway, in Kent, England. It is at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway, about east-southeast of London. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Kent, Chatham, ...

, on 1 May 1959, Cordier was initially a

boy soprano A boy soprano (British and especially North American English) or boy treble (only British English) is a young male singer with a voice in the soprano range, a range that is often still called the treble voice range (in North America too) no m ...

in the Cathedral Choir of his home town and a member of King's College Choir in Cambridge. After studying mathematics at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

, graduating with a master's degree, he studied voice at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music (RCM) is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including pe ...

in London. He moved to Berlin in the 1980s where he regularly performed with

Gustav Leonhardt Gustav Maria Leonhardt (30 May 1928 – 16 January 2012) was a Dutch keyboardist, conductor, musicologist, teacher and editor. He was a leading figure in the historically informed performance movement to perform music on period instruments. Leo ...

and

Musica Antiqua Köln Musica Antiqua Köln was an early music group that was founded in 1973 by Reinhard Goebel and fellow students from the Conservatory of Music in Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhin ...

. He later took residence in Cologne. Cordier's repertoire includes music of the 16th and 17th centuries, and

contemporary music Contemporary music is whatever music is produced at the current time. Specifically, it could refer to: Genres or audiences * Adult contemporary music * British contemporary R&B * Christian adult contemporary * Christian contemporary hit radio * Con ...

. He is known for his interpretations of roles in operas by

Georg Friedrich Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, Han ...

, including the title roles of ''

Giulio Cesare ''Giulio Cesare in Egitto'' (; ; HWV 17), commonly known as , is a dramma per musica (''opera seria'') in three acts composed by George Frideric Handel for the Royal Academy of Music in 1724. The libretto was written by Nicola Francesco Haym ...

'', '' Ezio'', '' Ottone'', '' Radamisto'' and ''

Flavio ''Flavio, re de' Longobardi'' ("Flavio, King of the Lombards", Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis, HWV 16) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. The Italian-language libretto was by Nicola Francesco Haym, after Matteo Noris's ''Flavi ...

''. He appeared as Hamor in a staged version by of Handel's oratorio ''

Jephtha Jephthah (pronounced ; , ''Yiftāḥ'') appears in the Book of Judges as a judge who presided over History of ancient Israel and Judah, Israel for a period of six years (). According to Judges, he lived in Gilead. His father's name is also given ...

'' at the Theater Bonn. Roles in contemporary opera included Edgar in Aribert Reimann's '' Lear'', Oberon in Britten's

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

, Ligeti's '' Le Grand Macabre'' and one of the three sisters all scored for countertenor in '' Tri sestry'' by Eötvös. Cordier died after a long illness on 19 May 2025, at the age of 66.

Recordings

Cordier was an alto soloist in the first recording by

of Bach's ''

St Matthew Passion The ''St Matthew Passion'' (), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It sets the 26th and 27th chapters of th ...

'', released in 1989, with the

Tölzer Knabenchor The Tölzer Knabenchor (Tölz Boys' Choir) is a world-famous Boys' choir, boys' choir named after the Upper Bavarian district town of Bad Tölz and based in Unterföhring near Bavarias capital Munich. Also associated with the choir is the Men's ch ...

and the men's choir and orchestra of

La Petite Bande La Petite Bande is a Belgium-based ensemble specialising in music of the Baroque and Classical eras played on period instruments. They are particularly known for their recordings of works by Corelli, Rameau, Handel, Bach, Haydn, and Mozart. Hi ...

Christoph Prégardien Christoph Prégardien (born 18 January 1956) is a German lyric tenor whose career is closely associated with the roles in Mozart operas, as well as performances of Lieder, oratorio roles, and Baroque music. He is well known for his performances a ...

as the Evangelist and

Max van Egmond Max van Egmond (born 1 February 1936 in Semarang) is a Dutch bass and baritone singer. He has focused on oratorio and Lied and is known for singing works of Johann Sebastian Bach. He was one of the pioneers of historically informed performance of ...

as the

vox Christi Vox Christi, Latin for Voice of Christ, is a setting of Jesus' words in a vocal work such as a Passion (music), Passion, an Oratorium or a Cantata. Conventionally, for instance in Protestant music of the Baroque era, the vox Christi is set for a Ba ...

. In 1995, he recorded Bach's cantata for Ratswahl (council election), ''Gott ist mein König'', BWV 71, with Wolfgang Unger conducting the Thüringischer Akademischer Singkreis, Pauliner Barockensemble and Leipziger Bläser-Collegium. He performed the role of La Musica in Monteverdi's ''

L'Orfeo ''L'Orfeo'' (Stattkus-Verzeichnis, SV 318) (), or ''La favola d'Orfeo'' , is a late Renaissance music, Renaissance/early Baroque music, Baroque ''favola in musica'', or List of operas by Claudio Monteverdi, opera, by Claudio Monteverdi, with a li ...

'' at Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam in July 1997 which was recorded on DVD, directed by

Pierre Audi Pierre Audi (9 November 1957 – 3 May 2025) was an English-Lebanese theatre director and artistic director. Early life Audi was born on 9 November 1957, the eldest of three children born to Lebanese banker Raymond Audi and Andrée Michel Fatt ...

and conducted by

Stephen Stubbs Stephen Stubbs (born 1951) is a lutenist and music director and has been a leading figure in the American early music scene for nearly thirty years. Born in Seattle, he studied harpsichord and composition at the University of Washington where, at ...

, with

John Mark Ainsley John Mark Ainsley (born 9 July 1963) is an English lyric tenor. Known for his supple voice, Ainsley is particularly admired for his interpretations of baroque music and the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the course of his career, he has ...

in the title role. A reviewer described his opening as "very arresting". He took part in a live recording of Handel's oratorio ''Gideon'' at

Eberbach Abbey Eberbach Abbey (German: Kloster Eberbach) is a former Cistercian monastery in Eltville in the Rheingau, Germany. On account of its Romanesque architecture, Romanesque and Gothic (architecture), early Gothic buildings it is considered one of the m ...

in 2003, with the Junge Kantorei and the Frankfurter Barockorchester conducted by Joachim Carlos Martini, and Knut Schoch singing the title role. Entitled ''My Mind to Me a Kingdom Is'', he recorded English songs for countertenor, some of which were accompanied by harpist

Andrew Lawrence-King Andrew Lawrence-King (born 3 September 1959) is a harpist and conductor from Guernsey known for his work in early music. Career Lawrence-King received an organ scholarship to Selwyn College, Cambridge, following on his work as head chorister at t ...

, others by the ensemble Tragicomedia conducted by

, some with Stubbs as lutenist, including: * "My mind to me a kingdom is" * "Goe from my window" (anonymous) * "

Greensleeves "Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song. A broadside ballad by the name "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves" was registered by Richard Jones at the London Stationers' Company in September 1580,Frank Kidson, ''English F ...

" (traditional) * "In a merry May morn" ( Richard Nicholson) * " Lachrimae Antiquae" (Dowland) * "Lullaby my sweet little baby" (

William Byrd William Byrd (; 4 July 1623) was an English Renaissance composer. Considered among the greatest composers of the Renaissance, he had a profound influence on composers both from his native country and on the Continental Europe, Continent. He i ...

) * "Venus' birds" ( John Bennet)

References

External links

*
"David Cordier (Counter-tenor)"
Bach Cantatas 2002
"David Cordier"

Operabase Operabase is an online global database for audiences and professionals. It lists details on opera performances, opera houses and companies, and performers as well as their agents. It was founded in 1996 by English software engineer and opera love ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cordier, David 1959 births category:2025 deaths Alumni of the Royal College of Music Alumni of the University of Cambridge Countertenors English opera singers Members of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge People from Rochester, Kent