[Milton-L] Haydn's Creation and castrati

[Mario DiCesare]

Dear Nancy,

To respond to your query about studies of Milton's Italian poems or of his 
relationship to Ariosto and Tasso, while there isn't a lot, here are a couple of things:

	The "Milton Encyclopedia" had a number of relevant relevant articles; you might 
also look at the work on the Italian Latin poet, M. G. Vida.
	MRTS published a big book (which I edited) in the 1990s, "Milton in Italy," which 
should be useful.
	There are also essays in various volumes containing the papers of the triennial 
congresses of the International Association for NeoLatin Studies.

Good luck.

Mario



Nancy Charlton wrote:
> Hannibal Hamlin wrote:
> 
> It's also worth remembering that the heroic roles (Julius Caesar, Samson,
> etc.) in baroque opera were generally sung by men -- castratos -- who, given
> the hormonal results of surgery, were like nothing living today. Imagine
> perhaps a counter-tenor the size of a football player with the vocal power
> of Jessye Norman.
> 
> Some time ago I had the privilege of hearing a scratchy recording of the 
> last castrato, made about 80 years ago. I don't recall his name, but he 
> was primarily a cantor, a singer of liturgical music at the Vatican. His 
> singing sounded as if an oboe reed had been substituted for his larynx. 
> I decided I'd prefer the fictional voice that was synthesized in the 
> film "Farinelli," but that well behind  accomplished, virile 
> countertenors the likes of Andreas Scholl OR powerful mezzos such as 
> Dame Janet Baker, Marilyn Horne, or Stephanie Blake (who sang Gluck's 
> "Orfeo" in February shown in Met broadcasts to theaters.)  Dame Janet's 
> final performance was a "Julius Caesar" in English, Sir Charles 
> Mackerras conducting; I was bowled over by and video of it about 15 
> years ago, and it's among awesome performances I can count on one hand. 
> I also heard/saw Ms Horne as Tancred, but it was not as sublime as the JC.
> 
> In a time when the popular press is trumpeting the demise of classical 
> music, it is singular that there is a revival of interest in Handel 
> opera--and an abundance of singers capable of singing it. This includes 
> the rise of several world-class countertenors, whereas for years Sir 
> Peter Pears was the only one, and he best known for singing the music 
> written for him by Benjamin Britten. And then there was Barbra 
> Streisand, later the Celtic Women, making a popular song out of "Lascia 
> ch'io piangia."
> 
> To bring this back to Milton, has there been any study of his Italian 
> poems? For that matter, of his use of Tasso and Ariosto as well as Dante?
> 
> Nancy Charlton
> 
>