As a first time listener, Moreschi's voice actually creeps me out a bit. It sounds painful, though that's his natural pitch. I'm so glad women are allowed to sing these days.
This song does sounds better than Preghiera though.
@SerpentStomper I had to listen several times before I could detect vocal elements that hinted at the reportedly more attractive sinigng of his prime. He was never known as an opera-quality castrato. Opera castrati were preferred because of their extraordinarily beautiful & skilled voices, not just because women were excluded in Papal city-states, Women sang elswhere. Some, e.g., Hasse's wife, were good but according to reports did not match the quality of the castrati. See MaleSopranos website.
It... certainly doesn't sound like he's over fifty. This is amazing. If only we had the chance to hear that in real life, and not on a 100 yo tape that can't even give you a hint of how it would have sound like in a cathedral. Though this tape has something... something that moves me.
@JuliefromNeth He was a little under age 50, not old. Again said, go the the website MaleSopranos, Articles, and read the full description of Moreschi's voide and recordings.
The style is very much that of an Italian singer in 1903. The timbre of the voice itself, however, is very affecting, and that high B absolutely remarkable and unlike anything you've ever heard.
will not make a mirco redundance... For Cavaliere Moreschi was so difficult, because was a 'modern machine' and a person has to aproaches you to the cone "microfone" and takes you aways on the high notes... Chest voice... most of the people only knows the 'head voice' of countertenors and modern sopranos, those days Castrati were able to sing just in chest voice, Why do you thinkthe 'idea' of 'do de pecho' was born?Because tenors copied the high C of a castrato IN CHEST VOICE,without castration
Hi to all... I am not "sure" about how to take mostly of the opinios about castrato voice. For example, when you read a book all the images in your mind are the'best as your mind can make'... And that is what happend with castrato voice. We are children voice in a man body, nothing so far that think that we can have the voice of a dramatico soprano or coloratura... The way to record... Another issue, today, when you make a recordyou have to sing with quite not diferences in levels so you
He has a wonderful voice. The strange things that we hear is due to emotion that has been recorded so badly because the recording technique was so bad back then. It is a very clean sound and we don't hear his timbre, which is why it is so unpleasant to the ear. I am sure his voice was much bigger than what we hear; just the same as Patti's records of 1906 do not reveal the qualities she had. Very interesting recording, thanks for posting it.
@chonaV No, Moreschi was not old when he made recordings. I have sent to you by message the direct link to the Moreschi article on website MaleSopranos that completely explains his voice in these recordings.
@sfkcbf Thanks. His voice sounded like that of an 80 yr old. Maybe singers at that time were just not as polished as singers in the 20th century. Maybe at that time, his singing was already impressive.
@chonaV As I pointed out in my Moreschi article, his training & style were far inferior to that of the great Baroque castrati. Regardling "as polished as singers in the 20th century," most singers developed a technically less precise, less polished manner for "dramatic" singing of grand opera (w. exceptions like Janowitz, Kiehr, Kirkby, Bjorling.) The most polished were the opera castrati, mostly in the 18th century.
@sfkcbf But we wouod never really know what quality of singing they had then. They are all praises for Farinelli, but no one in our time really knows how his singing was like. I'm sure that standards back then are different from today's. Like figure skating for instance. Double toe jumps were the norms back then and people were already impressed, but now, double toe jumps are for amateurs, even the ladies are going for quads now.
@chonaV Your comment, on the surface, appears rational; however, the conclusion is inaccurate. Much study of the castrato sound has been done using reliable, historical reports of their voices, knowledge of conservatory training methods, comparing the voices of today’s best countertenors, boy sopranos, and especially natural male sopranos, + significant medical research on human production of singing tones. We are not totally in the dark as to the castrato sound
@sfkcbf@chonaV He was 44 when he recorded it, right? This is very ugly, maybe because he was not in his best shape, maybe because he was not a fine singer, maybe both. But I believe that in 18th century there was a sensibility for pitch that must have made great singers, because the castrato voice is very extensive, agile and volumous. I don't believe singers in the past were worse than our most recent standard. See Caruso, f. ex., or our best singers that were students of great ancient masters
@olivleonardo As of October 2011, the website MaleSopranos is changing servers; however, when it is back in full operation, I will continue to refer people to that site for a much fuller explanation of Moreschi's voice and his recordings.
To me the castrato voices sounds like a cry for help. Its so sad and it doesn sound like a boy and sudenly not like a man..I dont like it, It makes me sad.
wow... he has an amazing voice. on the high notes especially... thanks for putting this up man. i really wanted to hear it after reading "Cry to Heaven" by Anne Rice
@PrincessAmeatia Moreschi's voice, of course, is no where near the high quality of the opera castrati from the previous generations. In addition, Anne's description of Tonio and his voice were superlative, so one can imagine that Tonio's voice would be astonishingly beautiful.
2 Besides, Moreschi was trained to sing Ecclesiastical music, singing in choir.
To my hears, I've listened to a dishomogeneous voice 0:51 - 0:58 (passage from the medium to the low register), in 2:18 he cracks the first passaggio, and he strives much. The expression is very affected by portamentos and sighs, which really flusters me. However, the only document attesting the beauty of the castrato timbre, very different from countertenors one!!!
Is this really a crack? To me it sounds like an accacciatura, which I find quite a tasteful embellishment within the context of his late 19h century singing style.
This is first of all an important historical document of the unique castrato voice ever recorded. Now, we all agree that the recording quality is not good, but the voice of Moreschi isn't nothing special apart from the timbro, which really gives the idea of what a castrato voice sounded. Moreschi's voice isn't comparable to the opera castrati's ones cause the last opera castrato (velluti) retired in 1830 and that was the very end of the castrati inheritance.
That was amazing! I think his voice is fantastic. Are people deriding his voice just trying to be clever? Astonishing and wonderful, thanks for uploading.
@Vot63 Comments that deride Moreschi for having been a castrato are removed; however, comments about his voice in this recording can be useful. It is true that he was not trained in the tradition of the great opera castrati and that his voice lacks the focus that a good singer should have; however, one can hear elements of a voice that may well have sounded better outside the artificial and perhaps unnerving recording situation.
@666marezy666 "Cry to Heaven" is a surprisingly and satisfying well researched and written novel. Rice's description of castrati and their training and vocal performances are historically accurate. With appropriate cast, direction, financing, (and especially a morphed soundtrack using only Andreas Scholl and Maria Cristina Kiehr's voices) this would make a great movie, although the sexual encounters would have to be portrayed in a discrete manner.
Ok, the recording is very bad. One can hear this very good in the sound of the piano, sounds like a out-of-tune ship piano. But unfortunately, Moreschi's pronunciation is very bad especially at the end with the high notes. There are some words he actually does not pronounce at all, e.g. in the last phrases with the highest notes. Unfortunately a sign that he really is not in his best form (any more?). It would be great to have other recordings as a comparison...
@Lilith3110 You are correct. The closest contemporary singer who might have been far better was Moreschi’s predecessor Mustafa, who reportedly was good enough to sing Handel arias. Even Wagner considered casting him in “Parsifal” as Klingsor. Neither singer was a “Farinelli,” however.
this may not be a great recording or a completly mastered singer on top of their game, but for me it does demonstrate the masculine feminine natural qualities of range and ability of a castrato singer...and the treachery and extremes that human beings will go to just to achieve something as trivial as a few extra octaves and tone production...
this says more about mankind and our lust for things..but i do find this quite tragic!
i wonder if he was allowed to have a choice!? i doubt it somehow!
@mikenike504 As I have said variious times before, go to the website MaleSopranos, Articles, Farinelli, and read the biography of him plus the second part describing his voice. Although, obviously, we do not have the joy of actually hearing his voice, the reports of it are from imformed listeners of his time.
There are some people who think that this is a beautiful voice, and that's fine. However, I feel that what makes this recording so popular is because it's one of the only recordings of the only castrato to have been recorded. I think the piece of music is a beautiful piece of music, but I'm honestly not a fan of Alessandro Moreschi. From what I understand, he had been much more gifted years before, and was starting to grow old at the time of this recording.
@TheLethargic21 Indeed, you are right. That is why it written Bach/Gounod. Gounod used Bach's prelude as an accompagniment for this wonderful melody. As sfkcbf wrote it is originally written in C. As far as I know, this piece stands in F.
@Lilith3110 Assuming that my Bösendorfer grand has stayed in tune over the years, all the vocal performances of this Ave Maria that I have heard have been in the key of G. Of course, European tuning is slightly different.
claramente es dificil para gente entender que para el tiempo que se hizo esta grabacion Alessandro Moreschi habia ya pasado si etapa de apogeo y solo se capto el declive de lo que una vez fue grandeza. La verdad es que no pierde su valor cuando se pasa la epoca en la cual se cultivo sino se redescubre y se aprecia despues.
Let me tell you what I hear. Literally, a tenor voice pushed up into the extreme high range of a soprano: his "attack" and presentation are quite tenor-ish, especially in the lower register. He sings in the "sobbing" style of his time, and the recording has that typical muffled, "boxed" sound that would stifle the normal beautiful overtones of an operatic voice. He does make a couple of real gaffes, and it kind of disintegrates at the end. But listeners of that time might like it.
@ferociousgumby Valid comments. Unfortunately, not a castrato example that we would have preferred. They were made in 1902 & 1904. He died in 1922 without further known recordings. A posted suggestion, placed periodically among the previous several hundred postings, is for viewers go to the website MaleSopranos. com under the Articles section, Alessandro Moreschi, for an in-depth explanation of his singing and the recordings.
I'm far from an opera expert, but I really think style is the biggest factor here. What was "good" at one point in history is not what is "good" now. For an example, the Stradivarius violin has only become the best ever, of all time, violin in the late nineteenth century.
@ferociousgumby I do not despise the "sobbing style of his time". This is an absolutely amazing record of nineteenth century performance style. It sorely shows what most modern performances lack in expressivity: I find this recording very moving!
Moreschi in realta peccava di tecnica in molti passaggi e nonostante fosse castrato non teneva certi fraseggi a voce piena come avrebbe in teoria avrebbe dovuto. Alla fine era un cantante mediocre e fu famoso solo per essere l'ultimo castrato..per fortuna l'ultimo...
Este castrado suena como a un joven soprano de 14 años en combinación con una soprano de 30 años y como un niño de 6 años por el tiple tan hermoso que tiene.
According to Wikipedia, most and if not all recordings of Alessandro were made a bit later in his life, since recording devices didn't exist until close to his death. This is why his voice is a bit unsteady. Also, as with any physical castration, higher risk of diabetes and weight gain from uneven hormone levels to the loss of testosterone caused increased weight gain.
@Laramie3500 You are correct in stating that the recording methods then were very primitive. They were made in 1902 & 1904. He died in 1922 without further known recordings. A posted suggestion, placed periodically among the previous several hundred postings, is for viewers go to the website MaleSopranos. com under the Articles section, Alessandro Moreschi, for an in-depth explanation of his singing and the recordings.
I love alessandro.. hes a an angel to me a sweet spirit . his voice sometimes sounds likea violin and he sang this from his heart =he loved the lord and the Blessed mother
@triptoheaveandho His voice doesn't sound like a violin, in this recording there is a piano, castratosolist and a stringinstrument. Most likely a violin or a viola.
Офигительная техника пения!!! я преклоняюсь перед его кантиленой пения!!!! Ярко выраженная школа пения на И!!!! плюс шикарнейшая грудь!!!! Ну, не понять мене невежественных комментов в адрес этого певца....одним словом чё ожидать от быдла...люди все -- черти......
Es cierto, ni mujer ni hombre ni niño, sino los tres en uno solo, tiene un tiple tan puro y hermoso. De haberle vocalizado como a los grandes castrados de los siglos XVII y XVIII, hubiera sido aún más prodigiosa su voz...
The sad part about the castrati is that after going through such a brutal "surgery", there was no guarantee that the patient (or victim) would even have a beautiful voice at all. :-(
@PersonaInnocua пасиб...я невнимательный в отношении имён.....техника у него совершеннейшая....по кантилене и красоте он намного интереснее Аделины Патти...так как имеет сильную мужскую опору и более острый собранный звук......он многие гласные утрированно заменяет на гласную И...напр вместо gracia поёт gricia...и т. д....но это и правильно.....наш пед пения тож заставлял в некоторых вещах вместо правильных с словах гласных вворачивать У...
Every time I heard a castrato singer, I can't help but feel deeply and profoundly saddened. The sound of it is a strange mix of tragic and - admittedly - beautiful to me that I can't help but cry.
I know it's not his fault, but the vowels and shaky tones make this one of the creepiest recordings I've ever heard. I'm so glad this isn't common practice anymore.
@ashleylynnjoan A posted suggestion, placed periodically among the previous 238 postings, is for viewers go to the website MaleSopranos. com under the Articles section, Alessandro Moreschi, for an in-depth explanation of his singing and the recordings.
I am sorry. I have listened to this singing now for about 20 minutes. I looked at the other YouTube site as well. This person's voice is hauntingly sad. It is almost to painful to listen to for the second or third time. (But I have). Well, I hate what happened to him, but still, I am fascinated.
He was just a choir singer, rather than a solo singer which explains the poor soloistic technique. The Italians were obsessed with castrato singers, and the soloists were much more virtuosic.
welll.....with all due respect to this artist...he has NO control and terrible tenchinuqe...not even gunna talk about vocal quality here....ive heard operatic amateurs that were a whole deal better than him....anyway thnx for the video :D
@killerbunny123123 Well you have to remember that the quality of this is completely stripped because of the poor tech they had of recording a singing voice vs. what we have today. So therefore we are hearing an extremely stripped down version of his vocals. if you had've been standing in the room at the time this was recorded most likely it would have sounded better.
@killerbunny123123 Actually, although it does sound pretty off-key by today's standards, it doesn't mean he was a necessarily bad singer; the dips in pitch and tone were often what he was instructed to do to take advantage of the acoustics of the chapels that he'd sing in, plus add in the factor of that sort of melancholy, depressing tone that people liked in those days that he was most active, and you've got the reason he sounds like that. =P
i have just discovered castrato singing, and have been doing a lot of research. Most of the pictures of these men, they look chubby. Was this related to castration? Or was this the "look" for opera singers at this time?
@frankiegrrl The 90% loss before puberty of castrati's ability to produce testosterone resulted in less masculinization, and (to greatly varying degress) possible feminization. You can read more complete information just by searching online and also by reading Patrick Barbier's history of castrati.
@frankiegrrl to add to those comments, part of that feminization is characterized by retaining more fat and carrying it in the hips and other areas where females typically carry weight
@frankiegrrl Castrati tended to be very tall and barrell chested because of the way the hormones changed upon castration. Also, as you'll notice in this recording, they tended to have very long chest registers. He's going into his chest voice VERY high and, because of his age, the voice doesn't want to stay together. That's why he's cracking. The flaws in this recording tell a LOT about his techniques for managing his castrato voice. interesting.
A lot of people are guilty of judging this song by the standards of our own society. Firstly yes the practice of castration was cruel but we ought not to be too hasty to judge, in 100 years time people will be shocked that we ate meat. Secondly this performance was intended for a Victorian audience and it shows. The Victorians love sentiment and Moreschi was noted for supplying it. We may find this not to our taste but a Victorian would probably consider our modern recordings cold and clinical
@uppercommander I doubt that people will be shocked we ate meat. I mean man ate meat 100 years ago and a century befire that one. I mean humans have been eating meat since the days where man first discovered he could kill an animal and cook it on fire. But i agree with your point that each century people practice different traditions. So modern people can't comprehend certain traditions that were done in past centuries. But its a sign of change of times.
@uppercommander I mean everything from entertainment and culture today is different from tthree centuries before. Especially music. So I feel like what audiences would have liked back then as far as voice. Just possibly may sound foreign or strange to us today. Or rather it wouldn't be what we call a GREAT voice. because our ears are trained to different style of music. Specifically in opera. So my point is we may find the castrati's voices very strange indeed if we really were to know.
@SkateNater : No, during the 18th c., composers often use ladies in male role when they don't have castrato: see Vivaldi : Farnace, Orlando were female contralto and their parts are difficult. Giacomazzi, the soprano who sung Agitata da due venti was used by Hasse to replace Farinelli in later stage of Artaserse. So yes, soprano and contralto were used in place of castrato even in their time, and the composers didn't have always to alter the scores.
@equitemcroce The surgery happens countless times now days, but for other reasons, not for singing. Strangely enough, I have had a few messages on my site where individuals claimed that they would make such a sacrifice if they could sing like a "Farinelli," (although I am sure that no one would in order to sing like Alessandro Moreschi.)
I don't know much about singing but why do you people say that once your 45 your past your prime. You got people like Celine Dion, Andrea Boccelli still singing and still sounding good.
@bishop102 exactly!!! Even Sarah Brightman sounds good at basically 50. So I mean MAYBE people just can't accept the fact that castrati may not have sounded as good to us as we think. I mean to blame Moreschi for lack of skill is an excuse. Its not like any of us knows exactly how the rest sounded like Senesino, Cafferelli, and Farinelli etc. We ASSUME it would sound good to us just because historians have praised it
I googled him and found his wikipedia page and it has a recording of him singing Eugenio Terziani's Hostias et preces. It was very clear and interesting to hear.
This 1904 recording is superior to those he made 2 years earlier. The voice is (reasonably) steady, and he sings a clear and easy high B in the course of the music. It is said that he was terribly nervous in making his records, and he actually re-made the Rossini "Crucifixus" as he thought the earlier take unworthy. Although he was forty-five and past his singing prime, we are still very fortunate to have his recordings, and with them a glimpse of the great castrati singers of the past.
Yes,Nitchu,it's sounds sad: but the works that Moreschi sings only talk of death and despair.He is just a very great interpret!It is impossible to sing that with joy!
But he has in his lovely voice a very beautiful sensuality,and an extraodinary sensibility,which very few musicians have.
The love letters of Abelard and Heloise explain the dramatic emotional turmoil that many of these Castrato faced, as the former has something similar happen to him that did Farinelli. Read up.
@nitchu000 He certainly did not have the musical glory, the extreme popularity, nor the financial remuneration of the great opera castrati of the Baroque era, not even the audience draw of many previous, highly successful church castrati.
EN REALIDAD ES UNA VOZ MUY BELLA, NO SE EL SENTIMIENTO QUE HAYAN PROVOCADO LOS ARTISTAS DE ESTA NATURALEZA DE SU EPOCA PERO DEBIO SER BELLO ESCUCHAR SU VOZ, ES UNA LASTIMA QUE TENIAN QUE SACRIFICAR ALGO COMO TODOS EN ALGUNA EPOCA, PERO CREO QUE ESTE BELLO RECUERDO PERDURARA POR LOS SIGLOS DE LOS SIGLOS ALESSANDRO UNO DE LOS GRANDES CASTRADOS, OJALA Y HUBIERA ESCUCHADO A FARINELLI!!! EN VERDAD HAN DEJADO UN GRAN LEGADO!!! DESCANSEN EN PAZ !!! ATTE JOSE LUIS PERALTA
Man, for his time he must have been a good singer, but listening to a 50 year old guy hit those notes is, in all honesty, quite creepy to my modern ear.
INCREÍBLE. SÉ BIEN QUE NO ES LA VOZ DE LOS CASTRATOS DEL SIGLO XVIII, PERO AUN ASÍ SU VOZ ME PROVOCA UN SENTIMIENTO QUE NO PUEDO DESCRIBIR, QUIZÁ LO QUE PROVOCABAN LOS ANTIGUOS CASTRATOS EN SUS PÚBLICOS. ME HECHIZA, ESPECIALMENTE EN LA PARTE 2:40 A 3:00. ME LLEGÓ AL CORAZÓN, LA VERDAD...
The over-dramatic, breathy, weepy style was the fashion at the time. I've read some historical music reports that Moreschi wasn't that bad, considering the fashion and affect of the voice for that period. The recording is poor quality, but amazing that it exists.
Since then, modern opera singers can choose to use the composers grace notes as they see fit (according to their conductor). It's especially effective with baroque-classical music (which this piece isn't).
@lodengreeneyes You know, that's so unusual to hear some grace notes in classical music. But I play bluegrass dobro where grace notes are appreciated. Love that book about Moreschi.
For those that say that he was not a good singer well...keep in mind that the recording is poor and made later in his life.
I have heard some people speak about grace notes (which were no longer being used). If anyone here has more knowledge on what these notes are and why they were used by castrati that would be great.
I must also say that in his voice I detect a certain suffering..an agonizing pain..just me.
@daliazul The idea of using leading grace notes when reaching for high notes was a later 19th-century singing technique and the antithesis of good singing practice of the golden age of Baroque castrati. The quality of the conservatories, vocal instruction and singing style deteriorated greatly near the end of the 18th century and through the early 19th century. Go to MaleSopranos / Articles / Moreschi for further information.
@sfkcbf In addition, there was a style of singing at this time that was supposed to represent a "catch" in the voice, as if the singer was crying. Moreschi does this very well in this song--the anguish is palpable.
After listening to this a few times, I can definitely understand why the castrati were so sought after. While many may find his singing style distasteful, his voice type has an unusual effect on the listener. i can imagine these singers captivating audiences.
Moreschi should be celebrated forever through these recordings; preserving the voice of the people who were forced to make a massive sacrifice in order to please an audience.
@CheyTaCOpTix "Castration (also referred to as: gelding, spaying, neutering, fixing, orchiectomy, oophorectomy) is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses the functions of the testicle" - Castration doesn't ALWAYS mean the removal of testicles. Yes, thats usually the case but even if the testicles arent removed, as long as the testosterones don't reach the body, their voice will not deepen.
Women could not emulate the castrati because of physiology - the lack of testosterone in the male meant that the ends of the bones did not fuse which meant they grew tall and especially the rib cage grew bigger. This gave the castrati, after intensive training, great technique for power, which along with the the "soprano" made it unique. It is a terrible shame that this recording of a 2nd-rate singer at age 50 is all that remains to us.
@custardaghost You are absolutely right: there are many physiological differences between a castrato and a female singer that resulted in a much different sound. Castrati, like boy sopranos, had a male timbre and a more focused voice, less vibrato. Because of their larger chests as well as excellent vocal training, they had much greater breath capacity than even a grown man. Yes, it's too bad that the only sample is of Moreschi.
@sfkcbf Vibrato or lack thereof is not an inherent quality of castration or a child's voice. It is a trained and emulated quality. There are many oscillations of the voice that happen naturally, but the heavy vibrato -- even that which we hear in this recording (which has much vibrato in it) is not something that "just happens" in the voice. It is made and done, otherwise all people singing would instinctively do it.
@custardaghost He was 44. Lack of estrogen and very little testosterone shaped the body AND the vocal cords. It is the small boy's cords combined with the large, adult body that ultimate creates the castrato sound. It is clear and powerful. No woman's voice can approximate this.
Listening to this is like watching a car wreck or a special olympics hurdle race. You want to feel hope, but this sort of singing represents a serious injustice that can't be reversed. I was shocked when I first heard of the concept of castrato.
ярко выражкнная кантилена смычкового инструмента школы через И...шикарное звучание вместе грудного и головного резонаторов....явно ощущается, как во многих местах произведения он заменяет все неудобные ему ключевые гласные на гласную И.....
@funyun2 You're not the only one. Listening to this recording as 27 year old, as opposed to a 18 year old, I can say, that I appreciate how beautiful his voice is now.
What a welcome change to hear soething that goes back to atime when there was none of this here modern mish mash of so called music: bring back such songs!
The poor mite, he sounded so genuinely sad: going of course beyond whatever operation or not that he'd had, he still had a good enough voice at least for me! Goodness, when he hits those high notes, he even makes Lesley Garrett sound as though she's more like a blinking fella!
no me gusta nada :/
yasmipitu 1 week ago
No me gusta como maneja la voz.
boy0macaroni 1 month ago
@boy0macaroni Treinamento de voz, no século 18 foi muito superior à formação no século 19.
sfkcbf 1 month ago
It's beautiful
BelieveInImagination 1 month ago
As a first time listener, Moreschi's voice actually creeps me out a bit. It sounds painful, though that's his natural pitch. I'm so glad women are allowed to sing these days.
This song does sounds better than Preghiera though.
SerpentStomper 2 months ago
@SerpentStomper I had to listen several times before I could detect vocal elements that hinted at the reportedly more attractive sinigng of his prime. He was never known as an opera-quality castrato. Opera castrati were preferred because of their extraordinarily beautiful & skilled voices, not just because women were excluded in Papal city-states, Women sang elswhere. Some, e.g., Hasse's wife, were good but according to reports did not match the quality of the castrati. See MaleSopranos website.
sfkcbf 2 months ago
Very Haunting
gcastro44 2 months ago
Hail Mary
full of grace
Mary full of grace
Mary full of grace
Hail, Hail Lord is with thee
Blessed art thou among women
and blessed be the
Blessed is the fruit of thy womb
Thy Jesus
Hail Mary
twohseven 3 months ago
It... certainly doesn't sound like he's over fifty. This is amazing. If only we had the chance to hear that in real life, and not on a 100 yo tape that can't even give you a hint of how it would have sound like in a cathedral. Though this tape has something... something that moves me.
JuliefromNeth 4 months ago
@JuliefromNeth He was a little under age 50, not old. Again said, go the the website MaleSopranos, Articles, and read the full description of Moreschi's voide and recordings.
sfkcbf 4 months ago
The style is very much that of an Italian singer in 1903. The timbre of the voice itself, however, is very affecting, and that high B absolutely remarkable and unlike anything you've ever heard.
AulicExclusiva 4 months ago
Someone told me, that this was recorded on 1903. Moreschi was 45 years old, - not too old for the singer, but - sounds funny
MsZhizii 4 months ago
La qualité sonore catastrophique n'arrive pas à cacher l'excellence de l'interprétation.
6paganini 5 months ago
will not make a mirco redundance... For Cavaliere Moreschi was so difficult, because was a 'modern machine' and a person has to aproaches you to the cone "microfone" and takes you aways on the high notes... Chest voice... most of the people only knows the 'head voice' of countertenors and modern sopranos, those days Castrati were able to sing just in chest voice, Why do you thinkthe 'idea' of 'do de pecho' was born?Because tenors copied the high C of a castrato IN CHEST VOICE,without castration
javiermedinavila 5 months ago
Hi to all... I am not "sure" about how to take mostly of the opinios about castrato voice. For example, when you read a book all the images in your mind are the'best as your mind can make'... And that is what happend with castrato voice. We are children voice in a man body, nothing so far that think that we can have the voice of a dramatico soprano or coloratura... The way to record... Another issue, today, when you make a recordyou have to sing with quite not diferences in levels so you
javiermedinavila 5 months ago
He has a wonderful voice. The strange things that we hear is due to emotion that has been recorded so badly because the recording technique was so bad back then. It is a very clean sound and we don't hear his timbre, which is why it is so unpleasant to the ear. I am sure his voice was much bigger than what we hear; just the same as Patti's records of 1906 do not reveal the qualities she had. Very interesting recording, thanks for posting it.
rubyedelman 5 months ago
How old was he when this was recorded? Maybe that's why his voice sounded quivery because he was already old when this was recorded.
chonaV 6 months ago
@chonaV No, Moreschi was not old when he made recordings. I have sent to you by message the direct link to the Moreschi article on website MaleSopranos that completely explains his voice in these recordings.
sfkcbf 6 months ago
@sfkcbf Thanks. His voice sounded like that of an 80 yr old. Maybe singers at that time were just not as polished as singers in the 20th century. Maybe at that time, his singing was already impressive.
chonaV 6 months ago
@chonaV As I pointed out in my Moreschi article, his training & style were far inferior to that of the great Baroque castrati. Regardling "as polished as singers in the 20th century," most singers developed a technically less precise, less polished manner for "dramatic" singing of grand opera (w. exceptions like Janowitz, Kiehr, Kirkby, Bjorling.) The most polished were the opera castrati, mostly in the 18th century.
sfkcbf 6 months ago
@sfkcbf But we wouod never really know what quality of singing they had then. They are all praises for Farinelli, but no one in our time really knows how his singing was like. I'm sure that standards back then are different from today's. Like figure skating for instance. Double toe jumps were the norms back then and people were already impressed, but now, double toe jumps are for amateurs, even the ladies are going for quads now.
chonaV 6 months ago
@chonaV Your comment, on the surface, appears rational; however, the conclusion is inaccurate. Much study of the castrato sound has been done using reliable, historical reports of their voices, knowledge of conservatory training methods, comparing the voices of today’s best countertenors, boy sopranos, and especially natural male sopranos, + significant medical research on human production of singing tones. We are not totally in the dark as to the castrato sound
sfkcbf 6 months ago
@sfkcbf @chonaV He was 44 when he recorded it, right? This is very ugly, maybe because he was not in his best shape, maybe because he was not a fine singer, maybe both. But I believe that in 18th century there was a sensibility for pitch that must have made great singers, because the castrato voice is very extensive, agile and volumous. I don't believe singers in the past were worse than our most recent standard. See Caruso, f. ex., or our best singers that were students of great ancient masters
olivleonardo 4 months ago
@olivleonardo As of October 2011, the website MaleSopranos is changing servers; however, when it is back in full operation, I will continue to refer people to that site for a much fuller explanation of Moreschi's voice and his recordings.
sfkcbf 4 months ago
He sounds like a ghost. Makes my hair stand on end! Poor soul, what a strange existence to be a castrati. When did he consent to that?!
TheMamadeira 6 months ago
To me the castrato voices sounds like a cry for help. Its so sad and it doesn sound like a boy and sudenly not like a man..I dont like it, It makes me sad.
greetings from Denmark
Vinterblomst 6 months ago
wow... he has an amazing voice. on the high notes especially... thanks for putting this up man. i really wanted to hear it after reading "Cry to Heaven" by Anne Rice
PrincessAmeatia 7 months ago
@PrincessAmeatia Moreschi's voice, of course, is no where near the high quality of the opera castrati from the previous generations. In addition, Anne's description of Tonio and his voice were superlative, so one can imagine that Tonio's voice would be astonishingly beautiful.
sfkcbf 7 months ago
2 Besides, Moreschi was trained to sing Ecclesiastical music, singing in choir.
To my hears, I've listened to a dishomogeneous voice 0:51 - 0:58 (passage from the medium to the low register), in 2:18 he cracks the first passaggio, and he strives much. The expression is very affected by portamentos and sighs, which really flusters me. However, the only document attesting the beauty of the castrato timbre, very different from countertenors one!!!
MisterPapageno 7 months ago
@MisterPapageno "in 2:18 he cracks the first passaggio"
Is this really a crack? To me it sounds like an accacciatura, which I find quite a tasteful embellishment within the context of his late 19h century singing style.
ludustestudinis 3 days ago
This is first of all an important historical document of the unique castrato voice ever recorded. Now, we all agree that the recording quality is not good, but the voice of Moreschi isn't nothing special apart from the timbro, which really gives the idea of what a castrato voice sounded. Moreschi's voice isn't comparable to the opera castrati's ones cause the last opera castrato (velluti) retired in 1830 and that was the very end of the castrati inheritance.
MisterPapageno 7 months ago
That was amazing! I think his voice is fantastic. Are people deriding his voice just trying to be clever? Astonishing and wonderful, thanks for uploading.
Vot63 8 months ago
@Vot63 Comments that deride Moreschi for having been a castrato are removed; however, comments about his voice in this recording can be useful. It is true that he was not trained in the tradition of the great opera castrati and that his voice lacks the focus that a good singer should have; however, one can hear elements of a voice that may well have sounded better outside the artificial and perhaps unnerving recording situation.
sfkcbf 8 months ago
@Vot63 well said
666marezy666 8 months ago
@Vot63 well said
you shoild read "Cry to Heaven" - Anne Rice!!! Great book!
666marezy666 8 months ago
@666marezy666 "Cry to Heaven" is a surprisingly and satisfying well researched and written novel. Rice's description of castrati and their training and vocal performances are historically accurate. With appropriate cast, direction, financing, (and especially a morphed soundtrack using only Andreas Scholl and Maria Cristina Kiehr's voices) this would make a great movie, although the sexual encounters would have to be portrayed in a discrete manner.
sfkcbf 8 months ago
@666marezy666
CRY TO HEAVENNN!!!!
Thails0 7 months ago
Ok, the recording is very bad. One can hear this very good in the sound of the piano, sounds like a out-of-tune ship piano. But unfortunately, Moreschi's pronunciation is very bad especially at the end with the high notes. There are some words he actually does not pronounce at all, e.g. in the last phrases with the highest notes. Unfortunately a sign that he really is not in his best form (any more?). It would be great to have other recordings as a comparison...
Lilith3110 8 months ago
@Lilith3110 You are correct. The closest contemporary singer who might have been far better was Moreschi’s predecessor Mustafa, who reportedly was good enough to sing Handel arias. Even Wagner considered casting him in “Parsifal” as Klingsor. Neither singer was a “Farinelli,” however.
sfkcbf 8 months ago
Wow! Great voice, even at his age at the time.
shortyblackwelll 8 months ago
Sometimes this makes my throat hurt- I think that in my head I try to sing :D
gonrolgonrol 9 months ago
this may not be a great recording or a completly mastered singer on top of their game, but for me it does demonstrate the masculine feminine natural qualities of range and ability of a castrato singer...and the treachery and extremes that human beings will go to just to achieve something as trivial as a few extra octaves and tone production...
this says more about mankind and our lust for things..but i do find this quite tragic!
i wonder if he was allowed to have a choice!? i doubt it somehow!
imdoingme 9 months ago
*sigh* The only castrato recording, and not a good one at that. Thanks for the upload, though!
I wonder what Farinelli sounded like.
mikenike504 9 months ago
@mikenike504 As I have said variious times before, go to the website MaleSopranos, Articles, Farinelli, and read the biography of him plus the second part describing his voice. Although, obviously, we do not have the joy of actually hearing his voice, the reports of it are from imformed listeners of his time.
sfkcbf 9 months ago
@mikenike504 i know what you mean......
51m0n77 9 months ago
There are some people who think that this is a beautiful voice, and that's fine. However, I feel that what makes this recording so popular is because it's one of the only recordings of the only castrato to have been recorded. I think the piece of music is a beautiful piece of music, but I'm honestly not a fan of Alessandro Moreschi. From what I understand, he had been much more gifted years before, and was starting to grow old at the time of this recording.
mysteryperson1976 10 months ago
Background music sounds like Bach's The Well Tempered Clavier Book 1 Prelude 1. Amirite?
TheLethargic21 10 months ago
@TheLethargic21 Yes, you are correct. The Prelude, however, is in the key of C, whereas most boys and also male soprano Radu Marian sing it in G.
sfkcbf 10 months ago
@TheLethargic21 Indeed, you are right. That is why it written Bach/Gounod. Gounod used Bach's prelude as an accompagniment for this wonderful melody. As sfkcbf wrote it is originally written in C. As far as I know, this piece stands in F.
Lilith3110 8 months ago
@Lilith3110 Assuming that my Bösendorfer grand has stayed in tune over the years, all the vocal performances of this Ave Maria that I have heard have been in the key of G. Of course, European tuning is slightly different.
sfkcbf 8 months ago
claramente es dificil para gente entender que para el tiempo que se hizo esta grabacion Alessandro Moreschi habia ya pasado si etapa de apogeo y solo se capto el declive de lo que una vez fue grandeza. La verdad es que no pierde su valor cuando se pasa la epoca en la cual se cultivo sino se redescubre y se aprecia despues.
shaina39 10 months ago
this is hauntingly impressive, no more words to describe it.
TheSonie13 10 months ago
шикарнейшая техника звуковедения!!!!!!
svjatazarov 10 months ago
Let me tell you what I hear. Literally, a tenor voice pushed up into the extreme high range of a soprano: his "attack" and presentation are quite tenor-ish, especially in the lower register. He sings in the "sobbing" style of his time, and the recording has that typical muffled, "boxed" sound that would stifle the normal beautiful overtones of an operatic voice. He does make a couple of real gaffes, and it kind of disintegrates at the end. But listeners of that time might like it.
ferociousgumby 11 months ago
@ferociousgumby Valid comments. Unfortunately, not a castrato example that we would have preferred. They were made in 1902 & 1904. He died in 1922 without further known recordings. A posted suggestion, placed periodically among the previous several hundred postings, is for viewers go to the website MaleSopranos. com under the Articles section, Alessandro Moreschi, for an in-depth explanation of his singing and the recordings.
sfkcbf 11 months ago
@ferociousgumby
I'm far from an opera expert, but I really think style is the biggest factor here. What was "good" at one point in history is not what is "good" now. For an example, the Stradivarius violin has only become the best ever, of all time, violin in the late nineteenth century.
fastrnb 10 months ago
@ferociousgumby I do not despise the "sobbing style of his time". This is an absolutely amazing record of nineteenth century performance style. It sorely shows what most modern performances lack in expressivity: I find this recording very moving!
ludustestudinis 9 months ago
Moreschi in realta peccava di tecnica in molti passaggi e nonostante fosse castrato non teneva certi fraseggi a voce piena come avrebbe in teoria avrebbe dovuto. Alla fine era un cantante mediocre e fu famoso solo per essere l'ultimo castrato..per fortuna l'ultimo...
italynperu 11 months ago
@italynperu Assolutamente d'accordo. Un successo abbastanza immeritato. Ho sentito voci bianche cantare molto meglio.
LaReginaInfante 11 months ago
Parabéns pela disponibilização.. tbm tenho versões de Bach, quando puder, dê uma olhada. abraço
evandrooliva 1 year ago
wonderful
federicoronco1 1 year ago
Joder da miedo!!
Its scary!!
caeslokos 1 year ago
I love opera, but this sounds very disturbing. Sorry.
Redskin1040 1 year ago
Este castrado suena como a un joven soprano de 14 años en combinación con una soprano de 30 años y como un niño de 6 años por el tiple tan hermoso que tiene.
oceanodefuego1 1 year ago
Tengo miedo a estas canciones.............
pedro8393 1 year ago
According to Wikipedia, most and if not all recordings of Alessandro were made a bit later in his life, since recording devices didn't exist until close to his death. This is why his voice is a bit unsteady. Also, as with any physical castration, higher risk of diabetes and weight gain from uneven hormone levels to the loss of testosterone caused increased weight gain.
Laramie3500 1 year ago
@Laramie3500 You are correct in stating that the recording methods then were very primitive. They were made in 1902 & 1904. He died in 1922 without further known recordings. A posted suggestion, placed periodically among the previous several hundred postings, is for viewers go to the website MaleSopranos. com under the Articles section, Alessandro Moreschi, for an in-depth explanation of his singing and the recordings.
sfkcbf 1 year ago
I love alessandro.. hes a an angel to me a sweet spirit . his voice sometimes sounds likea violin and he sang this from his heart =he loved the lord and the Blessed mother
triptoheaveandho 1 year ago
@triptoheaveandho His voice doesn't sound like a violin, in this recording there is a piano, castratosolist and a stringinstrument. Most likely a violin or a viola.
HerrWarja 1 year ago
He kind of sounds like the guy from nevershoutnever
LittleEmoBoy001 1 year ago
I'm sorry but this voice is so beautiful... so unique and special it's jut amazing !
boldechoco 1 year ago
barraka00, he has no more balls. They were removed in order for him to sing on a female range.
Nonie46 1 year ago
@Nonie46 - Some people just don't get irony :-)
muzobear 1 year ago
An outstanding voc. technique!!!!!!!!!!!
svjatazarov 1 year ago
Офигительная техника пения!!! я преклоняюсь перед его кантиленой пения!!!! Ярко выраженная школа пения на И!!!! плюс шикарнейшая грудь!!!! Ну, не понять мене невежественных комментов в адрес этого певца....одним словом чё ожидать от быдла...люди все -- черти......
svjatazarov 1 year ago
Es cierto, ni mujer ni hombre ni niño, sino los tres en uno solo, tiene un tiple tan puro y hermoso. De haberle vocalizado como a los grandes castrados de los siglos XVII y XVIII, hubiera sido aún más prodigiosa su voz...
oceanodefuego1 1 year ago
The sad part about the castrati is that after going through such a brutal "surgery", there was no guarantee that the patient (or victim) would even have a beautiful voice at all. :-(
MissSheilaBeila 1 year ago
@MissSheilaBeila OR that the boy would even survive. Infection was common and sometimes killed them.
Blackestblack666 1 year ago
мореши просто шокарен!!!! шикарная техника школы на И!!!!!!!!!!
svjatazarov 1 year ago
@svjatazarov, только правильнее говорить Морески (по итальянски это так звучит)
PersonaInnocua 1 year ago
@PersonaInnocua пасиб...я невнимательный в отношении имён.....техника у него совершеннейшая....по кантилене и красоте он намного интереснее Аделины Патти...так как имеет сильную мужскую опору и более острый собранный звук......он многие гласные утрированно заменяет на гласную И...напр вместо gracia поёт gricia...и т. д....но это и правильно.....наш пед пения тож заставлял в некоторых вещах вместо правильных с словах гласных вворачивать У...
svjatazarov 1 year ago
@killerbunny123123 Meh; maybe so. XD Who knows?
Liolar43 1 year ago
@Liolar43 xD
killerbunny123123 1 year ago
The quality of the voice is beautiful but everything about it is just creepy, haunting even.
wtfjader 1 year ago
Every time I heard a castrato singer, I can't help but feel deeply and profoundly saddened. The sound of it is a strange mix of tragic and - admittedly - beautiful to me that I can't help but cry.
hmin310 1 year ago 2
@plot000000 i know! how did he even live after that mistake (my opinion) he did???
Dimitr0c 1 year ago
@barraka00 i see what u did there cuz he doesnt have balls lol
bassn0te 1 year ago
I know it's not his fault, but the vowels and shaky tones make this one of the creepiest recordings I've ever heard. I'm so glad this isn't common practice anymore.
ashleylynnjoan 1 year ago 8
@ashleylynnjoan A posted suggestion, placed periodically among the previous 238 postings, is for viewers go to the website MaleSopranos. com under the Articles section, Alessandro Moreschi, for an in-depth explanation of his singing and the recordings.
sfkcbf 1 year ago
@sfkcbf I have seen that posted, and I am aware of his history; that doesn't make it any less difficult for me to hear.
ashleylynnjoan 1 year ago
@ashleylynnjoan God! you are totally right! it sounds creepy and then somehow the sound of the voice makes me think about that practice .
Nacidodelmar 1 year ago
@ashleylynnjoan it has also been said that Alessandro was a mediocre castrato , who knows...
Countessblackdaisy 1 year ago
This is so creepy lol. I wish I could hear him when he was younger, he must've been really good.
Steinwaytoday 1 year ago
I really enjoyed this. I'd love to sing along with him on this piece.
mradaChris 1 year ago 2
I am sorry. I have listened to this singing now for about 20 minutes. I looked at the other YouTube site as well. This person's voice is hauntingly sad. It is almost to painful to listen to for the second or third time. (But I have). Well, I hate what happened to him, but still, I am fascinated.
stellarblue51 1 year ago
He was just a choir singer, rather than a solo singer which explains the poor soloistic technique. The Italians were obsessed with castrato singers, and the soloists were much more virtuosic.
AmenoKoe 1 year ago
que feo canta
vampirobrm 1 year ago
welll.....with all due respect to this artist...he has NO control and terrible tenchinuqe...not even gunna talk about vocal quality here....ive heard operatic amateurs that were a whole deal better than him....anyway thnx for the video :D
killerbunny123123 1 year ago
@killerbunny123123 Well you have to remember that the quality of this is completely stripped because of the poor tech they had of recording a singing voice vs. what we have today. So therefore we are hearing an extremely stripped down version of his vocals. if you had've been standing in the room at the time this was recorded most likely it would have sounded better.
andrika1990 1 year ago
@killerbunny123123 Actually, although it does sound pretty off-key by today's standards, it doesn't mean he was a necessarily bad singer; the dips in pitch and tone were often what he was instructed to do to take advantage of the acoustics of the chapels that he'd sing in, plus add in the factor of that sort of melancholy, depressing tone that people liked in those days that he was most active, and you've got the reason he sounds like that. =P
Liolar43 1 year ago
i have just discovered castrato singing, and have been doing a lot of research. Most of the pictures of these men, they look chubby. Was this related to castration? Or was this the "look" for opera singers at this time?
frankiegrrl 1 year ago
@frankiegrrl The 90% loss before puberty of castrati's ability to produce testosterone resulted in less masculinization, and (to greatly varying degress) possible feminization. You can read more complete information just by searching online and also by reading Patrick Barbier's history of castrati.
sfkcbf 1 year ago
@frankiegrrl to add to those comments, part of that feminization is characterized by retaining more fat and carrying it in the hips and other areas where females typically carry weight
mrussum1 1 year ago
@frankiegrrl Castrati tended to be very tall and barrell chested because of the way the hormones changed upon castration. Also, as you'll notice in this recording, they tended to have very long chest registers. He's going into his chest voice VERY high and, because of his age, the voice doesn't want to stay together. That's why he's cracking. The flaws in this recording tell a LOT about his techniques for managing his castrato voice. interesting.
SCharton1972 1 year ago
A lot of people are guilty of judging this song by the standards of our own society. Firstly yes the practice of castration was cruel but we ought not to be too hasty to judge, in 100 years time people will be shocked that we ate meat. Secondly this performance was intended for a Victorian audience and it shows. The Victorians love sentiment and Moreschi was noted for supplying it. We may find this not to our taste but a Victorian would probably consider our modern recordings cold and clinical
uppercommander 1 year ago
@uppercommander I doubt that people will be shocked we ate meat. I mean man ate meat 100 years ago and a century befire that one. I mean humans have been eating meat since the days where man first discovered he could kill an animal and cook it on fire. But i agree with your point that each century people practice different traditions. So modern people can't comprehend certain traditions that were done in past centuries. But its a sign of change of times.
andrika1990 1 year ago
@uppercommander I mean everything from entertainment and culture today is different from tthree centuries before. Especially music. So I feel like what audiences would have liked back then as far as voice. Just possibly may sound foreign or strange to us today. Or rather it wouldn't be what we call a GREAT voice. because our ears are trained to different style of music. Specifically in opera. So my point is we may find the castrati's voices very strange indeed if we really were to know.
andrika1990 1 year ago
@SkateNater I was talking about the register, not the timbre. Sorry you think child abuse is 'asinine'. Nort a Catholic priest are you?
blogward 1 year ago
@SkateNater : No, during the 18th c., composers often use ladies in male role when they don't have castrato: see Vivaldi : Farnace, Orlando were female contralto and their parts are difficult. Giacomazzi, the soprano who sung Agitata da due venti was used by Hasse to replace Farinelli in later stage of Artaserse. So yes, soprano and contralto were used in place of castrato even in their time, and the composers didn't have always to alter the scores.
shushak2 1 year ago
@shushak2 Are you saying Farinelli sang Agitata Da Due Venti? That is interesting. Do you know of list of songs that he sang?
mradaChris 1 year ago
I find it absolutely terrifying but I'm glad to see many people can appreciate it. Nonetheless, I'm sooooooooooooo glad this doesn't happen anymore
equitemcroce 1 year ago
@equitemcroce The surgery happens countless times now days, but for other reasons, not for singing. Strangely enough, I have had a few messages on my site where individuals claimed that they would make such a sacrifice if they could sing like a "Farinelli," (although I am sure that no one would in order to sing like Alessandro Moreschi.)
sfkcbf 1 year ago
@equitemcroce I'm agreed with you too!
MrGermanser 1 year ago
Sad.
bernardfshannon 1 year ago
Bizarre
TheJayyBe 1 year ago
Poor guy...
ayeenRMJ 1 year ago
I don't know much about singing but why do you people say that once your 45 your past your prime. You got people like Celine Dion, Andrea Boccelli still singing and still sounding good.
bishop102 1 year ago
@bishop102 exactly!!! Even Sarah Brightman sounds good at basically 50. So I mean MAYBE people just can't accept the fact that castrati may not have sounded as good to us as we think. I mean to blame Moreschi for lack of skill is an excuse. Its not like any of us knows exactly how the rest sounded like Senesino, Cafferelli, and Farinelli etc. We ASSUME it would sound good to us just because historians have praised it
andrika1990 1 year ago
spine chilling
vymmas 1 year ago
I googled him and found his wikipedia page and it has a recording of him singing Eugenio Terziani's Hostias et preces. It was very clear and interesting to hear.
peppersock 1 year ago
This 1904 recording is superior to those he made 2 years earlier. The voice is (reasonably) steady, and he sings a clear and easy high B in the course of the music. It is said that he was terribly nervous in making his records, and he actually re-made the Rossini "Crucifixus" as he thought the earlier take unworthy. Although he was forty-five and past his singing prime, we are still very fortunate to have his recordings, and with them a glimpse of the great castrati singers of the past.
UncleNathan 1 year ago
Yes,Nitchu,it's sounds sad: but the works that Moreschi sings only talk of death and despair.He is just a very great interpret!It is impossible to sing that with joy!
But he has in his lovely voice a very beautiful sensuality,and an extraodinary sensibility,which very few musicians have.
Juliet0307 1 year ago 3
The love letters of Abelard and Heloise explain the dramatic emotional turmoil that many of these Castrato faced, as the former has something similar happen to him that did Farinelli. Read up.
willydeezle 1 year ago
he sounds very sad. to me all his songs sound sad, like he is a caged bird his only freedom is singing but even that sounds melancholy.
nitchu000 1 year ago 3
@nitchu000 He certainly did not have the musical glory, the extreme popularity, nor the financial remuneration of the great opera castrati of the Baroque era, not even the audience draw of many previous, highly successful church castrati.
sfkcbf 1 year ago 2
He doesnt have balls....
Just saying..
LoqBuster 1 year ago
What a miracle!That is the voice of an angel.
Juliet0307 1 year ago 15
@Juliet0307 true.. ♡
boldechoco 1 year ago
to somebody with no talent whatsoever this sounds pretty impressive
desorden1501 1 year ago
EN REALIDAD ES UNA VOZ MUY BELLA, NO SE EL SENTIMIENTO QUE HAYAN PROVOCADO LOS ARTISTAS DE ESTA NATURALEZA DE SU EPOCA PERO DEBIO SER BELLO ESCUCHAR SU VOZ, ES UNA LASTIMA QUE TENIAN QUE SACRIFICAR ALGO COMO TODOS EN ALGUNA EPOCA, PERO CREO QUE ESTE BELLO RECUERDO PERDURARA POR LOS SIGLOS DE LOS SIGLOS ALESSANDRO UNO DE LOS GRANDES CASTRADOS, OJALA Y HUBIERA ESCUCHADO A FARINELLI!!! EN VERDAD HAN DEJADO UN GRAN LEGADO!!! DESCANSEN EN PAZ !!! ATTE JOSE LUIS PERALTA
lazetaweb 1 year ago
RIP Alessandro, love your voice.
DentargPL 1 year ago
Man, for his time he must have been a good singer, but listening to a 50 year old guy hit those notes is, in all honesty, quite creepy to my modern ear.
megers67 1 year ago
@BDWD lol no you dont get it they actually had their testicles removed
K1asH3r 1 year ago
Immenso,sublime...
Juliet0307 1 year ago 2
INCREÍBLE. SÉ BIEN QUE NO ES LA VOZ DE LOS CASTRATOS DEL SIGLO XVIII, PERO AUN ASÍ SU VOZ ME PROVOCA UN SENTIMIENTO QUE NO PUEDO DESCRIBIR, QUIZÁ LO QUE PROVOCABAN LOS ANTIGUOS CASTRATOS EN SUS PÚBLICOS. ME HECHIZA, ESPECIALMENTE EN LA PARTE 2:40 A 3:00. ME LLEGÓ AL CORAZÓN, LA VERDAD...
oceanodefuego1 1 year ago
The over-dramatic, breathy, weepy style was the fashion at the time. I've read some historical music reports that Moreschi wasn't that bad, considering the fashion and affect of the voice for that period. The recording is poor quality, but amazing that it exists.
Since then, modern opera singers can choose to use the composers grace notes as they see fit (according to their conductor). It's especially effective with baroque-classical music (which this piece isn't).
lodengreeneyes 1 year ago
@lodengreeneyes You know, that's so unusual to hear some grace notes in classical music. But I play bluegrass dobro where grace notes are appreciated. Love that book about Moreschi.
tinpanalley67 1 year ago
For those that say that he was not a good singer well...keep in mind that the recording is poor and made later in his life.
I have heard some people speak about grace notes (which were no longer being used). If anyone here has more knowledge on what these notes are and why they were used by castrati that would be great.
I must also say that in his voice I detect a certain suffering..an agonizing pain..just me.
daliazul 1 year ago 4
@daliazul The idea of using leading grace notes when reaching for high notes was a later 19th-century singing technique and the antithesis of good singing practice of the golden age of Baroque castrati. The quality of the conservatories, vocal instruction and singing style deteriorated greatly near the end of the 18th century and through the early 19th century. Go to MaleSopranos / Articles / Moreschi for further information.
sfkcbf 1 year ago
@sfkcbf In addition, there was a style of singing at this time that was supposed to represent a "catch" in the voice, as if the singer was crying. Moreschi does this very well in this song--the anguish is palpable.
kellyryanjones 1 year ago
After listening to this a few times, I can definitely understand why the castrati were so sought after. While many may find his singing style distasteful, his voice type has an unusual effect on the listener. i can imagine these singers captivating audiences.
Moreschi should be celebrated forever through these recordings; preserving the voice of the people who were forced to make a massive sacrifice in order to please an audience.
ElSalvador50 1 year ago
just listening to this is scary. i feel so bad for what he had to go through and i wasnt even his choice
TheOneAndOnly699 1 year ago
@BDWD no. they get castrated. we learned that at school. and THATS why the voice stays like it is.
CheyTaCOpTix 1 year ago
@CheyTaCOpTix "Castration (also referred to as: gelding, spaying, neutering, fixing, orchiectomy, oophorectomy) is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses the functions of the testicle" - Castration doesn't ALWAYS mean the removal of testicles. Yes, thats usually the case but even if the testicles arent removed, as long as the testosterones don't reach the body, their voice will not deepen.
BDWD 1 year ago
@BDWD interesting! wikipedia, aight? XD
thanks ^^
CheyTaCOpTix 1 year ago
YAY MUSIC APPRECIATION!
jrains03 1 year ago
Women could not emulate the castrati because of physiology - the lack of testosterone in the male meant that the ends of the bones did not fuse which meant they grew tall and especially the rib cage grew bigger. This gave the castrati, after intensive training, great technique for power, which along with the the "soprano" made it unique. It is a terrible shame that this recording of a 2nd-rate singer at age 50 is all that remains to us.
custardaghost 1 year ago 3
@custardaghost You are absolutely right: there are many physiological differences between a castrato and a female singer that resulted in a much different sound. Castrati, like boy sopranos, had a male timbre and a more focused voice, less vibrato. Because of their larger chests as well as excellent vocal training, they had much greater breath capacity than even a grown man. Yes, it's too bad that the only sample is of Moreschi.
sfkcbf 1 year ago 2
@sfkcbf Vibrato or lack thereof is not an inherent quality of castration or a child's voice. It is a trained and emulated quality. There are many oscillations of the voice that happen naturally, but the heavy vibrato -- even that which we hear in this recording (which has much vibrato in it) is not something that "just happens" in the voice. It is made and done, otherwise all people singing would instinctively do it.
CountertenorJ 1 year ago
@custardaghost He was 44. Lack of estrogen and very little testosterone shaped the body AND the vocal cords. It is the small boy's cords combined with the large, adult body that ultimate creates the castrato sound. It is clear and powerful. No woman's voice can approximate this.
Nathan1097 1 year ago 3
Listening to this is like watching a car wreck or a special olympics hurdle race. You want to feel hope, but this sort of singing represents a serious injustice that can't be reversed. I was shocked when I first heard of the concept of castrato.
hughtub 1 year ago 3
its like falsetto
ralphupod22 1 year ago
ярко выражкнная кантилена смычкового инструмента школы через И...шикарное звучание вместе грудного и головного резонаторов....явно ощущается, как во многих местах произведения он заменяет все неудобные ему ключевые гласные на гласную И.....
svjatazarov 1 year ago
Am I the only one who finds this strangely beautiful?
funyun2 1 year ago 26
@funyun2 You're not the only one. Listening to this recording as 27 year old, as opposed to a 18 year old, I can say, that I appreciate how beautiful his voice is now.
MrJustin2782 1 year ago
@funyun2 nope, I find it beautiful and extremely fascinating:)
syrearth 1 year ago 2
his voice is very haunting
sweetmisslaura 1 year ago 3
I Feel sick!
peri1500 1 year ago
What a welcome change to hear soething that goes back to atime when there was none of this here modern mish mash of so called music: bring back such songs!
bagpuss211 1 year ago 4
The poor mite, he sounded so genuinely sad: going of course beyond whatever operation or not that he'd had, he still had a good enough voice at least for me! Goodness, when he hits those high notes, he even makes Lesley Garrett sound as though she's more like a blinking fella!
crocodile1374 1 year ago
god it sounds so weird (especially when you remember that its like a 50yr old guy singing)
we're so lucky to actually have this recording :x
desirebluesky 1 year ago
If you imagine a grown man singing in this voice, it is rather disturbing, and sad that something like this would be allowed even back then...
Thekeanater 1 year ago 4
Amazing document. Adam Sandler was clearly influenced by his work.
bmh4d0k3n 1 year ago 3
@bmh4d0k3n hahaha nice
TheTheblackhats 1 year ago
Impresionante!
andypeor 1 year ago
It sounded like they try to skin a live cat. Just terrible.
Folkeopplysningen 1 year ago
Det hørtes jo ut som de prøver å flå en levende katt. Helt forferdelig.
Folkeopplysningen 1 year ago