The mysterious world of the castrats: music between bravura and brutality

The mysterious world of the castrats: music between bravura and brutality

What kind of wedding of voices was that? In the churches of the 17th century, especially in Italy, the sounds of the castratos resounded, whose singing was considered pure and powerful. These fascinating singers, as radiofrance.fr reports, were men who were castrated before puberty to preserve their unique high voice. A brutal but socially accepted process at the time, which has been a thing of the past since the 19th century.

The castrata phenomenon began in the 16th century and was particularly popular in Italy. These extraordinary singers even rivaled instruments such as the trumpet in their technical skill and expressiveness. The first known castrats appeared in the Duke of Ferrara's chapel at the end of the 1550s, while the emergence of unforgettable voices such as Carlo Broschi, better known as Farinelli, captivated audiences in the 18th century.

From the Brotherhood of the Voice

As early as 1582, a Spaniard had found his way into the Sistine Chapel, and from then on the use of castrates was firmly established in both church and secular music. The Pope permitted their employment in the choirs, and the men soon became valued for their exceptional voices. In the service of Italian princes they were in demand not only in sacred music, but also in opera. In the 17th and 18th centuries they were the stars of the European music scene and were paid better than tenors or basses, as wikipedia.org notes.

At first glance, the idea that children aged six to eight were recruited into this practice may seem shocking. The operation, often supported by the church and usually considered gentle, left physical development unaffected but stopped the growth of the larynx and prevented the swelling of the vocal cords. The powerful voices of the castrates, who often had massive bodies and little hair, remained unforgotten until the turn of the 19th century. The last castrates, such as the famous Alessandro Moreschi, died in the early 20th century, leaving us the only recordings of their kind.

The legacy of the Castrati

The art of the castrates, which was at home in the opera houses of Europe, lives on today primarily through the work of those present. These artists, who shine with technique and virtuosity, bring the castrates' repertoire to new life. They are the successors in a long tradition that was associated with enormous challenges, but also an almost incomprehensible beauty. They can compete with great composers such as Nicola Porpora, Gregorio Allegri, Henry Purcell and Niccolo Piccinni, whose works are still performed.

When asked what makes this musical era so fascinating, the answer could lie in the virtuoso interplay of emotion and technique, which has never been completely forgotten. The story of the castrats remains a fascinating chapter in music history - an era that contains both splendor and dark sides, as described by decouvrir.la.musique.online.fr.