Violence Against Men: The Castrato III Age

The castrati “were regarded as having a female of their own, partially because they were n’t classified as male or female in culture,” according to recent studies. They drifted, so to speak, in a female stasis, often carrying a combination of male and female characteristics”. Caricaturists depicted castrati as large, extended kites with a head and legs, with this analysis usually based on physical appearance and interpersonal behavior. Castrati “lacked an Adam’s amazon, had little or no body hair, small testicles, did not grow shaved with years, lacked muscle and tended to have a supply of body fat more like a person. Some of them received broad shoulders and breasts, and others received skin as gentle as a woman’s. A typical side effect of circumcision was unusual height. They continued to grow because the development panels at the end of their legs not closed. This development did not just affect the legs and arms; it also led to bigger chests, jaws, and yet noses.

Castrati’s supposed characteristic behavior away, society found themselves uneasy dealing with them. They were described as “displayed sentiments boldly, something that was regarded as a sexual opportunity,” and as feminine. A contemporary commentator wrote,” Eunuchs are an abominable tribe, who are past the sense of honour, who are neither men nor women … they are frustrated, vile, fierce, feminine, gluttons, greedy, cruel, unpredictable suspicious, angry insatiable. They cry like babies if they are left out of an entertainment … The knife has made them pure, but this chastity is of no service to them, their passion makes them angry, which still is helpless, barren and unfruitful”. And because of their connection to the theater, they were” so in a position very similar to that of prostitution.”

Farinelli ( Film 1994 ):” Ombra fedele anch’io” ( Aria of Dario from opera Idaspe by Riccardo Broschi )

Carlo Broschi ( 1705–1782 ) who performed under the stage name” Farinelli” was probably the most famous castrato of all time. He must have been a very talented singer, because his voice was regarded as unmatched. ” It was so perfect, so powerful, so sonorous, and so rich in its extent, both in the high and the low parts of the register. The qualities in which he excelled were the evenness of his voice, the art of swelling its sound, the portamento, the union of the registers, a surprising agility, a graceful and pathetic style, and a shake as admirable as it was rare”. The composers and theorists J. J. Quantz and W. Marpurg provided further details. ” Farinelli had a penetrating, full, rich, bright and well-modulated soprano voice, whose range extended at that time from a to d3. In many operas, one aria (usually an adagio ) was written for him in the typical tessitura of a contralto while his others were in the soprano range. A few years later, it had extended lower by a few notes but without losing any high notes. His intonation was pure, his trill beautiful, his breath control extraordinary, and his throat very agile so that he performed even the widest intervals quickly and with the greatest ease and certainty. He had no trouble with passagework and all different melismas. He was very fertile in the creation of free ornamentation in Adagio.

These are pretty detailed descriptions by professional musicians, but can we ever really recreate the sound of Farinelli’s voice? The team decided to electronically combine the soprano voice of Ewa Mallas-Godlewska with Derek Lee Ragin’s counter-tenor when Farinelli became the subject of the 1994 biographical drama film. Critics have suggested, “while it did capture the vocal style, the agility and the fireworks of the castrato music, the sound of the voice was not present”. Capturing his voice has become somewhat of an obsession, as Farinelli’s remains were exhumed in 2006 to examine the bones for vocal research. Although the research team was able to measure some bones, it turns out that the majority of the muscular components involved in sound production had long gone unnoticed.

Francesco Veracini: Adriano in Siria,” Amor dover rispetto” ( Vivica Genaux, mezzo-soprano, Armonia Atenea, George Petrou, cond. )

Both Farinelli and Caffarelli had received the same musical instruction from renowned singer Nicolo Porpora. However, their characters and social behavior could not have been more different. Farinelli, it was reported, “possessed a noble personality. He was measured in his words, modest by nature, and little inclined to gossip. He remained persuaded by the success he had, always remembering that nothing can ever be taken for granted and that only diligent daily practice would allow him to keep his arias afloat each evening. His high social standing was achieved by him by his intelligence and sense of diplomacy. He became a minister and confidant of the state during the reigns of Ferdinand V of Spain and Ferdinand VI of Spain, and they lived in close proximity to the Spanish royal family. A number of novels were published in the 20th century as a result of Auber’s conversion of a Scribe libretto into music in the 19th century.

Nicknamed” Gizziello,” the Italian soprano castrato Gioacchino Conti was one of the greatest singers of the 18th century. He possessed an exceptionally high soprano, and he was the only castrato for whom Handel wrote a top C. Gizziello made his début in Rome in 1730, and subsequently sang in Naples, Vienna, Genoa, and Venice. One colourful anecdote relates that the castrato star Caffarelli was in the audience at a Naples performance and, full of enthusiasm, yelled”, Bravo, bravissimo Gizziello, it’s Caffariello who’s telling you. Gizziello was regarded as a rising genius by George Frideric Handel, who brought him to London in 1736. Gizziello made his Covent Garden debut with the Ariodante revival, and the press had a lot of praise for him. Apparently, he was adored in every respect”, except the shape of his mouth, which made an exact square when open. Gizziello is credited with choosing to sing in a smooth and fluent manner of expression and rendering. Rather than abusing coloratura, he remained famous as a sentimental and gentle singer.”

George Frideric Handel: Atalanta”, Non sara poco” ( Susanne Rydén, soprano, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Nicholas McGegan, cond. )

Giusto Ferdinando Tenducci, an Italian soprano castrato and composer, was a native of Siena and studied at the Naples Conservatory. He first made an appearance on the Venetian stage, and he later made an appearance at Naples ‘ Teatro di San Carlo. Like a good many of his colleagues, he visited London and was first heard at the King’s Theatre in 1758. He made friends with Johann Christian Bach and sang the lead role in his new opera Adriano in Siria after spending some time in the debtors ‘ prison. Tenducci also performed in Ireland, and in 1766, he secretly married the 15-year-old Dorothea Maunsell, the daughter of a Dublin lawyer. This secrecy is understandable, as a castrato was forbidden to marry in Italy. Tenducci recognized the two children as his own, along with his wife.

Casanova was given the odd reality of a castrato siring children when it was explained that “nature had made him a monster so that he could remain a man, he was born triorchis, and the one that had left was sufficient to give him virility.” ” That particular claim remained uncorroborated, and it has been suggested that the children may have been the children of Dorothea’s second husband. At any rate, during his marriage, Tenducci was severely persecuted by his wife’s family, and when she wanted to marry another man, he was put on trial for impotency. Tenducci moved back to London, where he spent the majority of his time. He was referred to as another Senesino, and his voice was described as particularly lyrical. By sheer coincidence, Tenducci was in Paris during Mozart’s visit in 1777/78. He gave Mozart singing lessons, and impressed with his teacher’s abilities, Mozart wrote a concert aria for him, which has sadly been lost.

Johann Christian Bach: Adriano in Siria”, Cara, la dolce fiamma “( Philippe Jaroussky, counter-tenor, Le Cercle de l’Harmonie, Jérémie Rhorer, cond. )

The number of active castrati may have reached several hundred during the middle of the 17th century. Putting aside changing vocal ideals, castration for musical purposes was becoming more and more controversial, even in Italy. Other survival strategies were developed when castration was no longer an option for poor Italian families. However, the reason for the downfall of the castrato is found in the music itself”. In the 18th century, there were many high voices and comparatively few low voices in opera. Audiences demanded a more balanced sound, with evenly distributed voices that spanned a wider range of the sound spectrum, when ensembles gained popularity on stage. ” While only the Papal States, and subsequently the Vatican, went on making and employing a small number of castrato church singers, Giovanni Battista Velluti ( 1780-1861 ) was the last of the great operatic castrati. And for the last decade of his career, he was without a rival.

He created a substantial number of operatic roles, including” Arsace “in Rossini’s Aureliano in Palmira, and” Vitekindo “in Nicolini’s Carlo Magno in Piacenza. His favorite role during the final decade of his operatic career was” Tebaldo, “in Morlacchi’s Tebaldo e Isolina, and let’s not forget” Alceo “in Rossini’s Il Vero Omaggio. At the height of his career, he created” Armando “in Meyerbeer’s Il crociato in Egitto. Like countless colleagues before, Velluti made his way to London. Enthusiastically supported by the Duke of Wellington, he gave his début in 1825 in Il crociato in Egitto. He was amused in the audience, and the press was shocked by his appearance. The golden age of the castrato had clearly passed, but Velluti’s” manner of dramatic interpretation was adopted by the great female singers of the 1830s and 40s, including Pasta, Malibran, Pisaroni, and Persiani. ” Castration, for primarily a number of disgusting reasons, was and is still practiced today, but for purely musical purposes, we rightfully consider it an atrocity of the past.

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Giacomo Meyerbeer: Il crociato in Egitto”, Il di renascera” ( Michael Maniaci, counter-tenor, Teatro la Fenice Orchestra, Emmanuel Villaume, cond. )