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castrato

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | Date: 2008

castrato [Ital.,=castrated], a male singer with an artificially created soprano or alto voice, the result of castration in boyhood. The combination of the larynx of a youth and the chest and lungs of a man produced a powerful voice of great range and unique sound. Castrati were especially popular in churches and opera in Europe during the 17th and 18th cent. The most celebrated castrato was Carlo Broschi Farinelli .

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Related entries from encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses

	castrato Britannica Concise Encyclopedia ... alto voice produced as a result of castration before puberty. The castrato voice was introduced in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel in the 16th ... Farinelli . Castrati sang in the Sistine Chapel choir until 1903. castrato castrato castrato Read more
	castrato World Encyclopedia castrato Male voice in the soprano or mezzo-soprano register, produced in adult males by castration during boyhood. Castratos were much used in operas in the 17th and 18th centuries and in music for the Roman Catholic Church. The most famous castrato was Farinelli. See also countertenor Read more
	castrato The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English cas·tra·to / kasˈträˌtō / • n. ( pl. -ti / -tē / ) hist. a male singer castrated in boyhood so as to retain a soprano or alto voice. Read more
	Carlo Broschi Farinelli The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition , 1705-82, Italian male soprano, greatest of the castrati (see castrato ), pupil of Niccolò Porpora , in whose operas he sang (1734-37) in London. Farinelli's real name was Carlo Broschi. Having won ... Read more
	Farinelli Britannica Concise Encyclopedia orig. Carlo Broschi (born Jan. 24, 1705, Andria, Kingdom of Naples—died July 15, 1782, Bologna) Italian castrato singer. After being castrated, he became a student of the composer Nicola Porpora (1686–1768), making his debut in 1720. Renowned ... Read more