Question: The singer that we see at the party looks to be male - facial features, dress - but has a very high voice. Is this a eunuch or just a person with a very high voice? Is it even possible for men to sing that high if they are not eunuchs?
raywest
29th Aug 2006
Answer: He is probably a "castrato," a male soprano. Exceptionally talented choir boys were castrated before puberty to preserve their high voices. This pracitce lasted from the 16th century until the late 19th. The last castrato, Alessandro Moreschi, died in 1913. There are also some men who can naturally sing in this range, called countertenors.
raywest ★