In music, a male singing voice higher than tenor but lower than soprano, or the singer who performs this part.
From Latin altus, meaning 'high,' used directly in musical terminology. The term was standardized in Renaissance vocal music to describe voice ranges.
The word 'altus' never really caught on in English—singers and composers stuck with 'countertenor' or 'alto' instead, so this Latin term mostly appears in very old musical scores.
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