"One of the strangest episodes in operatic history is the story of the castrati. In their heyday they were the toast of Europe: idolised, feted, adored by men and women alike, patronised by royalty and the nobility. They were showered with gifts, lived in the height of luxury an…
Castrato: reflections on natures and kinds
The Castrato is a nuanced exploration of why innumerable boys were castrated for singing between the mid-sixteenth and late-nineteenth centuries. It shows that the entire foundation of Western classical singing, culminating in bel canto, was birthed from an unlikely and historic…
The castrato: reflections on natures and kinds
'The Castrato' is the first book to explore in depth why innumerable boys were castrated for singing between the mid-sixteenth and late-nineteenth centuries. It shows that although the practice formed the foundation of Western classical singing, it was birthed from an unlikely a…
The castrato: reflections on natures and kinds
The Castrato is a nuanced exploration of why innumerable boys were castrated for singing between the mid-sixteenth and late-nineteenth centuries. It shows that the entire foundation of Western classical singing, culminating in bel canto, was birthed from an unlikely and historic…
The opera singer Giusto Ferdinando Tenducci was one of the most famous celebrities of the eighteenth century. Mozart and Bach both composed for him. He was nothing less than a rock star of his day, with a massive female following. He was also a castrato. Ranging from the salons …