The Castrato Sacrifice: Was it Justified? Page: 55
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After this request, he pokes fun at the custom, creating an imaginary harpy that cackles with
gossip of all the dead bodies.
His adamancy over this perhaps hints at a bit of shame he may have felt over being a
castrato. It is reasonable to assume that may be why he chose a life of service in his final years,
but his confessions with Bishop Theodor seem to belie that assumption. Balatri seemed to be
genuinely devoted to God's service, and the Prince Bishop was confident that Balatri was
completely sincere in his pious decision and welcomed him wholly to his order. Balatri was also
steadfast throughout his life in his Catholic beliefs, and often tried to convert his hosts and
patrons abroad.
He waxes sarcastic a bit longer, and concludes with a humorous lament over a real
painting of himself at Ismaning, which was his parsonage. It depicts a lively party, with Balatri
at the center on the harpsichord. He grieves that:
at this moment the courtiers perhaps are saying: "Look at that ed eunuch, how he used
to be idolized!" One by one, the courtiers that knew me will die, and people will begin to
ask "Who is he?" -and eventually no one will remember at all, and the picture itself will
be relegated to the scrapheap... (Heriot 1975)
In this respect, Balatri could not have been more wrong. He remains one of the most celebrated
castrati, and certainly one of the most studied. His autobiography, the only known one by a
castrato, is not only full of invaluable information about his life, but is extremely well-written in
an acerbic, irreverent wit that is simply delightful to read. His verse gives us a very rare insight
into the psyche of a castrato. The phrase to his friend that began his will, "You have found the
buffoon in all my writings; but you know that the reason was because I could not do otherwise,"
raises curious questions. Was he hiding a sense of shame and depression behind his jovial
words? Or was his ironic view of life just his basic personality? The latter seems more
plausible. Certainly there is evidence that his position in life left him abashed, for instance, his55
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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/m1/58/: accessed May 13, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .