Senesino. Senesino c1720 Senesino (pronounced [seneˈziːno]; Traditional Tuscan pronunciation: [seneˈsiːno]) (Francesco Bernardi, [franˈtʃesko berˈnardi]) (31 October 1686 – 27 November 1758) was a celebrated Italian contralto castrato, particularly remembered today for his long collaboration with the composer George Frideric Handel. Early life and career[edit] Senesino was the son of a barber from Siena (hence his stage-name). He joined the cathedral choir there in 1695 and was castrated at the comparatively late age of thirteen. His debut was at Venice in 1707, and during the next decade he acquired a European reputation and, by the time he sang in Lotti's Giove in Argo in 1717 at Dresden, a commensurately enormous salary. As with many castrati, reports of Senesino's acting were not always positive, to say the least.
Senesino and Handel[edit] Senesino in 1735, by Van Haecken after Hudson Return to Italy and retirement[edit] References[edit] George Frideric Handel. George Frideric Handel (/ˈhændəl/;[1] German: Georg Friedrich Händel; German pronunciation: [ˈhɛndəl]; (1685-02-23)23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759(1759-04-14)) was a German-born Baroque composer famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Born in a family indifferent to music, Handel received critical training in Halle, Hamburg and Italy before settling in London (1712), and became a naturalized British subject in 1727.[2] By then he was strongly influenced by the great composers of the Italian Baroque and the middle-German polyphonic choral tradition.
Early years[edit] Händel-Haus (2009) – birthplace of George Frideric Handel Entrance of Teatro del Cocomero in Florence From Halle to Italy[edit] Move to London[edit] In 1712, Handel decided to settle permanently in England. Cannons (1717–18)[edit] Royal Academy of Music (1719–34)[edit] In 1727 Handel was commissioned to write four anthems for the Coronation ceremony of King George II. Castrato. A castrato (Italian, plural: castrati) is a type of classical male singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto. The voice is produced by castration of the singer before puberty, or it occurs in one who, due to an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity. Castration before puberty (or in its early stages) prevents a boy's larynx from being transformed by the normal physiological events of puberty.
As a result, the vocal range of prepubescence (shared by both sexes) is largely retained, and the voice develops into adulthood in a unique way. Prepubescent castration for this purpose diminished greatly in the late 18th century and was made illegal in Italy in 1870. Castrati were rarely referred to as such: in the 18th century, the euphemism musico (pl musici) was much more generally used, although it usually carried derogatory implications;[2] another synonym was evirato (literally meaning "emasculated").
History[edit] Opera[edit] Decline[edit] Farinelli. Farinelli (Italian pronunciation: [fariˈnɛlːi]) (24 January 1705 – 16 September 1782[1]), was the stage name of Carlo Maria Michelangelo Nicola Broschi (pronounced [ˈkarlo ˈbrɔski]), celebrated Italian castrato singer of the 18th century and one of the greatest singers in the history of opera.[2] Early years[edit] Broschi was born in Andria (in what is now Apulia) into a family of musicians. As recorded in the baptismal register of the church of S. Nicola in Andria, his father Salvatore was a composer and maestro di cappella of the city's cathedral, and his mother, Caterina Barrese, a citizen of Naples.
The Duke of Andria, Fabrizio Carafa, a member of the House of Carafa, one of the most prestigious families of the Neapolitan nobility, honoured Maestro Broschi by taking a leading part in the baptism of his second son, who was baptised Carlo Maria Michelangelo Nicola (in later life, Farinelli wrote: "Il Duca d'Andria mi tenne al fonte" - "the Duke of Andria held me at the font"). Opera. Opera (English plural: operas; Italian plural: opere) is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text (called a libretto) and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting.[1] Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance.
The performance is typically given in an opera house, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition.[2] It started in Italy at the end of the 16th century (with Jacopo Peri's lost Dafne, produced in Florence in 1598) and soon spread through the rest of Europe: Schütz in Germany, Lully in France, and Purcell in England all helped to establish their national traditions in the 17th century. In the 18th century, Italian opera continued to dominate most of Europe, except France, attracting foreign composers such as Handel. Operatic terminology[edit] History[edit] Origins[edit]