The Last Castrato
Arias for Velluti
Franco Fagioli (countertenor)
Chœur & Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal/Stefan Plewniak
rec. 2024, l’Opéra Royal de Versailles, France
Sung texts with French, English and German translations enclosed.  
Château de Versailles CVS162 [65]

The title of this new release from the CDV label is somewhat misleading as Giovanni Battista Velutti was certainly not the last of the castrati; that honour goes to one Alessandro Moreschi, who sang in the Sistine Chapel Choir and died in 1922. His few recordings are the only sounds in existence of the type of sound that was produced by a castrato; however, before anyone goes rushing online to investigate them, be warned that the sound of is very poor, even  for that time. Although they were made when Moreschi was 44, and presumably still in good voice, they are not easy to adjust to for modern music lovers. Perhaps hearing the falsetto voices of counter tenors really is the best way to listen to the music of the castrati today. Yet, when one hears a really good mezzo sing this type of music, I conclude that the debate is still ongoing.

While Velluti may not be the last castrato, he is arguably the last who went on to achieve international stardom. Several operas were written specifically for him, the grandest of which is probably Meyerbeer’s Il crociato in Egitto. Historians generally believe Meyerbeer to have created the last major role written for the castrato voice. Alas, nothing from that opera is included on this recording.

This is Argentinean countertenor Franco Fagioli’s second foray into the music from the Bel canto period. His first was a very exciting selection of Rossini Arias in 2015 (review). At that time his voice was in prime state and his virtuosic abilities tore through the selection of arias with a stunning sense of abandonment and facility. It was one of my favorite discs to be released that year. Now, ten years on, we have this new collection of arias from lesser known composers of the Bel canto school. I find that he approaches the music with more caution than in the Rossini collection. His voice remains a thing of great beauty and tonal refinement. However, there is a hint of a beat creeping into some sustained notes that was not in evidence on the earlier disc. He is less willing in 2025 to venture into his highest register. However, let that not deter one from investigating this fascinating exploration of music, most of which is receiving a first recording.

There is an astonishing variety of music on this disc that is receiving a first recording; one exception is the aria from Morlacchi’s Teolbado e Isolina for which a complete recording of the opera exists on Naxos  (review). Some of the highlights on this disc are a lovely lament from Niccolini’s Traiano in Dacia, which features a lovely obligato part for a solo clarinet, and is sung with ethereal simplicity by Fagioli. Yet the example of Lotario’s aria from Bonfichi’s Attila has this listener questioning the dramatic wisdom of a composer who gives the darkly troubled text of this scene a surprisingly bouncy musical treatment. Regardless of any musical-dramatic questions, the aria shows off Fagioli’s facility in some impeccably produced roulades.

The vocal centerpiece of this recital is a long triple aria (lasting some 16 minutes) from Mercadante’s Andronico (Track 6). This is a considerable hurdle for any singer and Fagioli gives an expressively passionate performance of it.

In the lovely scene from Morlacchi’s Teolbado e Isolina it is interesting to compare this with the complete Naxos recording where Laura Polverelli is not as technically accomplished as Fagioli. The counter-tenor and conductor seem to be as one in the palpably tense recitative that preceeds the aria proper. It is perhaps unfair to compare this studio effort with Polverelli having been recorded in a live concert setting, but in any case Polverelli gives a pleasantly sung but more generalized portrayal than Fagioli. It is also interesting to note what appears to be some differences in the orchestration of the introduction to this aria. The music on this recording is listed as having come from Velluti’s own library, whereas the edition used on the Naxos derives from a critical edition created for the Rossini in Bad Wilbad Festival. Certainly the introduction on this collection is missing the fascinating opening to the scene, which involves a group of French horns.

The disc concludes with an aria by Rossini from his dramatic cantata Il vero omaggio, a large work which he composed in homage after the death of Lord Byron; Its size and scope brings it close to the Coronation piece Il Viaggo a Reims. The aria Rossini composed for Velluti  that is central to Il vero omaggio is a wonderful showpiece and a fitting conclusion to this disc.

Throughout this disc conductor Stefan Plewniak draws some luscious playing from the resident Versailles orchestra, while the choral contribution sounds much larger than their numbers as listed in the booklet.  The engineers have for once seemed to conquer the dry, forward sound of the Opéra Royal auditorium to produce sonics which are immediate but convey some sense of atmosphere behind the voices.

Mike Parr

Previous review: Göran Forsling (March 2025)

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Contents
Paolo Bonfichi (1769-1840)
1 Attila, Scena e cavatina di Lotario: «Qual mi circonda e agghiaccia…
Dolenti e care immagini… Vedrai quest’anima», ed. G.A. Sechi 5’38
Giuseppe Nicolini (1762-1842)
2 Balduino, Recitativo e aria di Balduino:
«Ma i figli miei… Vederla dolente», ed. G.A. Sechi 2‘46
3 Traiano in Dacia, Aria di Decebalo: «Ah se mi lasci o cara», ed. G.A. Sechi 5‘19
4 Carlo Magno, Scena e rondo di Vitekindo: «Ecco o numi compiuto…
Ah quando cesserà… Lo sdegno io non pavento», ed. G.A. Sechi 13‘11
Saverio Mercadante (1795-1870)
5 Andronico, Cavatina di Andronico: «Dove m’aggiro… Era felice un dì…
Sì bel contento in giubilo», ed. G. Rossi 8’10
6 Andronico, Gran scena di Andronico: «Di grida insolite… O solinghe dimore…
Soave immagine… Non tradirmi o bella speme», ed. G. Rossi 16’04
Francesco Morlacchi (1784-1841)
7 Tebaldo e Isolina, Scene e romanza di Tebaldo: «Notte tremenda…
Caro suono lusinghier», ed. G.A. Sechi 7’39
Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)
8 Il vero omaggio, «Al conforto inaspettato» 6’39

Other soloists: Sarah Charles (soprano)(4), Léo Reymann (tenor)(4, 6) and Jérémie Delvert (bass)(6)