The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 11.1694  Wednesday, 6 September 2000.

From:           Melissa D. Aaron <
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Date:           Tuesday, 05 Sep 2000 04:45:04 -0700
Subject: 11.1692 Re: Women's Roles
Comment:        Re: SHK 11.1692 Re: Women's Roles

>Perhaps I could add a different perspective: musicologists are still
>arguing about the age at which boys voices broke in previous centuries. <snip>
The present consensus among
>musicologists is that choirboys' voices didn't break until as late as 16
>or 17, as late as the eighteenth century, so that they would have had
>plenty of time to gain the necessary experience and maturity.  The same
>arguments would apply to the boy actors.
>
>John Briggs

It's my understanding that Johannes Brahms's voice didn't break until he
was about 24--a bit late, but not unheard of.

 Melissa D. Aaron
 http://www.csupomona.edu/~maaron/index.html
 California Polytechnic State University at Pomona