The Castrato Sacrifice: Was it Justified? Page: 43
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Despite the flaws that this sense of power and importance certainly brought forth in some
of the castrati singers, others used their social caliber for other, nobler means. Carlo Broschi,
best known in history as Farinelli, is the prime example. He was heralded as the greatest castrato
voice that ever lived, but never seemed to develop the ego of many of his contemporaries.
Perhaps it was due to the fact that, unlike most castrati, he was from a noble family. His father, a
very important man, served as Royal Governor of the towns of Maratea and Cisternino from
1706-1709. Farinelli had just been born the year before, on January 24, 1705. After his service
as Royal Governor, his remaining years, until 1717 when he passed away, were spent composing
and teaching music (Heriot 1975). Farinelli's brother, Riccardo Broschi, was a rather successful
composer himself, and later wrote music for his brother. This cultural and musical heritage may
have given him his gentler sense of modesty somehow.
Also unlike most of his contemporaries, "Farinelli" was not a personal nickname, but a
family one. Riccardo Broschi was also known by this name, although his brother's fame quickly
superceded his own. The origins of this name remain a mystery, and are not altogether important
to this castrato's story. He arrived in Naples while still a very young boy and began to immerse
himself in musical study shortly after. His primary study was under the great Porpora. Farinelli
would later sing in many of Porpora's operas. At age fifteen, he made his debut in Naples with
Porpora's serenata "Angelica e Medoro". The libretto was furnished by none other than the
great Metastasio, in his first operatic work. This is an incredible landmark in musical history, as
the arguably most famous singer and most well-known librettist together make their debuts.
Even more beautiful is the instant friendship that developed between the two extraordinary
artists. Referring to one another as caro gemello ("my dear twin"), their frequent43
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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/m1/46/: accessed May 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .