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At the Opera.
The phenomenon we know as Castrato first appeared during the Renaissance in Church Choirs, and in 1599 the castrato was officially admitted into the choir of Pope Clement VIII. Boys were castrated before puberty to preserve and develop their soprano or alto voices. Castration enabled the singer to retain the voice of a child with adult vocal powers and a woman's high register. The myth neglets to tell the truth of this barbarous practice and the many ruined lives it claimed. Poor families would often offer their young in excahnge of large financial rewards with no regard on either side to the emotional and psychological harm it caused the victim. Most castrati never made it beyond the Church Choir; fewer reached the mythical "star" status. Though againast the law, the Chatholic Church condoned the practice on the grounds that St.Paul had ordered in an epostle that women should ramain silent in Church, and therefore could not sing. Women could not appear on stage in the Papal States, either, and soon the castrato made his appearance in Opera singing both male and female roles. During the Baroque era (1650-1750) the Castrato became the undisputed, most important element in opera-Farinelli (1705-82) being the most famous of all castrati-with a genre, Opera Seria, created for them.
By the second half of the Eighteenth Century comic opera and ballad opera gained popularity; public taste began to drift away from the artificiality of Opera Seria, and composers started to insist notes be sung as written, as well as using Tenors for male leads. In 1825, Giovanni Battista Velluti was the last castrato to sing in an opera, Meyerbeer's Il Crociato in Eggito, in London.
Bernacchi, Antonio (Bologna 1685-1756) A great dramatic singer, he worked with Handel in London in 1729. After 1736 we find him back in his native Bologna where he founded a singing school.
Caffarelli (b. Gaetano Majorano, Bari, April 16, 1710-Santo Dorato, November 30, 1783) was discovered by the composer Caffaro whose name, as was the practice, he adopted ("little" Caffaro). He made his debut in Rome in 1724 in a female role after studying with Porpora for five years. Caffarelli was a skilful musician gifted with pathos and is believed to have been the first singer to introduce chromatic scales as vocal ornamentation in fast sections. He created the title roles in Handel's Xerxes and Faramondo, and Sextus in Gluck's La Clemenza di Tito. Caffarelli commanded the highest fees up to then paid to a singer amassing a vast fortune. He fought a duel with poet Ballot de Savout over the merits of French and Italian opera.
Carestini, Giovanni (Mente Filatrano ca. 1705-1760) Sang under the name of Cusanino.
Crescentini, Girolamo (Urbania, February 2, 1766-Naples, April 24, 1846) He composed operas as well as being a singer.
Farinelli (b. Carlo Broschi, Naples, June 24, 1705-Bologna, July 15, 1782) Regarded as the greatest of all castrati, Farinelli made his debut in 1722, Rome. His voice had great agility and a range up to high D. In 1737 Farinelli was hired by Philip V of Spain, and he is reputed to have assuaged the king's melancholia by singing the same four songs, every night, for ten years. Farinelli is the subjecdt in Auber's La Part du Diable and Barnett's Farinelli.
Ferri, Baldassare (Perugia, 1610-September 10, 1680) He was a gifted and successful singer with extraordinary endurance of breath, flexibility of voice and depth of emotion. On his death, Ferri willed the funds to stablish a pious foundation.
Guadagni, Gaetano (Lodi, c. 1725-92) Unrivaled as an operatic singing actor, he created the roles in Gluck's Orfeo and Telemaco.
Marchesi, Luigi (Milan, 1755-Inzago,December 24, 1829) Also known as "Marchesini".
Martini, Andrea (1761-1819)
Moreschi, Alessandro (1858-1922), the last professional castrato, never sang in opera but was associated with the Sistine Chapel, and his voice has been preserved on record.
Nicolini (b. Grimaldi, Nicolo, Naples, ca. 1673-Venice, 1732) A tenor and a contralto, he sang in England (1708-1716) and created the title roles in Handel's Rinaldo and Amadigi di Gaula. Nicolino was highly regarded as an actor and has been described by Addison as "perhaps the greatest performer in dramatic music that ever appeared upon a stage".
Pacchierortti, Gasparo (Fabriano, Ancona, 1744-Padua, October 28, 1821)
Pistocchi, Antonio
Senesino (b. Bernardi, Francesco,Siena, 1680-1750) He possesed a voice of great beauty and of contrtalto range. His greatest successes were in London with Handel for whom Senesino created roles in Admeto, Ottone, Flavio, Sosarme, Giulio Cesare, Tamerlano, Scipione, Rodelinda, Alessandro, Riccardo Primo, Poro, Tolomeo, Siroe, Ezio and Orlando. In 1729 he left Handel after they quarreled and went over to Bonocini, conductor and composer at the new King's Theater amd Handel's rival.
Tenducci, Giusto Ferdinando (b. Siena, 1736-1790)
Velutti, Giovanni Battista (Monterone, Ancona, 1780-San Burson, 1861) The last of the great castrati, created the roles of Arsace in Rossini's Aureliano in Palmira, the title role in Nicolini's Coriolano and Armando in Meyerbeer's Il Crociato in Eggito, the last major role written for a castrato, which he sang for the last time in London in 1825.
