The Castrato Sacrifice: Was it Justified? Page: 36
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grand total of eight. Baroque trills were not merely by step or half step. Major trills, minor trills,
and double trills were the fashion. The complicated double trill was sung by adding embellished
notes within the trill itself. Certain improvisations were even attributed to specific singers.
Farinelli had a particularly famous embellishment in which he would trill on a major third. Like
a modern-day baseball player whose pitches are given memorable names by fans and media,
some of castrati's personalized ornaments were named. "La bomba del Marchesi" was one of
the most widely known. "Marchesi's bomb" astounded audiences with a stunning array of
semitone octaves, finishing with a note of such power that it was immediately given a name of its
own (Street 1987).
These singers were true virtuosos, astonishing audiences and composers alike.
Improvisation and embellishment of their compositions was not only accepted, but an
encouraged practice of the time. Cadenzas were created for the sole purpose of enabling these
singers to showcase their vocal prowess for the masses. Composers were not generally incensed
at the change in their music. The actual written scores may be a bit deceptive, as the melodies on
the page were generally much simpler than what would actually be sung. The singers were
expected to know how to properly ornament an aria, so the actual ornamentations were
sometimes not furnished. Great liberty was also given to these singers, so that they might use
their individual abilities to their full capacity as they pleased. Though this practice was
commonplace and widely accepted, it is not to say that a few composers were not weary of the
situation. Benedetto Marcello, a celebrated composer in Venice, penned a famous satire on the
theatrical conditions of the time. He gives a rather acerbic account of this particular situation:
...while singing his aria he shall take care to remember that at the cadence he may pause
as long as he pleases, and make runs, decorations, and ornaments according to his fancy;
during which time the leader of the orchestra shall leave his place at the harpsichord, take
a pinch of snuff, and wait until it shall please the singer to finish. The latter shall take36
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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/m1/39/: accessed May 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .