The Castrato Sacrifice: Was it Justified? Page: 26
View a full description of this thesis.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Ward 2004). Marchesi's beginnings are very similar. His castration apparently was against the
wishes of his parents, and was made possible by the cooperation of his teacher. But he was
adamant about becoming a castrato, and was successful despite the objections of his father
(Somerset-Ward 2004).
There is evidence to support the fact that puberty occurred at a later age in the 17th and
18th centuries than it does today. Many modern day historians attribute this phenomenon to a
nutritional difference. Studies on military history support this theory, which suggests that a
deficiency in protein is the cause for the later onset of puberty. For the poorer families, from
which most castrati were taken, their primary subsistence was bread. It is not hard to imagine
the nutritional imbalance that many must have suffered. Centuries of better nutrition and
medical insight pushed puberty to the earlier ages common to modern times.
Josef Haydn, the father of modern music, possessed an exquisite voice as a boy. At the
age of eight he entered the Viennese Cathedral as a choirboy, where he sang with great success
for many years. As recorded in the Concise Oxford Dictionary ofMusic, his voice did not break
until the age of 17, which seemed closer to the norm than 12 or 13. His voice was so promising
that he was given the option of becoming a castrato, but ultimately decided against it. The
decision was his. This age may be a bit older than most hit puberty, but the fact evidences that
some boys were given the option themselves of whether to preserve their voices through
castration, and many were old enough to make an intelligent decision. Adulthood came much
earlier in the 17th and 18th centuries. Boys were apprenticed out for work around age 10, the age
of Caffarelli's "castration contract," or even younger and "childhood" was over.
In Haydn's case, music history was greatly benefited by having one less castrato, as his
accomplishments as a composer rather than a singer, are invaluable. But what happened to26
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This thesis can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Thesis.
Sowle, Jennifer. The Castrato Sacrifice: Was it Justified?, thesis, August 2006; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5343/m1/29/: accessed May 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .