castrato

ca·stra·to

C0150100 (kă-strä′tō, kə-)n. pl. ca·stra·ti (-tē) or ca·stra·tos A male singer castrated before puberty so as to retain a soprano or alto voice.

[Italian, from Latin castrātus, past participle of castrāre, to castrate; see castrate.]

castrato

(kæˈstrɑːtəʊ) n, pl -ti (-tɪ) or -tos (Classical Music) (in 17th- and 18th-century opera) a male singer whose testicles were removed before puberty, allowing the retention of a soprano or alto voice[C18: from Italian, from Latin castrātus castrated]

cas•tra•to

(kæˈstrɑ toʊ, kə-)

n., pl. -ti (-ti) a male singer, esp. in the 18th century, castrated before puberty to prevent his soprano or contralto voice range from changing. [1755–65; < Italian < Latin castrātus]

castrato

An adult male voice in soprano or contralto range achieved by castration to prevent voice deepening. Found in European church choirs in seventeenth and eighteenth century and a popular voice for operatic composers such as Handel.

Thesaurus

Noun

castrato - a male singer who was castrated before puberty and retains a soprano or alto voicesinger, vocalist, vocalizer, vocaliser - a person who sings

Translations

castrato

(kăsträ`tō) [Ital.,=castrated], a male singer with an artificially created soprano or alto voice, the result of castration in boyhood. The combination of the larynx of a youth and the chest and lungs of a man produced a powerful voice of great range and unique sound. Castrati were especially popular in churches and opera in Europe during the 17th and 18th cent. The most celebrated castrato was Carlo Broschi FarinelliFarinelli, Carlo Broschi
, 1705–82, Italian male soprano, greatest of the castrati (see castrato), pupil of Niccolò Porpora, in whose operas he sang (1734–37) in London. Farinelli's real name was Carlo Broschi.
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Bibliography

See R. Freitas, Portrait of a Castrato (2010).

castrato

(in 17th- and 18th-century opera) a male singer whose testicles were removed before puberty, allowing the retention of a soprano or alto voice

castrato

ca·stra·to

castrato

cas•tra•to

castrato

castrato

castrato

Bibliography

castrato

castrato

Words related to castrato

noun a male singer who was castrated before puberty and retains a soprano or alto voice

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