Few men can reach the notes, and few women have the lung capacity to manipulate them. Most of these arias have not been heard since the deaths of the castrati for whom they were written. Mezzosoprano Cecilia Bartoli has released an album entitled Sacrificium. The album is a compilation of 17th-century arias written for castrati--male singers who were castrated in order to sing in a higher register. Commentaries on the work are favorable; commentaries on the history of castrati and Bartoli herself are just as interesting.
posted by jefficator on Nov 9, 2009 - 44 comments

Castrati were the superstars of centuries gone by! (bonus link: Countertenor jokes)
posted by furtive on Dec 8, 2006 - 13 comments