Musicologica Brunensia (Dec 2018)
Zwischen Venedig, Rom und Versailles – italienische Kastraten auf Abwegen?
Abstract
Official historiography of French music history mainly underlines the French way of music in the age of king Louis XIV. Italian music and singing, particularly the castrato voice so far seem not to have been in vogue. Only in some aristocratical circles and at the Royal Chapel were "castrati" favoured. In 1679 Paolo Lorenzani went to Italy for the recruitment of Italian castratosingers. He came back with five musicians. We do not know very much about their stays in France and their relations to Italy after having moved to the French court. Probably, contacts with their home country was not interrupted. It is perfectly possible that they brought Italian repertory to France, probably arranging regular circulation. In the case of Pietro Ramponi we have some more information. During all of his sojourn in France he maintained his Italian professional and familial connections. We even find him several times in Rome or Venice, where he performed cantatas together with other singers. In 1700 he went back to Venice and sang at St Mark's Chapel and at diverse operas. Later he desided to engage in opera-management. Besides Ramponi and his colleagues in the Royal Chapel, much more Italian singers and castratos travelled to France at the end of 17th and in the first quarter of 18th centuries.
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