Il castrato del granduca

Like all castrati, Gaetano Berenstadt's hormones had gone crazy, but Berenstadt’s were particularly strong: with a height of about 185 cm, he is said to have had 130 cm long legs, arms that were far too short and a corpulent belly. A field day for the caricaturists. But when he stood on the opera stage and sang, he was idolised. Berenstadt, born in Florence in 1687 and lifelong loyal to his patrons, the Medici, at the same time Grand Dukes of Tuscany, experienced his artistic career in the first third of the 18th century. He sang at all the important opera houses in Italy and for some years in London. The most famous composers of his time such as Ariosti, Bononcini, Gasparini, Hasse, Sarro and Vinci appreciated him for his vocal and acting abilities. Handel in particular was a great admirer of Berenstadt; in addition to several roles in world premieres, he even wrote new arias for him for the London revival of "Rinaldo" in 1717. Filippo Mineccia, also from Florence and one of the leading countertenors of our day, follows in the musical footsteps of his Florentine predecessor and draws an impressive portrait of Berenstadt's career on this recording.

Works:

 • Händel: Sorte amor vuol che quest'alma / Ogni tua bella stilla / Pregio e sol d'un alma forte aus "Rinaldo
 • Händel: Ouvertüre & Bel labbro formato per farmi beato aus "Ottone"
 • Attilio Ariosti: Tito Manlio-Ouvertüre
 • Attilio Ariosti: Nel tuo figlio aus "Cajo Marzio Coriolano"
 • Antonio Lotti: L'incauto che non teme aus "Ascanio"
 • Francesco Gasparini: Vezzosetta tra questi fiori aus "Astianatte"
 • Giovanni Maria Capelli: Piaccia agl'astri aus "Giulio Flavio Crispo"
 • Giovanni Bononcini: O della sorte favor instabile aus "Farnace"
 • Johann Adolf Hasse: Ouvertüre & Al fato io t'abbandono aus "Astarto"
 • Leonardo Vinci: Tra lo splendor del trono aus "Didone abbandonata"
 • Domenico Sarro: Gelido in ogni vena aus "Siroe re di Persia"
 • Giovanni Antonio Giay: Non fidi al mar che freme aus "Demetrio"