Farinelli, was a famous opera singer in the time of Handel, the famous German composer. Farinelli was a castrato… ; he was castrated by his own brother during childhood in order to preserve his singing voice – it was a popular practice in the 16th century in Western European chapel choirs as the Roman Catholic Church had traditionally banned females from singing in church.
This movie was actually what started my fascination with the mystery and allure of a castrato, this is a wonderful film of breathtaking sights and sounds.
When seeing this film you will have the chance to witness the supreme singing of a castrato (this phenomenon of castrati happened centuries ago and there isn’t any recording available, it is in fact a lost art… as part of the arias sung by a castrati are so complex and difficult that they cannot be performed today... This film uses both male and female voices in a unique reconstruction to recreate the sound of Farinelli’s singing voice.
I was totally swept off my feet by the beautiful singing combined with the romantic baroque settings. This film shall remain forever special in my heart.
This aria, Lascia Ch'io Pianga sung in Farinelli Il Castrato is my personal favourite piece. No matter how many times I listen to it, I just can’t get tired of it. This aria is deliciously painful and sad. Yet... I love every second of it.
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