Berenstadt, Gaetano

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Berenstadt, Gaetano

Berenstadt, Gaetano, German castrato alto who flourished in the first half of the 18th century. In 1711 he sang in Novara and Bologna, and then entered the service of the Grand Duchess of Tuscany. After appearances in Dusseldorf (1712–14), he made his London debut in Handel’s Rinaldo on Jan. 5, 1716. He also gave concerts there. In 1717 he sang in Dresden and served as virtuoso to the King of Poland and Elector of Saxony. After singing in Rome (1719–20) and Venice (1721), he returned to London and appeared with the Royal Academy of Music (1722–24), creating roles in Handel’s Ottone (Jan. 23, 1723), Flavio (May 25, 1723), and Giulio Cesare (Feb. 20, 1724). In 1726 he sang in Rome and in 1726–27 in Naples. He then served as a member of the royal chapel in the latter city from 1727 to 1734. He also sang in Florence (1727–28; 1729–30; 1733–34) and Rome (1728–29; 1732).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire