Alessandro Moreschi (November 11, 1858 - April 21, 1922) was one of the most famous castrati singers of the late 19th century, and was the only castrato of the classic bel canto tradition to make sound recordings November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... 1858 (MDCCCLVIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A castrato is a male soprano, mezzo-soprano, or alto voice produced either by castration of the singer before puberty or who, because of an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The term Bel Canto may refer to: Belcanto, a vocal technique; or Bel Canto, a novel by Ann Patchett. ... Methods and media for sound recording are varied and have undergone significant changes between the first time sound was actually recorded for later playback until now. ...

(indeed, the only castrato ever to make solo recordings).^{[citation needed]}

Alessandro Moreschi in 1902

He was perhaps the best known castrato of his day after Domenico Mustafa, a former Direttore Perpetuo of the Sistine Chapel. Other famous castrati singers at this time were Domenico Salvatori and Giovanni Cesari. Alessandro Moreschi in 1902 This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Alessandro Moreschi in 1902 This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Domenico Mustafa (born Sterpara, 16 April 1829 - died Montefalco, 17 March 1912) was a singer and composer. ... The Sistine Chapel (Italian: Cappella Sistina) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope, in the Vatican City. ... Domenico Salvatori in 1880`s Domenico Salvatori, along with Alessandro Moreschi, Domenico Mustafa and Giovanni Cesari, was one of the famous castrati singers of the late 19th century. ... Giovanni Cesari, soprano acuto. ...

Life and Career

Alessandro Moreschi was born to a large Roman Catholic family in the town of Montecompatri. It was suggested that he was castrated around 1865, but it is uncertain what were the exact reasons for performing the procedure — whether it was due to purely medical (such as scrotal hernia) or musical reasons. The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see Terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus, with its traditions first established by the Twelve Apostles and maintained through... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... A hernia is a protrusion of a tissue, structure, or part of an organ through the muscular tissue or the membrane by which it is normally contained (definition from MeSH). ...

Nevertheless, being now a castrato, he was appointed to the music school of Scuola di San Salvatore in Lauro, where he was discovered by Gaetano Capocci, who became his teacher. In 1873 he was nominated as a primary soprano at the Chapel of Laterano. In 1883 he was invited to join, and later same year admitted to the Capella Sistina, after being heard performing the role of Seraph in the oratorio Christus am Ölberge by Beethoven. At that time Moreschi's voice was a high soprano of extraordinary purity and agility, to such an extent that he was nicknamed Angelo di Roma and made soloist of the Capella Sistina by the pope. 1873 (MDCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... An oratorio is a large musical composition for orchestra, vocal soloists and chorus. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Christus am Ölberge (in English, Christ on the Mount of Olives), Op. ... 1820 portrait by Karl Stieler Ludwig van Beethoven (pronounced ) (baptised December 17, 1770[1] – March 26, 1827) was a German composer and pianist. ...

In 1891 he was made a secretary of the Chapel. In 1898 Moreschi was promoted to the position of director of the soloists (a largely administrative role, following on naturally from his previous job as secretary), and two years later appeared singing in the funeral of Italian king Umberto I at the Pantheon. 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

In the spring of 1902 Moreschi made the first of his phonograph recordings, singing on gramophone records for the Gramophone & Typewriter Company. He made additional recordings in 1904. In all he made 17 recordings, where 8 of these were solo. 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Edison cylinder phonograph ca. ... Manufacturers put records inside protective and decorative cardboard jackets and an inner paper sleeve to protect the grooves from dust and scratches. ... The Gramophone Company, based in the United Kingdom, was one of the early recording companies. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Moreschi was, apart from being a soloist and director of the soloists, also a singing teacher, mostly of young falsettists. One of his pupils left a memoir of Moreschi's teaching methods; the pupil had to copy his master's technique and intonation as exactly as possible, in the manner which Moreschi himself had been taught. He attempted to have the pupil admitted to the school of music of Mustafa's successor at the Sistine Chapel, one Don Lorenzo Perosi, but nothing came of it. In a peculiar quirk of fate, this particular pupil became a successful double-bass player.

By March 1913 he retired from the Cappella Sistina to his home in Rome where he spent the rest of his life. He still performed under certain circumstances, such as under a mass celebration at the Capella Giulia in 1914. He was also a friend of the German writer Franz Habock, author of the extremely important Die Kastraten und ihre Gesangskunst, who planned to cast Moreschi in reviving the Farinelli repertoire in 1914. However, this grand plan could not be realized due to several obstacles on the way — the war and the decay of Moreschi's voice has been suggested, yet Habock himself points out the main reason for the failure: Moreschi, as all the other Capella singers, was simply unqualified to sing the Baroque repertoire in a proper way. 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... The Sistine Chapel (Italian: Cappella Sistina) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope, in the Vatican City. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 8th century BC Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1,285 km²  (496. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Farinelli. ...

Moreschi died of pneumonia in the spring of 1922 at his home in Rome. It has been suggested that CURB-65 be merged into this article or section. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 8th century BC Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1,285 km²  (496. ...

Critical opinion

Critical opinion is divided about Moreschi's recordings; some say they are of little interest other than the novelty of preserving the voice of a castrato, and that Moreschi was a mediocre singer, while other critics detect the remains of a quite talented singer who was unfortunately past his prime by the time he recorded. It should, however, be noted that the age range during which Moreschi was recorded, 44 to 46, would be considered by many classical singers to be the time during which a singer's voice would be at its prime. Yet others feel that he was a very fine singer indeed, especially considering the fact that when Moreschi was young, those capable of training castrati properly had already died, and based on his reputation at the time.

It should also be mentioned that Moreschi's vocal technique can grate upon modern ears; many of his seemingly imperfect vocal attacks are in fact grace notes, launched from as much as a tenth below the note up to the note itself. Furthermore, the dated aesthetic of Moreschi's singing, which involved extreme passion in the singing and a perpetual type of sob, often sounds bizarre to the modern listener and can be misinterpreted as technical weakness or an aging voice. A grace note is a common term for a phenomenon of music notation used to denote several kinds of musical ornaments. ...

The standard of his recordings is variable; Rossini's "Crucifixus" is poor (so much so, in fact, that Moreschi re-recorded it in 1904) but Leibach's "Pie Jesu" is better and Tosti's charming song "Ideale" is a joy to listen to, as witnessed by the enthusiastic cheers at the end of the "Ideale" from Moreschi's fellow choristers. Portrait Gioacchino Antonio Rossini (February 29, 1792 – November 13, 1868) was an Italian musical composer who wrote more than 30 operas as well as sacred music and chamber music. ... Sir Francesco Paolo Tosti (April 9, 1846 - December 2, 1916) was an Italian composer and music teacher. ...

The most well-known piece that Moreschi recorded is, of course, the Bach/Gounod "Ave Maria" (though the Sistine Chapel choir recorded Mozart's Ave verum corpus, Moreschi's voice is not audible). Perhaps only here does Moreschi's singing approach the type of star quality that the great castrati performances of the Baroque era must have possessed; there is a strong passion to the singing - "A sob in every note", as a contemporary said - and Moreschi takes the high B natural without apparent effort. Moreschi's recording of Ave Maria appears in a duet recorded by popular musician Dana Baitz, setting up a dialogue between 20th and 21st-century identities and artists. Bach redirects here. ... Charles Gounod Charles François Gounod (June 17, 1818 – October 18, 1893) was a French composer, best known for his opera Faust. ... Ave Maria (Latin: Hail, Maria or Hail, Mary) can refer to: The Hail Mary or Ave Maria, a prayer; also the time of day in Italy when the church bells toll. ... Adoration, by Peter Paul Rubens. ... Dana Baitz is a Toronto-based popular musician and musicologist. ...

Regarding Moreschi's appearance Habock had this to say, after seeing him in 1914:

Moreschi was of average height and rather short in stature; he had no facial hairs and his chest was broad and overdeveloped. In his youth, when he sang the Seraph's oratorio at the age of 25, his vocal range was from C` to E```. Now however, at the end of his career, his range is only from A to G``. Moreschi's speaking voice has a certain silverine quality to it, and reminds much of a high tenor. However, both his appearance and voice gives an impression of him still being a young person. (Moreschi was 56 years old at this time.)

External link

• 1904 Recording of Ave Maria