The Castrato Sacrifice: Was it Justified? Page: 30
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It is not difficult to imagine the welcome change for the viewing audience. Because of
their operation, castrati were generally much more delicate in appearance than their male
contemporaries. Like a woman's, their faces were smoother and more pale. Regarding their
physique, they had narrower shoulders and rounder hips and some even developed a
distinguishable chest. This body type must have been much easier to fit into the delicate,
feminine dresses that the heroines wore onstage than a broad-shouldered, muscular tenor. Their
unusual appearance was a distinct advantage, and was likely partially responsible for the instant
acclaim and admiration many beginning castrati were treated with. Although trained in the best
conservatories, these were still rather young singers, fresh but slightly immature in their art. But
their crystalline voices and unusual appearance made them almost ethereal, and audiences were
smitten. It is no wonder that the castrati are often proclaimed to be the first international
celebrities. Angus Heriot describes their rather expeditious rise to fame:
...he would take his bows, and with elaborately simulated condescension pick up the
flowers and billets doux that fell at his feet. His name would henceforth be made; a band
of supporters-'fans'- would gather round him, going en masse to the theatre every time he
sang and hanging on his every note as if it were pure gold barracking the other singers
and refusing to admit that, beside their idol, these miserable braying donkeys could be
said to sing at all. There would be an exchange of sonnets, satires and pasquinades
between the new star's devotees and the rival cliques; aristocratic ladies and gentlemen
would imagine themselves in love with him and engineer a piquant interview, and
nothing else would be talked about for the next few weeks... (Heriot 1975)
The successful castrati were instant stars, garnering as much drama offstage as there was on.
Opera became almost a spectator sport, with the camp of one singer cheering him on, in
opposition to the fans of another. They truly became celebrities. Opera was the premiere art
form and entertainment of the time, and when the focus of this art form became the castrati, they
were catapulted into the spotlight. They became the "talk of the town," so to speak, and
dominated social focus and conversation. Men and women alike were smitten by these strange30
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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/m1/33/: accessed May 13, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .