Word: castrati
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Though Daniels' vibrant voice has made him the first contemporary countertenor with the potential to become an international operatic superstar, many others have had major careers. In the 18th century, falsettists regularly alternated with castrati on the operatic stage, singing the virtuoso coloratura roles of Handel and Gluck. But once the castration of boys was banned, and unaltered male singers started belting out high notes in the manner of the modern tenor, the demand for countertenors began to decline. By the end of the 19th century the voice type had all but vanished; on the rare occasions when baroque operas...
...prestigious church choirs offered fame to the anatomically-intact. The Vienna Choir Boys, for instance, would train boys between the ages of 10 and 14 to sing with a sublime sweetness that was thought to rival the song of angels. Although we do not hear too much about the castrati today, boy choirs have retained their popularity. Last Friday, the Vienna Choir Boys, as witness to this popularity, came to Symphony Hall to celebrate their 500th anniversary...
Samuel Johnson, in a famous aphorism, once derided opera as "an exotic and irrational entertainment." That may have been true in London two centuries ago, when castrati sopranos warbled Handel in Italian before an audience of uncomprehending Britons. But during the past two decades, a wave of new American operas has put the lie to Johnson's dictum. One after another, composers have produced works teeming with powerful drama, accessible idioms and contemporary relevance...
...which the recording was made (St. Bartholemew's in Orford, Suffolk) seems inappropriate to the drawing-room setting for which the Canzonettas would originally have been destined. But this detracts only slightly from the overall listening experience. Watkinson's voice is splendid, negotiating passage that, originally written for castrati, are at times unsettlingly low. Wilson's accompaniment on the pianoforte rather than the modern piano is unexpected. However, right from the opening measures of the cantata, it seems to fit perfectly, illustrating ably the merits of performance on "period" instruments. Overall, this is a superb recording that sheds light...