Anonymous
07/18/26(Sat)12:13:20 No.18584037

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Anonymous 07/18/26(Sat)12:13:20 No.18584037

The Castrati were a type of singer who performed in choirs throughout Italy, later becoming regular features in the Italian Opera.

It was against the law, morality and social mores in those days for females and males to perform together in choirs, particularly in churches and in the Papal State, so boys would be used for the higher ranges in men's choirs. The problem is that children have smaller lungs than adults, and puberty would cause them to be incapable of reaching the highest ranges. So the conductors and organizers of the choirs devised a way to produce men who could sing in the higher ranges: castration.

Children's choirs throughout Italy would be scoured for the best singers, and either by promise of future wealth and fame, or against them and their parents will, they would be taken to underground, black market surgeons. Opium and alcohol were used to suppress the pain, which lead to many of the castrati developing addictions later on in life. Many died due to the poor standard of care, either by infection, overdose, asphyxiation or otherwise. Following the castration, they would go through constant training to a standard that many could not achieve: those who faltered were cast aside, and became miserable local singers in backwater towns and villages, or killed themselves.

It took nearly four hundred years for the practice to finally be outlawed.