2 12 Castrati Notes Music and the Human Experience with Professor Kattari George Frideric Handel Born in Germany Learn opera in Italy Wrote Italian opera seria for public in England o Ex Guilio Cesare in Egitto Julius Caesar in Egypt Baroque Opera Seria Story line still about elevated and noble Based on classical myths historical figures Da capo form ABA The apostrophe is showing that the music kind of returns to part A but the singer puts embellishment and improvises on it Lead male players played by castrati Castrato singers Castrato singers with removed testicles o Boys castrated to preserve prepubescent voice o Virtuoso performer w great technical skill o Results in feminized appearance Castration was illegal except for medical reasons still done anyways Trials of voice Have to make sure that the kid has a voice worth preserving o A ton of horrible castrati crowding the church choirs o Good castrati become opera stars Castrati in opera o Really popular by 1720 s o Today played by male counter tenor or female soprano Farinelli Superstar Castrato in class example Real name Carlo Broschi Italian Famous duel of voices w trumpeter In class film example o Farinelli had an absurd high voice with hunger games costume Why were manly heroes and lovers in opera played by castrati o Roger Freitas The Erotocism of Emasculation Baroque was about feelings and exaggeration Castrato a supernatural manifestation of a widely held ideal Castrato more in tune with feelings and supposedly more susceptible to love Andreas Scholl modern day counter tenor version of Senesino Talked about being human not masculine
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