Performances of Castrato in 17th and 18th Century - Essay Example

PERFORMANCES OF CASTRATO IN 17TH AND 18TH CENTURY of Superstar Sopranos 1 Abstract: In the early 18th century, Italy's most famous singers were all castrati, men with voices that soared as high as a woman's but where as powerful as a man's. It was a sound of a boy's voice in a man's body, honed to perfection by years of training. They could sing more notes in one breath than anyone else. Key to a Castrato 2 Abstract: The article reports that a team of researchers in Italy is going to exhume the body of castrato opera singer Farinelle to study how childhood castration, performed on prospective singers to stop their voices breaking, affected his bone structure.

Researchers viewed that the castrati had a child's voice due to lack of testosterone which limited the growth of his hyoid bone of the larynx. They said that larger lungs provide greater volume and sound control. Painted Veil 3 Abstract: A mystery set in the world of seventeenth century Italian opera, offering readers a suspenseful glimpse into the lives of those men who made this period of music history so provocative: the castrati. Enough Already with the Handel 4 Abstract: This article presents commentary on the omnipresence of George Frideric Handel in operatic repertories when up until recently, Handel was known only for the Halleluiah chorus from "Messiah".

The authors cite multiple music critic's opinion that the Baroque composer is overplayed and overrated. Neopolitan Opera 5 Abstract: Baroque Opera gave rise to virtuoso singers exemplified by castrato, a male singer castrated before puberty. Castrati received the highest fees of any musician. Nero-baroque audiences were more interested in their vocal virtuosity than the opera itself. Deriving Opera From Operation 6 Abstract: Male castrations has been practiced for many centuries in Italy, China and Middle East for various reasons.

In Italy, castration of young boys to preserve the soprano voice was widely practiced, and Europe was infatuated with the castrati and were adored wherever they perform. Castrati 7 Abstract: What made the success of Italian opera was not so much the music as the singers, the Italian artificial soprano. The great difficulty of reviving Handelian or even later Italian opera lies in the fact that the chief male part were always written for castrato. Voice, The Castrato 8 Abstract: In singing, the voice functions like a musical instrument, depending for its quality and volume upon the same acoustical principles that control the production of the tone in reed instruments.

Most important to the subsequent history of voice, was the introduction into the Western church, as music grew complex, and choirboys scarce, of the castrato. Notes 1. Stephanie Pain, "Superstar Sopranos," New Scientist, 189 (2006): 52-52. 2. "Key too a Castrato" New Scientist, 191 (July 15, 2006): 5. 3. Melissa E. Bart, "Painted Veil," Magill Book Reviews, (2005). 4. Jaime J. Weinman, "Enough Already with Handel," Macleans, 120 (2007): 68. 5. Hugh M. Miller, "Neopolitan Opera," History of Music (New York: Barnes and Noble, 1971). 6. Reginald Magee, "Deriving Opera from Operation." Aus., N.Z.J.

Surg, 69 (1999): 672-74. 7. A.L. Bacharach and J.K. Pearce, "Castrati," The Musical Companion (London and Sydney: Pan Books, 1979). 8. The Encyclopedia Americana, rev. ed. (1998). s.v. "Voice, The Castrato". Bibliography Bacharach, A.L. and J.K. Pearce, ed. "Castrati." The Musical Companion. London and Sydney: Pan Books. 1979. Bart, Melissa E. "Painted Veil." Magill Book Reviews (Jan. 11, 2005) Jenkins, J.S. " The Voice of the Castrato.", 1998. (February 15, 2008). Magee, Reginald.

"Deriving Opera From Operation." Aus., N.Z.J.Surg. 69 (1999): 672-674 Miller, Hugh M. "Neopolitan Opera." History of Music. N.Y. Barnes and Noble. 1971 Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. "Roman Catholic Policies on Castratism: Castrated Choir Boys, 1500 to 1903.", 2000. (February 15, 2008). Pain, Stephanie. "Superstar Sopranos." New Scientist. 189 (March 25, 2006): 52-53 Weinman, Jaime J. "Enough Already with Handel." Macleans. 120 (May 14, 2007): 68 " Key to a Castrato." New Scientist.

191 (July 15, 2006):