A Male Precursor of Galli-Curci

Author(s): Julius Mattfeld

Source: The Lotus Magazine, Vol. 10, No. 3 (Mar., 1919), pp. 124-128
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20544089
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 AN UNFAMILIAR PORTRAIT OF FARINELLI

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 A MALE PRECURSOR OF GALLI-CURCI
BY JULIUS MATTFELD

T HERE has probably never been a Such a singer was one Farinelli, of whom
generation without its favorite we write here; and we will have occasion
coloratura since the days when to mention others in our narrative.
Peri's "Euridice" gave the music-lovers It is commonly stated in references to
of Florence and the world the first pleas Farinelli that he sprang of a noble Nea
ure of operatic song. Our grandfathers politan family. The assertion rests solely
speak of Jenny Lind; our fathers tell of upon a statement of Farinelli's earliest
Patti, et al.; and we enthuse over Galli biographer, the Padre Giovenale Sacchi.
Curci-and, if we pause to think, whom The learned Barnabite assures us that he
will our children pit against our heroines observed- among the papers in Farinelli's
of the operatic arena? Even so it must possession the credentials of nobility
have been in other centuries. which FarineIIi was required to present
The second season of the Chicago at the time when he was admitted, by the
Opera Company in New York has just favor of the King of Spain, into the orders
closed. Galli-Curci goes elsewhere; and at of CaIatrava and St. Iago in I 750. Be this
the Metropolitan we have Barrientos as as it may, not to question the genuineness
the exponent of florid lyricism. It is a time of the documents, it barely seems credible
in the annual opera season when the mus that parents of noble lineage should have
ical critic and historian, with a speculative acceded to the pernicious operation which
turn of mind, might rest his brain from would preserve the boy's soprano voice
the labors of research to propound a curi through life, if they destined him for the
ous riddle. If Galli-Curci were a man, musical stage at all.
would she be a coloratura? And we, no The practice, this of emasculating the
doubt, would not be able to suppress a male child of pubescent age, was one culti
smile at the seeming puerility of the ques vated to prominent advantage in Italy
tion. Yet-all of the world's greatest col during the seventeenth and early half of
oratura sopranos have not always been the eighteenth century; but cases are
women! That men have been among the known to have existed far into the nine
number might scarcely occur to the best teenth century. During the period from
informed. I550-i590 the cultivation of male trebles
Preposterous, indeed, the thought that reached a high degree of development;
at one time even men should have been and, as women were not permitted to sing
soprano coloraturas, should have vied no in churches ("mulier taceat in ecclesia"),
less with the women and have been pre these evirati, as they were called, were
ferred. The cases are not few, or excep drawn upon to supply the upper har
monies of the choral ensemble. In Eng
tional; rather, to the contrary, the circum
stance was an artistic institution in the land the male alto was more conspicu
religious as well as operatic life of the ous than in other countries, and in scores
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. of old notation the part was described

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 I26 THE LOTUS MAGAZINE
youngerartificially
as a counter-tenor. The voice, than his brother Riccardo, who
created in this manner, combined
achieved the as a composer
some distinction
sweet-toned quality of and
a boy's treble
collaborator of Italian operas. The
father appears
timbre with the fully developed chestalso and
to have possessed mus
ical abilitythere
lungs of the grown man. Though and taught
is his son Carlo the
no evidence that the Church of Rome
rudiments apthe boy entered
of music until
proved the practice, it certainly did of
the singing-school not Porpora, the same
discountenance the presence of for
who was these
some timesin Haydn's preceptor
gers in the Papal Chapel. And whether
in Vienna. a
Even as a half-grown lad, Fa
singer of this type had willingly or not
rinelli became known for the beauty of his
submitted to this mutilation, in every
voice. That he took a prominent part in
known instance of the more the famous evirati,
musical entertainments of the day is
there is invariably a tale of quite
woelikely, when we recall that he was
to support
popularly referred
the raison d'etre of the condition. At any to as il ragazzo (the
boy).
rate, it so happens that Farinelli's treble
is further explained away byInthe story
I722 Farinelli of
accompanied his mas
an accident which necessitatedter to Romethe pecu
whither Porpora went to
liar surgical treatment by-which
superintendhe the was to of his opera
production
become the most famous of"Eumene" male sopranosat the Teatro Aliberti. Fa
of history. rinelli was a boy in his teens; nevertheless
Now, Farinelli's real name was Carlo he was cast for an important role in the
Broschi. How he came by the name of forthcoming opera. The work was per
Farinelli has been a matter of much con formed; and in it Farinelli obtained one
jecture. Some writers make bold to de of the most unique triumphs in the annals
rive the sobriquet from the surmise that of opera-history, at the age of seventeen.
hIs father was either a miller or a seller of The production was altogether calcu
flour (farina); a second contention seeks lated for effect. In the Papal city at this
to associate his name with that of three time was a German trumpet-player who
brothers, distinguished musical amateurs had excited the admiration of the Romans
of- Naples and presumably his patrons, by his mastery of the trumpet. For him
named Farina. However, a third and sim Porpora composed an obbligato part to an
pler explanation obtains, namely, that he air in which Farinelli was to vie with the
assumed out of gratitude the name of his instrumentalist in sustaining a note of
uncle, Cristiano Farinelli, who may have great length, swelling it gradually in loud
contributed in some way toward his mus ness and diminishing it to faintest audible
icaI education in childhood, especially if ness. The German, as was expected, exe
his parent was a seller of flour and not im cuted the feat with remarkable nicety.
probably in that event poor. The uncle Thereupon Farinelli was allotted the feat;
was himself a musician of commendable and not only is he said to have equalled
talents, and later enjoyed in London no the facility and endurance of the rival vir
inconsiderable reputation as a violinist tuoso, but to have excelled him in dura
and composer of pleasing instrumental tion and brilliance, carrying the enthu
musIc. siasm of the people to the wildest pitch by
Carlo Broschi, or as we will hereafter a series of shakes.and variations which, to
call him, Farinelli, was born in Naples,. all appearances, he introduced extem
January 24, I 705. He was several years poraneously into the music. We are prob

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 PRECURSOR OF GALLI-CURCI I27
ably not wrong in believing that Porpora
sojourn. Hitherto, as a pupil of Porpora,
his style had been one of bravura and dis
himself had arranged the ornamentation
beforehand. It was, at all costs, a pIay;
sensanow it was to become one offset by
tional debut. pathos and sincerity, delicacy and sim
plicity. This change, which so greatly
Farinelli remained under the tutelage
of Porpora until 1724. With that yearmodified
be Farinelli's artistry, is claimed to
gin the travels which eventually leadhave
himbeen suggested by the Emperor
to all the principal musical centers Charles
of Eu VI. FarinellI, never slow, appar
ently, to realize an advantage, wisely
rope. He now visited Vienna for the first
adopted the admirable royal counsel; and
time; a year later he appeared In Venice.
Subsequently he came to Naples. Inthehis
unity of two such contrasted manners
resulted
native city he sang in company with the in a happy medium.
renowned Vittoria Tesi-Tramontini. In years that now follow witnessed
The
spite of the fact that the celebratedthe
canever-increasing renown of Farinelli;
tatrice was at the zenith of her career
and in I 734 he made his first journey to
she, strange to say, formed the habit of
England. He arrived at a cruciaI moment
singing bass songs transposed an octave
in the manageriaI rivalry of operatic Lon
higher-Farinelli was in no way eclipsed.
don. Some years previous, Porpora had
In I727 Farinelli was in Bologna. Here
been summoned thither to undertake the
he was to experience the chagrin of a
management of an opera company organ
severer test. If he had triumphed easily
ized by an aristocratic clique in opposition
over his trumpet rival in Rome, he was to
to that under the direction of Handel. The
meet here in Bologna a vocalist likeenterprise
him suffered serious losses, and Por
self, one older in years, though perhapspora returned to the continent. Mean
less gifted than himself in voice-Antonio
while, Handel had to contend with similar
Bernacchi. Bernacchi was a singer of Fa
reverses, and in spite of vicissitudes be
rinelli's type, a male coloratura soprano,
came on his own account an impresario.
and had trained himself in a style But of exa new opposition was presently set
treme vocalization, which earned him the again supported by the British no
afoot,
title of "II Re dei cantatori." Meeting so and Porpora s co-operation re-en
bility,
formidable a rival was no negligibIelisted.
mat The venture, notwithstanding,
ter artistically, and Farinelli strovefailed
with to capture the public interest. Por
all the beauties of voice and style to rise
pora then thought of his illustrious pupil.
to the situation. But in vain. BernacchiFarinelli obeyed the summons, and the
sang, repeating every roulade, trill, and
reorganized troupe, which included Sig
cadenza of Farinelli's execution, in hisnora
ownCuzzoni, the basso Montagnana, and
more mature manner. Magnanimously the vaunted male soprano Senesino, who
had
Farinelli acknowIedged the superior art ofquarrelled with the great Handel,
the Bolognese rival and besought his helped
ad to drive the German into bank
ruptcy.
vice in the perfection of his own voice.
Leaving Bologna, Farinelli resumed Farinelli
his made his first appearance at
travels, everywhere successful, everythe Theatre, Lincoln's Inn, which Handel
where vanquishing rival compatriots,
was compelled to leave. The opera was
everywhere gaining riches and honors. In
"Artaserse," chiefly the work of Farinel
I73I he appeared for the third time in
Ii's brother Riccardo Broschi. In it the
Vienna. And it proved to be a significant
trick of the air in Porpora's " Eumene"

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 128 THE LOTUS MAGAZINE
Iess spectacularly employed consented. The desired effect was instan
in Handel's
popuIar "Largo"-was repeated, androused
taneous: Philip, in to life and energy,
the air that foIlowed, Farinelli sethimself
permitted a paceto be shaved for the first
which was beyond the rapiditytime in
ofmany weeks, and resumed the ac
execu
tivities
tion of the orchestral violins of thoseof hisdays.
kingdom. It is but one of the
notable
Farinelli's success was, of course, instances of the therapeutic value
instantly
of music.
assured. He sang at the Court to the ac
companiment of the Princess Farinelli Royal, proposed
was to stay only a short
feted by the courtiers, and received while in Spain,withbut by persuasion of the
such a show of admiration that Queen,
the fortune
enthu kept him at the Spanish
siasm of the dilettanti finally court for close on twenty-five years, with
culminated
in the historical ejaculation aof salary
a of 50,000in
lady francs. And thus the in
one of the boxes-"One God and
imitable one
Farinelli separated himself for
Farinelli!" During the. threeever yearsfrom the
from world of art. On Philip's
1734-I 736 which he spent death in London,
he succeeded towthe good graces of
Farinelli's income was not less Ferdinand
than VI., who, like his father, was
?5,000
per- annum. subject to some hidden maIady. Though
Toward the end of this period, Fa never appointed outright to the premier
rinelli left England for Spain, and on his ship, he was constantly in consultation
way passed through France. His stay in with the Minister La Ensenada on ques
that country was brief, but Iong enough, in tions of policy and of international im
his particular case, to overcome the prej port, and, in consequence, enjoyed a posi
udice against foreign singers which char tion superior to that of any minister. His
acterized the French attitude of this time. reward was the cross of Calatrava, in
Louis XV. heard him sing in the Queen's 1750, one of the highest orders in Spain.
apartments, and appIauded him to an ex Only at the accession to power of Charles
tent which astonished the Court. In com III, in I759, was he obliged to quit the
pliment, the King presented Farinelli with country, owing presumably to his disap
the royal portrait set in diamonds, and proval of the schemes of the new monarch.
handsomely supplemented the gift with FarineIIi was now fifty-seven years oId.
50o Iouis d'or. When, at Iast, FarineIIi He preserved his salary from the Spanish
reached Madrid, he arrived, as he had in Government, but on condition that he
London, at an exceedingly opportune mo wouId not embarrass the Spanish interests
ment. Philip V. had fallen a sorry victim in Naples by his presence there. He, there
to meIancholy depression, neglected the fore, chose Bologna, and passed the -re
affairs of state and was loath to preside maining decades of his life in a splendid
even over the council in important mat palazzo, which he built himself in I76I, a
ters. The Queen, anxious to dispel her con mile from the city. He died quietly July
sort's inertia, and hearing of FarineIli's I5, 1 782, aged seventy-seven, in perfect
advent, invited him to the palace to sing retirement. During all this long period he
m a chamber adjoining His Majesty's, an made a singIe journey abroad, and this to
arrangement to which the singer readily pay his respects to the Pope.

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