Farinelli, Il Castrato - Bande Originale Du Film [Soundtrack, Import]

Riccardo Broschi (Composer), George Frideric Handel (Composer), Johann Adolf Hasse (Composer), Giovanni Pergolesi (Composer), Nicola Porpora (Composer), Christophe Rousset (Conductor), Les Talens Lyriques (Orchestra), Derek Lee Ragin (Performer), Ewa Mallas-Godlewska (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Derek Lee Ragin, Ewa Mallas-Godlewska
• Orchestra: Les Talens Lyriques
• Conductor: Christophe Rousset
• Composer: Riccardo Broschi, George Frideric Handel, Johann Adolf Hasse, Giovanni Pergolesi, Nicola Porpora
• Audio CD (March 21, 1995)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack, Import
• Label: Auvidis Travelling
• ASIN: B000025T4I
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,188 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Son Qual Nave Ch'agitata: Air De Arbace

2. Alto Giove: Air D'Acio

3. Se Al Labbro Mio Non Credi: Instrumental

4. Ombra Fedele Anch'io: Air De Dario

5. Artaserse: Ouverture

6. Lascia Ch'io Pianga: Air De Almirena

7. Cara Sposa: Air De Rinaldo

8. Rinaldo: Ouverture

9. Generoso Risuegliati O Core: Air De Poro

10. Salve Regina

11. Alto Giove: Instrumental

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Sublime, December 10, 2002

By 

"patricia_leung" (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Farinelli, Il Castrato - Bande Originale Du Film (Audio CD)

I have a huge interest in Baroque opera and period reproductions. I thought that 'Farinelli, Il Castrato' was a terrible injustice to the real man, Carlo Broschi, who may have been the greatest singer that ever lived. However, what the movie lacked in plot and intrigue was completely compensated for by this beautiful soundtrack. I have never heard anything to match this articifical castrato voice - it is beautiful. For an indepth discussion on how the voices of a countertenor and soprano were merged to create the incredible voice of Farinelli, visit http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/farinelli/about/fmusic.html
For further listening, I recommend checking out Andreas Scholl. He is a German countertenor considered one of the best in the world today. His intonation and artistic expression are incredible and his performances are informed and true to the nature of the pieces he performs. Also, Daniel Taylor is a wonderful Canadian countertenor. For those interested in period Baroque music, Tafelmusik Chamber Orchestra is wonderful. For a taste of what a castrato may have sounded like, there is an American sopranist named Michael Maniaci who just completed a run as Nerone (Emperor Nero) in Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea. He has a wonderful warm soprano sound that is quite remarkable.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Fame Of Farinelli, May 14, 2004

By 

Rudy Avila "Saint Seiya" (Lennox, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Farinelli, Il Castrato - Bande Originale Du Film (Audio CD)

This album features music and operatic arias from the film Farinelli. The movie was a highly dramatized and untrue account of the life of Farinelli, the stage name of Carlo Broschi, the greatest castrato singer of all time. The castrati were castrated before puberty so as to preserve their soprano range and maintain awesome lung power of the male voice. In the film, Stefano Dionisi lip synched but the voices that were used were a combination in synthesizer of the tenor Derek Lee Regin and the soprano Ewa Mallas Godlewska. Their voices, though distinctly male and female, sounded very alike and director Gerard Corbiau decided to creatively edit their voices. The music is sublime. These obscure and rare Baroque classics are not performed today, not even in Europe. So many of the libretti have been lost in time and even with the libretti and music available, the castrati voice can never again be heard and much of the Baroque type of singing is difficult for most singers to undertake. Nowadays, the singers that come close to castrati are highly developed falsetto-singing countertenors or mezzo-sopranos with coloratura like Cecilia Bartoli or Vivica Genoux. On this album, we hear unique and rare composers, like Farinelli's brother Riccardo Broschi, and his operas. The aria "Son Qual Nave Agitata" and the more impressive "Ombra Fidele" are exquisite, full of lyrical grandeur and coloratura gymnastics. The rest are arias from long forgotten operas and even religious works for the Roman Catholic Church, like Palestrina, who thought the castrati voice was the closest thing to God. It's a great album to have if you are a fan of Farinelli and the msuic of his day.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the most beautiful album in the world!!, October 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Farinelli, Il Castrato - Bande Originale Du Film (Audio CD)

I had the chance to watch the movie back in 96 and was so impressed that I immediately went and bought the CD and a couple years later the VHS (no DVDs at that time). I'm not an expert on music but the experience of listening to this CD aloud while resting on a quiet place is the closest thing you can be to heaven. I've been listening to this album for the last 6 years and I still consider it my most valuable acquisition.