The highest
male singing voice. Usually plays the
hero, the
lover in opera or musical plays. They get all of the best pieces written for the
male voice.
The countertenor has the normal range, speaking and singing, as a regular tenor, but is capable of singing in the contralto, mezzo-soprano, and, sometimes, even soprano ranges. They use falsetto, rather than their lower range, when singing.
The lyric tenor is the lighter, sweeter sounding, while the dramatic tenor has a stronger, richer, more heroic voice.