Maniaci
A year after the death of Pavarotti, comes the newest opera sensation: Michael Maniaci. The 31-year-old American is featured in Tim Albery’s production for Opera North of The Fortunes of King Croesus. It is the first performance here of this rare Baroque opera by Reinhard Keiser, who was a mentor to the young Handel. It had its premiere in Hamburg in 1711. Maniaci plays Atis, Croesus’s son, a role that would originally have been sung by a castrato. He may be the only man on the planet who can sing this role at pitch, which goes up to a B natural, two octaves above middle C. Which makes you think: Is Maniaci a castrato?
posted by Unknown at 2:20 PM
1 Comments:
No, he is not. He clearly shaves; he actually has a beard in his production of Il Crociato in egitto, and at other times its clear that he shaves. A castrato would not be able to grow facial hair. Also, as he has stated, his vocal chords have lengthened somewhat, just not to the extent that most men's chords do. A castrato's chords would not have changed since pre-pubescent boyhood. This difference in his vocal chords is seen in his voice; it's closer to that of a woman than that of a boy.
Post a Comment
<< Home