The Castrato Sacrifice: Was it Justified? Page: 21
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to set up. The monastery was much less expensive a path for the son, and also would provide
more security, plus added benefits such as tax concessions. For a daughter of the same privilege,
the life of a nun was not only socially respectable and free from possible scandal, it was also
cheaper for the family than marrying her off to someone (Rosselli 1992). The monastic life was
not only "holy" and certainly a religious calling for some, it was also quite economically viable
for the time! Even though it was merely a good business strategy for families, there was still an
"intense religious feeling common in baroque Italy- itself stirred by danger and decline"
(Rosselli 1992). Many of the most successful castrati such as Balatri, returned to the church at
the culmination of his career, not as a fallback position, but out of true belief and desire to serve
the Church. Whether destined for greatness on the opera stage, or for a quiet life of peaceful
monastic service, the church was a very wise choice for a young boy.
Once the decision was made, the process of creating a castrato began. Since the process
was technically not endorsed by the Church, there would obviously not be much actual
documentation of these procedures for research purposes. In general, the castrati originated from
poorer Italian peasant families, although not all of them came from humble stock. Farinelli, for
example, came from a rather noble parentage. Many children who were discovered to posses the
slightest musical inclination were outright sold to conservatories on the chance that they might
have a chance at a successful and more importantly, lucrative career (Heriot 1975).
The procedure was anything but pleasant. With the lack of general anesthesia, the
methods necessary to facilitate this operation ran to the rather extreme. Eunuchism Display'd, a
treatise by Charles Ancillon published in 1718, outlines the different procedures used. The
severing of the spermatic cord was one method used, as Ancillon described:
...by a detestable Art have been made so frigid, as at last quite to disappear and vanish...
this is done by cutting the Vein that conveyed their proper Aliment and Support, which21
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Sowle, Jennifer. The Castrato Sacrifice: Was it Justified?, thesis, August 2006; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5343/m1/24/: accessed May 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .