The Castrato Sacrifice: Was it Justified? Page: 28
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school for music instruction. The students did not merely learn vocal technique in order to
become good singers. In these schools they were immersed in music study, from harpsichord to
composition. They learned composition in separate courses for various instruments as well as all
four voice parts: soprano, contralto, tenor and bass. Angus Heriot gives us a breakdown of what
a typical school day for a young castrato was like:
In the morning.
1 hour singing passages of difficult execution
1 hour study of letters
1 hour singing exercises in front of a mirror, to practice deportment and gesture,
and to guard against ugly grimaces while singing, etc.
In the afternoon.
1 hour of theoretical work
1 hour of counterpoint on a canto firmo (in other words, practice in
improvisation)
1 hour studying counterpoint with the cartella
1 hour studying letters
The cartella was the 18th century equivalent of a school slate. A glazed tile with music staves
upon it, this device served as a precursor to the personal chalkboards used later for
schoolchildren. Music notes could be written on it and then erased as needed, making it quite a
useful tool for teaching (Heriot 1975).
Vocal technique was certainly one of the main objectives of their education, but certainly
not the sole focus. Noteworthy is the fact that the boy's voices were not overused during daily
practice, and they spent much time studying other related subjects, both for educational purposes
and for vocal health. They were instructed in harpsichord exercises, which were closely
interwoven with vocal study. The boys also learned to compose psalms, motets, and other types
of pieces. They studied music theory, as well as the importance of the text in what they sang.
Despite the rather extravagant music that many of them would later sing, it was attempted to28
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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/m1/31/: accessed May 13, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .