The Castrato Sacrifice: Was it Justified? Page: 58
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The design of the da capo aria for the new opera genre awarded the proper freedom of
expression for the castrati to fully demonstrate their immense talents and teachings. Lesser
singers would certainly not been able to take advantage of this style in any significant way, and
opera seria may not have flourished. Castrati were absolutely instrumental in the development of
opera, which became the premiere art form in Italy, and galvanized the European world of music.
As many retired, they began to pass on their craft and immense knowledge to others through
teaching. Many castrati who did not become particularly famous as singers at all contributed
greatly to music by teaching the singers that would become the greats. Francesco Antonio
Massimiliano, or Pistocchi, was one such castrato. He founded a singing school in Bologna, and
taught the famous Bernacchi, whose acrobatic style of singing was often criticized as being
overly instrumental and unemotional. However, he was very successful, and later became a
great proponent of the new legato technique. Following the path of his own teacher, he created
his own singing school right in the very same town of Bologna. One of the most common paths
for a retired castrato was teaching or serving the Church. Many castrati continued to bestow
their talent upon the world, even after their glory days were over.
The societal contributions of the castrati did not stop with teaching. Marchesi, having
acquired a great deal of wealth by his retirement, founded the Pio Istituto Filarmonico, which
supported the widows and orphans of musicians. Caffarelli's fortune was even more impressive,
and he bought himself a dukedom upon retirement. The years seemed to soften his tempestuous
spirit, and he devoted much time and money to the Church and to charitable causes in his final
times (Somerset-Ward 2004).
The rise of the castrati coincided with the rise of opera, and the evolution of opera is what
ultimately caused the decline of these singers. Gluck, the great opera reformer, wrote the piece58
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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/m1/61/: accessed May 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .