Castrati em cena: mito e contexto cultural na Europa e na Bahia do século XVIII

Abstract

The project aims at an accurate research on the origin, development and diffusion in various territories of that phenomenon classified as "baroque", both historically and a posteriori: in this case restricted to the world of singing and more specifically to opera. The research started from that singing movement appearing in Europe during the seventeenth century following the appearance of the castrati's voice in Spain, but having its origin in the Arab world. The need to produce vocal sounds able to achieve higher notes, seized the right moment for the introduction of castrated soprano singers in the Church's choirs because at the time women were banned from participating in religious choirs. The aim of the investigation is to explore and bring to light how much this phenomenon has affected and conditioned the society of that time, with particular focus on those classes that were not well off, or to be more explicit very poor, because a career as a castrato singer was considered to be a great opportunity for their sons’ future. The outcome of the research highlights that great artistic and economic results were only achieved by few castrated singers; it was a spreading phenomenon originating in the Church's choirs which later on became very common in the world of opera but in most cases, it was only the cause of many dramas mainly affecting the least gifted and the poorest. Despite all the above, the research shows and enumerates many great successes obtained by the castrati's voice, not only in the Italian theaters where this phenomenon was born and from where it spread, but also in other prestigious European theaters. Having reached this point, we need to take into consideration that this Italian phenomenon touched Portugal too; therefore, it makes sense to move the investigation into what become later on its colonies. The aim of this research is to probe and establish whether this form of entertainment led by emasculated singers managed to dominate or simply put just some roots in the first Brazilian Portuguese colony identifiable as Salvador da Bahia.