Dominique Visse (born 30 August 1955) is a French

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 ...

and founder of the

Ensemble Clément Janequin The Ensemble Clément Janequin is a French early music ensemble founded in 1978 and specializing in the chansons of the Renaissance and early Baroque. The founder, and leader, is the countertenor Dominique Visse. The group has recorded almost excl ...

Life and career

Dominique Visse was a chorister at the

Notre-Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris ( ; meaning "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a Medieval architecture, medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissemen ...

and studied organ and flute at the

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

Conservatory. As a musician, he developed an interest in

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

and

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

repertories. After studying with

Alfred Deller Alfred George Deller, CBE (31 May 1912 – 16 July 1979), was an English singer and one of the main figures in popularising the return of the countertenor voice in Renaissance and Baroque music during the 20th century. He is sometimes referr ...

and

René Jacobs René Jacobs (born 30 October 1946) is a Belgian musician. He came to fame as a countertenor, but later in his career he became known as a conductor of baroque and classical opera. Biography Countertenor Born in Ghent, Jacobs began his musi ...

from 1976 to 1978, he made his opera debut at Tourcoing in Monteverdi's ''

L'incoronazione di Poppea ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'' (Stattkus-Verzeichnis, SV 308, ''The Coronation of Poppaea'') is an Italian List of operas by Claudio Monteverdi, opera by Claudio Monteverdi. It was Monteverdi's last opera, with a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Buse ...

'' in 1982. Visse devotes himself to performing of secular and religious music of the Renaissance. He is also known for his interpretations of the

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

ian chansons. Visse is married to soprano

Agnès Mellon Agnès Mellon (born 17 January 1958) is a French soprano who specializes in baroque music. Biography Agnès Mellon started her career in 1981 with the baroque ensemble Les Arts Florissants (ensemble), Les Arts Florissants, directed by William ...

Selected discography

Opera *

Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: ; September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer of Baroque music, most remembered for his more than 100 songs; a tragic opera, ''Dido and Aeneas''; and his incidental music to a version of Shakespeare's ...

: ''

Dido and Aeneas ''Dido and Aeneas'' (Z. 626) is an opera in a prologue and three acts, written by the English Baroque music, Baroque composer Henry Purcell with a libretto by Nahum Tate. The dates of the composition and first performance of the opera are uncer ...

'' *

Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considere ...

: ''

Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria ''Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria'' ( SV 325, ''The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland'') is an opera consisting of a prologue and five acts (later revised to three), set by Claudio Monteverdi to a libretto by Giacomo Badoaro. The opera was first p ...

'' *

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, H ...

: ''

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 ...

'' * Handel: '' Ottone'' * Handel: '' Rinaldo'' *Charpentier Actéon H.481 * Charpentier: '' David et Jonathas'' H.490 * Charpentier: ''

Le Malade imaginaire ''The Imaginary Invalid'', ''The Hypochondriac'', or ''The Would-Be Invalid'' ( French title ''Le Malade imaginaire'', ) is a three- act ''comédie-ballet'' by the French playwright Molière with dance sequences and musical interludes ( H.495, H ...

'' H.495 * *

Hasse Hasse is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname: * Clara H. Hasse (1880–1926), American botanist * Helmut Hasse (1898–1979), German mathematician * Henry Hasse (1913–1977), US writer of science fiction ...

: '' Cleofide'' *

Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, impresario of Baroque music and Roman Catholic priest. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lif ...

: ''

L'incoronazione di Dario ''L'incoronazione di Dario'' () ( RV 719) is a dramma per musica by Antonio Vivaldi with an Italian libretto by Adriano Morselli. The opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundame ...

'' * Vivaldi: '' Montezuma'' * Sartorio: ''

'' * Cavalli: ''

La Calisto ''La Calisto'' is an Italian opera by Francesco Cavalli from a libretto by Giovanni Faustini based on the mythological story of Callisto (mythology), Callisto. The opera received its first performance on 28 November 1651 at the Teatro Sant'Apol ...

'' *

Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include mélodie, songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among th ...

: '' Le Gendarme incompris'' * Zamponi: ''Ulisse all'isola di Circe'' Recitals * Charpentier: "''Motets à double Choeur"'' H.403, H.404, H.135, H.136, H.137, H.392, H.410, H.167, conducted by

Ton Koopman Antonius Gerhardus Michael "Ton" Koopman (; born 2 October 1944) is a Dutch conductor, organist, harpsichordist, and musicologist, primarily known for being the founder and director of the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir. He is a professor ...

(2 CD Erato 1992) *Charpentier: "Vêpres Solennelles" H.540, H.190, H.50, H.149, H.52, H.150, H.51, H.161, H.191, H.65, H.77, conducted by Jean-Claude Malgoire (2 CD CBS Sony 1987) *Songs for Seven Centuries –

Machaut Guillaume de Machaut (, ; also Machau and Machault; – April 1377) was a French composer and poet who was the central figure of the style in late medieval music. His dominance of the genre is such that modern musicologists use his death to ...

Ferrero Ferrero may refer to: * Ferrero (surname), a surname * Ferrero (company), an Italian manufacturer of chocolate * Ferrero Bay, a body of water between King Peninsula and Canisteo Peninsula, Antarctica * Ferrero–Washington theorem, a result in alge ...

, with

Éric Bellocq Éric Bellocq (born 8 September 1962) is a French lutenist.http://www.cnsmdp.fr Biographie Éric Bellocq - Éric Bellocq est titulaire du Certificat d'Aptitude et du Diplôme d'État pour l'enseignement de la guitare et des musiques anciennes, ains ...

(lute) and Kazuoki Fujii (piano) * Campra – French Cantatas. Jill Feldman, Dominique Visse, Jean-François Gardeil * The Three Countertenors –

Andreas Scholl Andreas Scholl (born 10 November 1967) is a German countertenor, a male classical singer in the alto vocal range, specialising in Baroque music. Born into a family of singers, Scholl was enrolled at the age of seven into the Kiedricher Chorbube ...

, Pascal Bertin * with

; "Parole e Querele d'Amore", Madrigali a due voci, Zigzag, 2011 * Takemitsu – Songs * Bach. Café Zimmermann. Alpha * Dom Quichotte Cantatas & Comic Concertos, Céline Frisch,

Café Zimmermann The Café Zimmermann, or , was the coffeehouse of Gottfried Zimmermann in Leipzig which formed the backdrop to the first performances of many of Bach's secular cantatas, e.g. the ''Coffee Cantata'' ('' Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht''), and in ...

* Vinum et Musica – Capella de la Torre.

References

External links

Official web site
* Operatic countertenors 20th-century French male opera singers French countertenors Living people 1955 births People from Lisieux Musicians from Normandy Harmonia Mundi artists 21st-century French male opera singers {{france-opera-singer-stub