What is a Castrati? A Castrati is a male singer  from 16th to 19th century who were popular Catholic Churches and Operas.

During the mid-16th century, The Vatican forbade women from joining in choirs. Despite the prohibition on women joining choirs, the Vatican and Papal States in history sought out soprano voices. Little boys can perform soprano voices  but  once they reach puberty their voice becomes more masculine. So this leads to the castrations of many little boys. Certain individuals coerce some of these boys unwillingly, while others offer themselves voluntarily. Why would young boys agree to do this? Why would some parents force their sons to go through this against their will? Many viewed it as a ticket away from poverty. These boys sacrificed their fertility so they can help their parents and siblings. Others did this for their religious devotion. While others  Do not want to do it at all but they have no choice. The castration was performed by Barbers and not surgeons.

 It is a cruel and inhumane practice for the sake of music,religion and money.

A lot of boys died from the surgery  probably because of infection  and complications. There is no anesthesia during 16th century so imagine the pain these boys had been through.  Once the boys recovered they get strict training  to hone them to be the best  operatic sopranos.  They voices are distinctly different from female Sopranos and can be unsettling to the modern ears. The best ones became Opera singers and concert artists. The others became Church Choir members.

Carlo Broschi, commonly known as Farinelli, was one of the most well-known and revered castrati of all time. Farinelli, who was born in Italy in 1705, rose to prominence and fortune in the 18th century. He was hailed for his incredible vocal abilities and critically praised performances. Farinelli’s voice has been lauded for its strength, range, and exquisite tone. He attained to prominence in the opera world and was popular with European aristocracy and monarchies. His celebrity and influence aided the growth of the castrati singers. He was from 1705 so voice recording was not a thing yet. You need a time machine to hear his voice.

Alessandro Moreschi was an Italian castrato singer who was born in 1858 and passed away in 1922. He is renowned as one of the last known castrati and the only one to have made audio recordings. Moreschi served as a soprano in the Sistine Chapel choir in Rome and was known for his ethereal and hauntingly beautiful voice. His recordings provide a glimpse into the unique sound and technique of the castrato singers who were prominent in previous centuries.

Around 1870, they finally stopped this barbaric practice, allowing women to join choirs and operas. This practice sadly persists, impacting some boys. Now it is completely banned and no boy have to suffer this barbaric practice again. Youtuber Brian Hernandez Rulli remastered the recordings of Alessandro Moreschi. His Channel have other remastered recordings too.

The last Castrati’s voice recovered around 1902 to 1904 when he was 43 to 46.

Recordings of the Last Castrati:

We have Male Sopranos now who are not castrated  and we have female Sopranos too. Their voice is definitely different from Castratis. You can still feel a masculine energy despite of the high register voice. Now you know how a Castrati sounded like. I feel unsettled and uncomfortable because I know this man goes through a painful surgery just to have this singing voice. Now that you get to hear their voice?