He went on to dedicate his career to re-popularising the countertenor voice, which at the time survived only in a handful of all-male cathedral choirs.
Besides the protagonist, represented by a dummy, there are 23 roles requiring seven singers (mezzo-soprano, countertenor, bass, 2 tenors, 2 baritones) and 4 dancers.
Where missing top notes of stretched and extended chords are compensated for by balalaikas, bayans (and perhaps a few countertenors), the choir acquires an extraordinary quality which makes it unique.
