Radu Marian and Learning About the Castrati

Thanks to a Reddit post this last week I delved into music history a bit and learned about an extinct line of entertainers... known as the Castrati.

Men, who in their youth, underwent castration as a means of preserving a more youthful voice. Oftentimes it was done in hopes of securing a better life. These individuals lent their voices on the opera stage and even churches at a time women were forbidden to perform.

It's a fascinating and terrifying slice of history you can learn more of here www.usrf.org...

No living castrato exists today. At least in the traditional sense. There are male singers who developed similarly thanks to hormonal disorders and illnesses. They still have a child's larynx in an adult body. The sound when they sing is unique.

Anyone heard of Radu Marian?

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And if you're curious to hear the only recording of a real castrato from the 1920's. Alessandro Moreschi

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