Natural Castrati
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| In the beginning of the XVI century a new tradition was born in Europe that will dominate the world of Opera singers for almost three centuries: The Castrati, adults males that in their early years had their testicles removed so they could keep the freshness and color of their child voice. They were taught by the Chapel Master, and if the child had, in his opinion “a good voice”, they were sent to the masters to study for ten years to be able to sing as a soloists. One or two of every hundred castrati became a good singer. These singers combined in this way the voice of a man, a woman and a child in one being. They became a myth that created a great impact. Some of the most famous castrati were Senesino, Cortona, Niccolino, Ballatri and Farinelli, who had the ability to go from a soprano to a contralto register and thus creating an instant of vertigo that compensated the singers for all their suffering. This made the Castrati the wizards of a suspended moment in time. Of the last Castrati registered in the Sistine Chapel’s books, exists a recording of his voice between 1092 and 1906: his name was Alessandro Moreschi who died in 1922. Because of the ideas of the French Enlightenment and the barbaric facts of castration, this practice was ended and eliminated this marvelous sound from the world.
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Javier Medina
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In 1970, in Xochimilco, Mexico City, Javier Medina was born and suffered very similar changes to that of the castrati. Surviving leukemia when he was 8 years old, and possessing the same hybrid larynx as the castrati’s. His voice reminds us of those incredible voices by possessing the register of a Soprano, making him unique. The difference with a countertenor that had their normal secondary sexual changes and the larynx had its normal development so they use falsetto to try to simulate the feminine voice register. This doesn’t happen with Javier’s voice which is clean and pure as a soprano voice. For ten years Javier tried to find what to do with this God’s gift, but this search was unsuccessful and he was both mocked and rejected. In 1994 when he was about to give up his singing, Magda Zalles found him and believed in his ability and guided him. Without any significant teaching, he joined the Ancient Music Ensemble Ars Nova which she directed and toured through USA and Europe. It was not until 1977 when he found his actual teacher, Manuel Pena, Who started teaching him the possibilities of his register. Now He is studying with Mrs. Edith Contreras at the University in Mexico City.
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His versatile vocal capacity allows him to sing various musical genres like opera (recreating the scores made for castrati voices from the XVI to the XVIII centuries) musicals (with the roles written for sopranos and mezzo-sopranos) and popular music as well.
His first presentation as a soloist was in the theater play “Of Monsters and Prodigies: the History of the Castrati” that was written for him in 2000. This piece is partially based on Javier’s 12 year research of the castrati, with which he received a fellowship in 1998 from the Mexican Fine Arts and Cultural National Foundation (Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes FONCA) This play started in Spain in September 2000 with great success and has been invited to many international festivals like the ‘Kunsten Festival des Arts’ in Belgium. His recently appeared in the Hispanic International Theater Festival in Miami, NYC and Puerto Rico in June and July 2001. The Professional Press said about him: ‘a natural voice so pure and clean. He speaks like a child and sings like an Angel. His voice remind us the voice of the most important sopranist in world Farinelli. The Castrato Azteca makes us climb the sky with his performance. He is a talent that we would love to have at our countries, lets make him to give all of us this Gift of God’.
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On 2001 and 2002 he performed the role of Mary Sunshine in Chicago: The musical, in Mexico City. On 2002 he was elected by the Mexican Association of Theater Critics as the ‘best musical actor’, and won the ‘Claudio Brook’ award 2000-2001. On September 2003 was invited to sing in ‘Carmina Burana’ the role of the Roasted Swan at the festivities of the 10th. Anniversary of the National Company of Dance in the National Auditorium. Now He is performing the role of ‘Gordinelli’ at CASTIN’ the Cabaret Show.
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Jorge Cano
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Jorge Cano Male Coloratura Soprano.
"With a voice coloratura proper of a total Male Soprano. He has taken piano studies and currently investigates the history and origin of the Castrati, he likewise prepares and sings operas and arias of the ancient Castrati, also plays soprano roles. Currently he concentrates on soprano coloratura roles in Baroque Operas and oratorios of the Castrati. Estimated vocal range is from ''G3 to A6 Sol under the central Do until the La on sharp. He sings the aria of the 'Queen of the Night' of the opera 'The Magic Flute' of Mozart. He is the rare case of an endocrinological castrato so-called "natural castrati" and sounds much more like a treble than like a falsettist.
Born in Bogotá/Colombia, now in his early twenties he is one of those rare talents in the 21. century with the voice of a natural male coloratura soprano. Jorge fascinates the audience in all his performances with opera arias like the aria of The Queen of the Night (Mozart), written for a high female soprano or "Son qual Nave"
(Hasse), written for the famous castrato, Farinelli. Jorge tackles them with the exquisite natural talent of a contemporary "castrato". According to Cheryl Boyd-Waddell (director of vocal activities of Clayton College and State University, Morrow GA), Jorge is a natural talent with an inborn predilection for the repertoire of the old castrati. He possesses great strength, a remarkable range and tonal purity. He also has good agility and a natural feeling for ornamentations. He is no falsetto singer, but his voice sounds like that of a 12 years old boy with no traces of masculinity at all in it. A medical examination at the National University of Colombia attributed this to the fact that his
larynx didn't grow properly. He deserved a lot of recognitions for bringing back into life a long forgotten art, to the bliss of an ever increasing audience.
Leslie G.
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Recital in the Underground Theater ------------ |
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According to Cheryl Boyd Waddell, Director of vocal activities of Clayton College and State University Morrow, GA, he possesses great strength, remarkable range and tonal purity. He also has good agility and a natural feeling for ornamentation.
http://www.tp4.rub.de/~ak/disc/young/jc/index_en.html
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Radu Marian
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Radu Marian was born 1977 in the former Soviet Republic of Moldavia. His musical talent was discovered very early and he performed already at the age of seven in Moscow. He finished his studies of piano and singing in Moscow and Bucarest with the title of a Concert Master with merit. He is the rare case of an endocrinological castrato and sounds much more like a treble than like a falsettist.
Radu Marian sings sacred music from the early Baroque to contemporary music, but also lieder of the Romantic period, the range in his first CD is:
c' - c''' (C4 - C6).
http://www.tp4.rub.de/~ak/disc/rm/
http://www.abeillemusique.com/produit.php?cle=11718
(includes 1 "ra" song clip - Real
Player)
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Patrick Husson
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Patrick Husson was born in Ammerschwihr near Colmar, France on July 26, 1960. He sang as a soloist in several church choirs, where his "angel like" soprano voice (it is said that his voice never broke), was discovered. He studied at Colmar conservatory and went to Basel/CH in order to improve his vocal technique at the Schola Cantorum Basilienis.
He sings sacred music and modern arrangements of classical arias, his range is that of a true soprano:
c' - e''' (C4 - E6).
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And other male sopranos, some who sing the
castrati roles.
Note: The male sopranos listed
below, who have undertaken the castrato roles, are not necessarily "hormonal"; they have either suffered no breaks in their singing voices after puberty, or they have learned to vibrate the upper sections of their vocal chords more than the present countertenors can.
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Aris Cristofellis: "Les Castrats au temps de Mozart" features items composed by the great of the castrati; viz., Aprile, Guadagni, Rauzzini, and the non-castrato (definitely) Mozart himself, writing as he did for Rauzzini and Vincenzo dal Prato.
http://jan-billington.com/christofellis/
(includes "mp3" song clips)
Oleg Ryabets: Oleg Ryabets; (try him on Olympia's version of Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater", singing the soprano part).
http://www.tp4.rub.de/~ak/disc/or/
http://www.classicalarchives.com/artists/ryabets.html (includes "{free} streaming" song clips)
Joerg Waschinski: Joerg Waschinski in Porpora's "Gedeone" and others; there's a remarkable voice.
http://www.joerg-waschinski.de/
http://www.harmony.oakweb.ca/waschinski/waschinski.html
(includes "mp3" song clips)
Randall Wong: Randall Wong: Hasse's "Cleofide"; (Capriccio) and Vivaldi's "Soprano Cantatas" issued by Helicon.
http://www.tp4.rub.de/~ak/disc/rkw/
http://www.neptune.net/~rkw/hop/hreviews.html
Angelo Manzotti: Angelo Manzotti offers "Arie di Farinelli" on Bongiovanni. He has just released "Handel's Evil arias" (Crude Furie degli arride abissi) .. lovely title .. on Callisto
http://manzotti.callistomusica.com/
(includes "mp3" song clips)
Arno Raunig: Arno Raunig sings some of Farinelli's arias on the CAFFA label; he is credited with a remarkable range of over three octaves.
http://www.tp4.rub.de/~ak/disc/ar/
http://www.arno-raunig.at/
(streaming video - About Me {page})
Michael Maniaci is one to watch and listen, as he sang a brilliant soprano Nero in Monteverdi's "Incoronazione di Poppaea", performing the role in Canada; this was originally written for the castrato voice.
http://www.ffaire.com/aria/maniaci.html
Fabrice di Falco (sopraniste): some Handel: one of Farinelli's brother's arias included on: "Des oeuvres pour les castrats a la musique religieuese": featuring: "Ombra fidele"; I am so often asked for a copy of this score!
http://www.tp4.rub.de/~ak/disc/fdf/
http://fabrice.difalco.online.fr/start_an.htm
(includes "ra" song clips
- Real Player)
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Last but not
least, the "whistle boy wonder" Adam Lopez proves that females
are not the only ones capable of using the "whistle voice"
register, and to an extreme degree.
http://www.adamlopez.com.au/
(includes "mp3" song clips) |
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