The above-specified tenore contraltinos were characterized by high, brilliant and acrobatic singing, and could bravely confront baritenors in the hot-blooded challenge duets, as well as finely sing lovers’ elegiac melodies; they were, above all, able to sustain much higher tessiture than those of baritenors themselves. Such tenore contraltino characterization would be slightly attenuated after Rossini's moving to France, where it was possible to resort to the tradition of hautes-contre, who were equally versed in high singing, but rather more averse to castrato virtuosity, typical of Italian opera. Adolphe Nourrit can be regarded as the paragon of this expansion beyond the Alps of the tenor contraltino experience.