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You are here: Home / Others / Cecilia teaches about the castrati

Cecilia teaches about the castrati

March 14, 2011 by philip copeland Leave a Comment


Passionate Cecilia Bartoli took on a recording project that features some of the famous music of the castrati.  Her beautiful voice and powerful singing is wonderful to behold, especially Handel's Ombra Mai Fu.
 
The description of her DVD features some well chosen words:
The ‘Sacrificium’ project tells the story of the castrati in all its complexity; its beauty, glamour, controversy and cruelty. The album focuses on the Neapolitan school, which produced superstar castrati including Farinelli and Caffarelli.

‘The age of the castrati’ inspired some of the most virtuosic repertoire ever written for the human voice; elaborate coloratura showpieces and beautiful slow arias, written for the extraordinary vocal abilities of the leading castrati.

Following the international success of Opera Proibita, Cecilia Bartoli uncovers more lost jewels of baroque music, with an album almost entirely composed of World Premiere recordings. 

 
Watch the two videos:
 


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Comments

  1. Marie Grass Amenta says

    March 19, 2011 at 7:04 pm

    Alison,
     
    Just loved that book!  It came out in paperback when I was in grad school and I lent it to my conducting professor, Anne Heider.  She also liked it…….it’s a very interesting subject.  It is graphic but somehow it’s okay because the research it so accurate.
     
    Marie
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  2. Alison Vernon says

    March 19, 2011 at 9:24 am

    If this subject interests you…read Cry To Heaven by Anne Rice.  A fiction story about castrati but impeccably researched.  Warning:  it is graphic in every way.
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