Copyright by Francisca Paula Vanherle 2002 The Treatise Committee for Francisca Paula Vanherle certifies that this is the approved version of the following treatise: CASTRATI: The History of an Extraordinary Vocal Phenomenon and a Case Study of Handel’s Opera Roles for Castrati Written for the First Royal Academy of Music (1720-1728) Committee: ____________________________________________ Nikita Storojev, Supervisor _______________________________________ Andrew dell’Antonio, Co-supervisor ________________________________________ Rose Taylor ________________________________________ David Small ________________________________________ Louis Waldman ________________________________________ David Hunter CASTRATI: The History of an Extraordinary Vocal Phenomenon and a Case Study of Handel’s Opera Roles for Castrati Written for the First Royal Academy of Music (1720-1728) by Francisca Paula Vanherle, Master in Vocal Arts Treatise Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor in Musical Arts The University of Texas at Austin December 2002 With many thanks To all members of my committee For supporting me in my research. A special thank you to Andrew Dell’Antonio And David Hunter for their Contributions and suggestions And for their patience with the proofreading. A warm thank you to Rob Deemer for helping me With the general layout. Dedicated to my parents, For their wonderful support throughout the years. On the castrato Sassarelli (Dresden): “He started the note in the softest pianissimo, as if a tiny silver bell rang. This tone grew incessantly, swelling with ever increasing intensity, prompting the listening congregation to hold their breath, their eyes anxiously directed towards the choir. This magical sound swelled and swelled until it reached an astounding volume, filling the entire church. No one was breathing, the prayers stopped and even the priests turned their heads to the orchestra. Then, the power of this immense resonance, resembling a loud trumpet sound, gradually decreased in nearly unnoticeable degrees, and kept fading until it vanished into thin air.” H. von Mannstein (1711-1765)* * As quoted by Fritz, H., Kastratengesang, Hans Schneider: Tutzing (1994) CASTRATI: The History of an Extraordinary Vocal Phenomenon and a Case Study of Handel’s Opera Roles for Castrati Written for the First Royal Academy of Music (1720-1728) Publication No._____________ Francisca Paula Vanherle, DMA The University of Texas at Austin, 2002 Supervisors: Andrew Dell’Antonio and Nikita Storojev Castrati were without doubt, an extraordinary phenomenon in the vocal world. Four centuries of history exist from the first evidence of their presence in music, dating from the 1550s, and the death of the last castrato Allessandro Moreschi, in 1922. A tradition almost solely practiced in Italy, the castrati experienced their halcyon days in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. At first, they were recruited and castrated as young boys to sing in the soprano sections of the church choirs. They enjoyed an extensive training in specialized vi conservatorios and grew to be the most accomplished vocalists the world had known thus far. Inevitably, their art was noticed by opera composers of the time. They flourished and were celebrated in Italy and abroad. Their vocal technique and artistic skills dictated the bel canto style for nearly two hundred years. At the end of the eighteenth century, the growing awareness in moral philosophy, and a series of political shifts in Europe put an end to the overwhelming success of the eunuchs. Yet their influence on opera composition of the time and of the subsequent decades was of immense consequence. An important question should be raised when performing the opera roles written for castrati nowadays. Who will sing the castrato roles? As a logical solution, women or countertenors should adopt these roles into their repertoire. A study of opera roles written for castrati by a baroque master in the genre, Georg Friedrich Handel, sheds some light on the music for these rare birds. The castrato role-study encompasses Handel’s operas written for the First Royal Academy of Music (1720-1728). By disclosing some particular aspects in the music and the drama, it becomes clear what voice type should be singing these roles in present day Handel opera production. vii Contents Introduction 1 Part I: Castrati in History: The Story of a Unique Vocal Phenomenon I.1: Reasoning behind Castration for Voice Preservation 7 I.2: Origins and Evolution 18 I.3: Recruitment of Voices 21 I.4: The Conservatorios 25 I.5: Training and Education of the Castrati 36 I.6: Theatre in Baroque Italy 47 I.7: The Castrati and Opera 55 I.8: Life of the Castrati in Society 61 I.9: Sexual Ambiguity 68 I.10: Castrati Abroad 72 I.11: Folding of the Castrato’s Reign 78 Part II: Castrati in London: Handel and the First Royal Academy of Music (1720-1728) II.1: Handel and the Singers at the Royal Academy 83 II.2: Music for the Castrati: Who Should Sing the Repertoire Now? 89 viii II.3: Individual Singers: II.3.1: Francesco Bernardi (Senesino) 95 II.3.2: Gaetano Berenstadt 113 II.3.3: Antonio Baldi 118 II.3.4: Benedetto Baldassari (Benedetti) 123 II.3.5: Matteo Berselli 129 II.3.6: Andrea Pacini (Il Lucchesino) 131 II.3.7: Giuseppi Bigonzi 138 Conclusion 139 Bibliography 145 ix Introduction In the course of history, castration has for one reason or another played a part in the customs of many cultures. In China, the eunuchs were the guardians of the Forbidden City. In the Arab world, they tended to the women in the harem. Castration appeared in the Ancient Egyptian, as well as the Greek and Roman mythology. Various religious sects advocated (self-) emasculation as an expiatory sacrifice under the pretext that it provided a purer state of mind and body as it induced a forced sexual abstinence. This particular belief originated in the Cybele cult (3rd century AD). It passed on to many other religious splinter groups and even found its way deep into the Christian church, where it assisted in the exacerbation of the Western taboos regarding sexuality. More than often, Christian fanatics preached emasculation to promote chastity. In medieval times, the castration method featured in torture and punishment procedures, especially in cases concerning heresy and sexual misconduct. Yet, the West chiefly identifies the practice with the castrato singers of the seventeenth and eighteenth century. On a musical as well as on a social level, their legacy survived in a multitude of documents. Meticulous journals kept by travelers, press reports, theatre records and no less significantly, the musical scores composed for their voices all disclose various aspects of these singers’ life. What are the consequences of childhood castration? Little is known about the psychological effects, but physiologically, there are some unquestionable 1 facts. The exact biological impact was probably not known at the time. It is likely that the effects were noticed in accidental cases and then copied in deliberate surgery. Males castrated before puberty retain a high voice, they lack secondary sexual characteristics such facial and body hair and they are less likely to grow bald. Due to the hormonal imbalance, they are prone to grow to an exceptional height, especially for the norms of their time. Some, but unfortunately not all, attained an unusual vocal power, range and length of breath. This resulted from an intensive period of musical training, but also from their abnormal physical disposition. The enlarged thoracic cavity combined with an undeveloped larynx allowed an immense rush of air to activate the small vocal chords. In the best cases, the result combined a phenomenal vocal power with the freshness and acute brilliance of a child voice, resonating in a full-grown body. Undoubtedly, the custom of castration for vocal preservation is one of the most extraordinary episodes in Western music history. The first evidence of the presence of castrati dates from the 1550s. Originally induced by the Vatican, the castration of young boys for musical purposes was a practice uniquely present in Italy. The popes banned women from singing in church and saw in castration a quick and convenient solution to keep the soprano sections of the church choirs occupied. Though the nineteenth century no longer saw castrati appear in opera, the practice was not abandoned until the 1860s, as the Papal Chapel still counted on eunuchs to sing the high parts in the choir. Trained and educated in specialized conservatorios, they grew to be the most accomplished singers the world had known thus far. The fame and reputation of the castrati was of immense magnitude, comparable to the pop- and film stars of today. Audiences all over Europe were 2 wildly enthusiastic about the eunuch singers. They represented, on the one hand, the stunning fantasy world of baroque theatre, and on the other, a vocal skillfulness that the world had never encountered before. It is hard to comprehend why this trend became so fashionable, and furthermore, how a blind eye was turned to the practice. In a matter of a few decades, castration became a mere custom in the musical training of young Italian choristers. As the castrato’s art was noticed by the opera composers of the time, they also became a constant feature of baroque theatre. As theatre performers, they portrayed male as well as female characters. In an article dating from the beginning of the twentieth century, Francis Rogers wrote that the reason for the castrato’s popularity in Europe was most likely due to an “undeveloped musical taste in art singing”.1 Yet, it is hardly plausible that the reason should be so superficial. At the time, Italy played a leading role in the operatic world and the reputation of its singers was among the highest in Europe.