The Castrato Sacrifice: Was it Justified? Page: 45
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Senesino had the part of a furious tyrant, and Farinelli that of an unfortunate hero in
chains; but in the course of the first air, the captive so softened the heart of the tyrant, that
Senesino, forgetting his stage-character, ran to Farinelli and embraced him in his own.
(Heriot 1975)
Farinelli's fame was truly worldwide. Before castrati, internationally known celebrities
did not really exist in such a capacity. Castrati were revered and practically worshipped by
some, as evidenced by the now legendary exclaim of an enraptured noblewoman at an opera,
"One God, one Farinelli!" The details of this story may be more myth than fact, but the idea is
certainly not difficult to believe. Singers of his caliber were put on an enormous pedestal and
seen almost as gods. In a performance of "Son qual nove," Farinelli sustained his opening note
for so long that the crowd became completely ecstatic (Bergeron 1996). Few celebrities of today
could boast such total power over an audience.
They were immortalized in countless portraits, particularly Farinelli, who was
undoubtedly handsome and rather tall, as many castrati were. One of the most prominent
portraits of Farinelli shows his more human side. A musical scroll of Metastasio's Zenobia in
his left hand, dressed in the Order of Calatrava, in which he was knighted in 1750, he is alone
with one of his dogs, whom he loved. It was painted by Jacopo Amigoni, a friend of Farinelli's,
who was commissioned for several of his portraits, beginning in 1735. Various other painters
throughout Europe such as Hogarth and Giaquinto portrayed Farinelli in various settings such as
a military hero, or as a god complete with an altar burning before him. Paintings were created
with scenes from various operas and in different musical settings (McGeary 2002). As with any
celebrity, caricatures of castrati also began to surface, both flattering and unflattering. Artists
poked fun at various characteristics stereotypical of a castrato, from some of their ungainly
heights to the other extreme of feminine-like obesity.45
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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/m1/48/: accessed May 13, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .