Max Emanuel Cenčić (born 21 September 1976) is a Croatian

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 ( ...

, as of 1994 based in Austria. He was a member of the Wiener Sängerknaben.

Early career as a boy soprano

Born Max Emanuel Cenčić in

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Sl ...

, he started singing at a very early age, earning fame in his native Croatia at the age of six after singing the Queen of the Night's

coloratura Coloratura is an elaborate melody with runs, trills, wide leaps, or similar virtuoso-like material,''Oxford American Dictionaries''.Apel (1969), p. 184. or a passage of such music. Operatic roles in which such music plays a prominent part, a ...

aria " Der Hölle Rache" from Mozart's ''

Die Zauberflöte ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a '' Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that inc ...

'' on Zagreb television. From circa 1987 to 1992, Cenčić was a member of the Wiener Sängerknaben, touring and recording with them. Recorded performances, in which Cenčić was either treble soloist of the Sängerknaben or an independent male soprano, include Handel's ''

Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...

'', Haydn's '' Die Schöpfung'', and Mozart's

Requiem A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

, alongside

Derek Lee Ragin). Cenčić can also be heard as the leading treble soloist with the Wiener Sängerknaben in numerous recordings of liturgical and secular music on the Philips label. A particular highlight from his recordings with the Sängerknaben is a performance of the vocal version of Johann Strauss II's '' Frühlingsstimmen'', a remarkable feat of vocalism for a boy soprano. Cenčić was educated at

Downside School Downside School is a co-educational Catholic independent boarding and day school in the English public school tradition for pupils aged 11 to 18. It is located between Bath, Frome, Wells and Bruton, and is attached to Downside Abbey. Original ...

in Somerset between the ages of 14 and 16.

Post-Sängerknaben career as a male soprano

From 1992 to 1997, he pursued a solo career, singing soprano although his voice had already broken. Following considerable success as a

male soprano A sopranist (also, sopranista or male soprano) is a male singer who is able to sing in the vocal tessitura of a soprano usually through the use of falsetto or head voice vocal production. This voice type is a specific kind of countertenor. In rare ...

(including widely acclaimed performances as Amore in Gluck's ''

Orfeo ed Euridice ' (; French: '; English: ''Orpheus and Eurydice'') is an opera composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck, based on the myth of Orpheus and set to a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. It belongs to the genre of the '' azione teatrale'', meaning an ...

''), he took a sabbatical from performance, during which he re-trained his voice as a high countertenor. He made his debut as a countertenor in 2001. Prior to adapting his vocal technique to the countertenor range, Cenčić made a series of recordings of operatic arias and ''

Lieder In Western classical music tradition, (, plural ; , plural , ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music to create a piece of polyphonic music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German, but among English and French ...

'' for a private record label. These recordings have been sporadically available throug
Arcadia
the online shop of the Wiener Staatsoper.

Countertenor

Following his re-training as a countertenor, Cenčić has enjoyed a successful career that has taken him around the world. He is noted for a series of dramatically varied portrayals, including the female role of Saint Alexis' wife (Sposa) in Stefano Landi's 1631 opera ''

Il Sant'Alessio ''Il Sant'Alessio'' (''Saint Alexius'') is an opera in three acts composed by Stefano Landi in 1631 with a libretto by Giulio Rospigliosi (the future Pope Clement IX). Its first performance was probably in February 1632. ''Sant'Alessio'' was the ...

'', with William Christie and Les Arts Florissants. Cenčić also appeared in the role of Perseo in the serenata ''Andromeda Liberata'', attributed to Antonio

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

but of dubious authorship, both in a world tour and a recording on the DGG Archiv label with Andrea Marcon and the Venice Baroque Orchestra. Cencic made his debut at the

Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is an opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by August ...

on 28 February 2010, in the role of the Herold in the premiere of Aribert Reimann's opera ''

Medea In Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the ...

''. He sang three additional performances of the role at the Staatsoper in November and December 2010. A studio recording of operatic arias by George Frideric Handel, notably containing music composed for the mezzo-soprano castrato Giovanni Carestini, was released on the EMI/Virgin label in the UK on 1 March 2010. In 2015 Decca released a recording by Parnassus Arts Productions of

Leonardo Vinci Leonardo Vinci (1690 – 27 May 1730) was an Italian composer known chiefly for his 40 or so operas; comparatively little of his work in other genres survives. A central proponent of the Neapolitan School of opera, his influence on subsequ ...

's ''Catone in Utica'' co-produced by Cenčić, in which he sang the role of Arbace. Cencic appeared as Nerone 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 ...

'' for the

Opéra de Lille The Opéra de Lille is a neo-classical opera house, built from 1907 to 1913 and officially inaugurated in 1923. Closed for renovation in 1998 it reopened in 2003 for Lille 2004. The Opéra de Lille is a member of the European Network for Opera, M ...

in 2012, with Sonya Yoncheva as Poppea, Tim Mead as Ottone and Emanuelle Haïm conducting Le Concert d’Astrée. In 2017, he performed the same role in the production for the reopening of the

Staatsoper Unter den Linden The (), also known as the Berlin State Opera (german: Staatsoper Berlin), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of Prussian king Frederick the Great from ...

in Berlin, staged by Eva Höckmayr, conducted by

Diego Fasolis Diego Fasolis (born 19 April 1958) is a Swiss classical organist and conductor, the leader of the ensemble I Barocchisti. He has conducted operas in historically informed performance at major European opera houses and festivals, and has made award- ...

, alongside Anna Prohaska as Poppea. He has also staged operas, notably Handel's ''

Arminio ''Arminio'' ( HWV 36) is an opera composed by George Frideric Handel. The libretto is based on a libretto of the same name by Antonio Salvi, which had been set to music by Alessandro Scarlatti. It is a fictionalisation of events surrounding the G ...

'', in which he also played the title role, at the

Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe The Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe is a theatre and opera house in Karlsruhe, Germany. It has existed in its present form and place at Ettlinger Tor since 1975. Achim Thorwald became the Intendant in summer 2002 and held that post until the en ...

in 2016

Discography

Albums *

Porpora Nicola (or Niccolò) Antonio Porpora (17 August 16863 March 1768) was an Italian composer and teacher of singing of the Baroque era, whose most famous singing students were the castrati Farinelli and Caffarelli. Other students included composers ...

: ''Opera Arias''. Armonia Atenea, George Petrou, Decca, 2018 * Porpora: ''

Germanico in Germania ' is an opera in three acts composed by Nicola Porpora to an Italian-language libretto by Nicola Coluzzi. It premiered in February 1732 at the Teatro Capranica in Rome with an all-male cast. The leading male roles were taken by two of the most pro ...

Julia Lezhneva Julia Mikhaylovna Lezhneva (russian: Юлия Михайловна Лежнева; born 5 December 1989) is a Russian soprano opera singer and recitalist, specializing in soprano and coloratura mezzo-soprano material of the 18th and early 19th c ...

, Capella Cracoviensis, Jan Tomasz Adamus, Decca, 2018 * Handel; ''Ottone'' Max Emanuel Cencic, Pavel Kudinov, Lauren Snouffer,

Ann Hallenberg Ann Hallenberg (born 17 March 1967) is a Swedish mezzo-soprano. She has a busy career on the stage and concert platform around Europe embracing roles by Rossini, Mozart, Gluck, Handel, Vivaldi, Monteverdi, and Purcell. Hallenberg studied at the ...

, Anna Starushkevych, Il Pomo d'Oro, George Petrou, Decca, 2017 * Handel: ''

'', Max Emanuel Cencic, Layla Claire, Ruxandra Donose, Vince Yi, Juan Sancho,

Xavier Sabata Xavier Sabata Corominas (born 1976 in Avià, Catalonia) is a Spanish operatic countertenor. Discography *''I Dilettanti'' - cantatas and arias by Emanuele d'Astorga, Giacomo Maccari, Benedetto Marcello, Giovanni Maria Ruggieri. Latinitas nostra, ...

, Petros Magoulas, Armonia Atenea, George Petrou, Decca, 2017 * ''Arie Napoletane'', Il Pomo D'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Decca, 2015 * Leonardo Vinci: ''Catone in Utica'', Decca, 2015 * ''The 5 Countertenors'', Max Emanuel Cencic, Yuriy Mynenko,

, Vince Yi, Valer Barna-Sabadus, Armonia Atenea,

George Petrou George Petrou ( el, Γιώργος Πέτρου) is a Greek conductor, pianist and stage-director. Biography George Petrou was born in Greece. He studied at the Athens Conservatoire, the Royal College and the Royal Academy of Music in London. He ...

, Decca, 2015 * Gluck: ''

'' (1762), Max Emanuel Cencic, Malin Hartelius,

Franco Fagioli Franco Maximiliano Fagioli (born 1981, in Tucumán) is an Argentinian operatic countertenor. Life Born in Argentina, Fagioli initially studied piano and then singing at the Superior Art Institute of the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. He began h ...

, Emmanuelle de Negri, Insula Orchestra, Laurence Equilbey, Archiv, 2015 * Hasse: ''Siroe'', Julia Lezhneva, Mary-Ellen Nesi, Franco Faglioli, Armonia Atenea,

, Decca, 2014 * Handel: '' Tamerlano'',

, Max Emanuel Cencic, John Mark Ainsley, Karina Gauvin, Ruxandra Donose, Il Pomo d'Oro,

Riccardo Minasi Riccardo Minasi (born 1978) is an Italian violinist and conductor in the field of historically informed performance. Life Born in Rome, Minasi received his first music lessons from his mother, studying modern violin with Paolo Centurioni and Al ...

, Naive Classique, 2014 * ''Rokoko'', arias, Armonia Atenea, George Petrou, Decca, 2014 * ''Venezia'', Il Pomo d'oro, Riccardo Minasi Virgin, 2013 * Vinci: ''Artaserse'', Philippe Jaroussky, Max Emanuel Cencic, Valer Barna-Sabadus, Franco Fagioli, Concerto Köln,

, Virgin, 2012 * Handel: ''Alessandro'', Karina Gauvin, Julia Lezhneva, Armonia Aeterna, George Petrou, Decca, 2012 * Vivaldi, Scarlatti, Caldara: ''Cantatas'', compilation box 3CD Capriccio, 2012 * Gluck: ''Ezio'' 1750 version, Topi Lehtipuu, Sonia Prina, Ann Hallenberg, Julian Pregardien, Mayuko Karasawa, Il Complesso Barocco, Alan Curtis, Virgin, 2011 * ''Duetti'', Philippe Jaroussky William Christie, Virgin, 2011 * Vivaldi: ''

Farnace ''Farnace'' is an opera by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, set to a libretto by Antonio Maria Lucchini initially set by Leonardo Vinci during 1724. Vivaldi's setting received its first performance in 1727 at the Teatro Sant'Angelo in Venice ...

'', Max Emanuel Cencic, Ruxandra Donose, Mary-Ellen Nesi, Ann Hallenberg, Karina Gauvin, Daniel Behle, Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, I Barocchisti, Diego Fasolis, Virgin, 2011 * Handel: ''Mezzo-Soprano Opera Arias'', I Barocchisti, Diego Fasolis, Virgin, 2010 * Handel: '' Faramondo'', Philippe Jaroussky, Sophie Karthäuser, Choeur de la Radio Suisse, I Barocchisti, Diego Fasolis, Virgin, 2009 * Handel: ''Rodrigo'', Al Ayre Espanol Eduardo Lopez Banzo, Ambroisie 2008 * Rossini: ''Opera Arias & Ouvertures'', Michael Hofstetter, Virgin, 2008 * Handel: ''

Fernando Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to the G ...

'' (Sosarme), Il Complesso Barocco, Alan Curtis, Virgin, 2007 *

Domenico Scarlatti Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti, also known as Domingo or Doménico Scarlatti (26 October 1685-23 July 1757), was an Italian composer. He is classified primarily as a Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the devel ...

: ''Scarlatti Cantatas'' Vol. 2, Harpsichord:

Aline Zylberajch Aline Zylberajch is a French harpsichordist, teacher and musicologist, also playing the organ and the piano-forte. Biography Zylberajch studied music at the Conservatoire de Paris with Robert Veyron-Lacroix, Claude Ballif (analysis) and Norbert ...

, Lute and Gitarre: Yasunori Imamura, Cello: Maya Amrein Capriccio, 2006 * Gluck: '' Ezio'' (1750), Max Emanuel Cencic,

Matthias Rexroth Matthias Rexroth (b. Nürnberg, Germany, 7 January 1970) is a German countertenor and voice teacher. Winning 1st prizes at the Francisco-Viñas in Barcelona and the 'Belvedere Competition' in Vienna in 2000, preceded an extensive international ...

, Neue Düsseldorfer Hofmusik,

Andreas Stoehr Andreas ( el, Ἀνδρέας) is a name usually given to males in Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Denmark, Armenia, Estonia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Finland, Flanders, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania, the Netherlands, and Indonesia. The name ...

, Coviello, 2006 *

Caldara Caldara is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Antonio Caldara (1670–1736), Italian composer * Domenico Caldara (1814–1897), Italian painter * Emilio Caldara (1868–1942), Italian Socialist Party politician * Jon Caldara, Ame ...

: ''Caldara Cantatas'', Capriccio, 2005 * Vivaldi and others: ''

Andromeda Liberata ''Andromeda liberata'' is a pasticcio-serenata of 18 September 1726, on the subject of Perseus Freeing Andromeda, made as a collective tribute to the visiting Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni by at least five composers working in Venice including Vivaldi. ...

'', Andrea Marcon, Archiv, 2004 * ''The Vivaldi Album'', Karsten Erik Ose, Capriccio, 2004 *

: ''Cantate d'amore'', Karsten Erik Ose, Capriccio, 2003 DVD * Handel: ''

'', Max Emanuel Cencic, Juan Sancho, Lauren Snouffer, Owen Willetts, Aleksandra Kubas-Kruk, Gaia Petrone, Armonia Atenea, George Petrou,

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the German States of Germany, state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital o ...

, CMajor, 2017 * Vinci: ''Artaserse'', Philippe Jaroussky, Max Emanuel Cencic, Valer Barna-Sabadus, Franco Fagioli, Concerto Köln, Diego Fasolis, Warner Music Group Germany, 2012 * Monteverdi: ''

'', Philippe Jaroussky (Nerone), Danielle de Niese (Poppea), Anna Bonitatibus (Ottavia), Max Emanuel Cencic (Ottone), Les Arts Florissants, William Christie, Virgin, 2012 * Monteverdi: ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'', Sonya Yoncheva (Poppée), Max Emanuel Cencic (Néron), Ann Hallenberg (Octavie), Tim Mead (Othon), Paul Whelan (Sénèque) & Amel Brahim-Djelloul (Drusilla), Le Concert d'Astrée, Emmanuelle Haïm (conductor) & Jean-François Sivadier (stage director), Virgin, 2013 * Stefano Landi: '' Il Sant' Alessio'', Philippe Jaroussky, Max Emanuel Cencic, Alain Buet, Xavier Sabata, Damien Guillon,

Pascal Bertin Pascal Bertin (born 1965) is a French countertenor. Pascal Bertin began his singing career at the age of 11 years old with the Chœur d'Enfants de Paris, under the direction of Roger de Magnee, with whom he performed as a soloist around the world ...

, Terry Wey, Les Arts Florissants, William Christie, Virgin, 2007

References

External links

*
Website of Parnassus Arts Productions

Partial Discography (excludes recordings made with the Sängerknaben and as a boy soprano)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cencic, Max Emanuel 1976 births Living people 21st-century Croatian male opera singers Operatic countertenors Musicians from Zagreb Croatian expatriates in Austria Performers of early music 21st-century Austrian male opera singers