In our time of rapidly changing life styles it is useful to understand that voices also mirror the spirit of an era. The study of the history of vocal styles may give valuable clues to a better understanding of contemporary phenomena. The age of the castrato voice is a remarkable episode. It illustrates the important role that the human voice plays in expressing psychological undercurrents of an age, and it throws some light on the powerful forces that influence the change of tastes and ideals in cultural history.
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The act of castration was practiced from ancient times. In countries of Middle and Far East, castration was often done to provide eunuchs as guardians of the harems. In Europe and especially in Italy, it was carried out to preserve the male voice unbroken into adult life.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDental status and 3D reconstruction of the malocclusion of the famous singer Farinelli (1705-1782).
Int J Paleopathol
December 2014
X-Ray Imaging Group, Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Viale B. Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy.
The famous castrato singer Carlo Broschi, better known as Farinelli (1705-1782), was exhumed by our research group in July 2006 to study his skeletal remains and reconstruct his osteobiography. He was castrated before puberty to preserve his high voice into adulthood. The osteological study has revealed several skeletal features probably related to the effects of castration (Hyperostosis frontalis interna, long limb bones, persistence of epiphyseal lines, osteoporosis) (Belcastro et al.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCastrati singers--all for fame.
J Sex Med
September 2012
Department of Urology, Markus Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany.
Introduction: The phenomenon of castration is very closely associated with the baroque era. In a period that placed emphasis on pure sensual pleasure, castrati singers, with their angelic voices, were a perverted outcome of this ambition. It was the intention that these castrato voices with their supernatural sound would mesmerize audiences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResearch has been made on the progesterone-induced effects upon endometrium on impuberal rats (either intact, or castrated, or castrated and adrenalectomized, or hypophysectomized) after an acute or a protracted treatment, which were made every third hour all through the day. It resulted that the hormone basically shows two distinct activities. The first one causes a modest awakening of the anabolical functions both in the lining and in the glandular epithelia, which results in the building up of small amounts of lipid and glycogen.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn our time of rapidly changing life styles it is useful to understand that voices also mirror the spirit of an era. The study of the history of vocal styles may give valuable clues to a better understanding of contemporary phenomena. The age of the castrato voice is a remarkable episode.
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