Cecilia Bartoli performs Sacrificium: The Art of the Castrati

The inimitable mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli explores the music of the Neapolitan castrati in a concert at the breathtaking palace of Caserta. She is accompanied by Giovanni Antonini leading Il Giardino Armonico, Italy's foremost period-instrument ensemble.

Castrati were the rock stars of the 18th century, celebrated for their powerful high voices of unparalleled agility and flexibility. As children they suffered greatly—brutally castrated to prevent their boy soprano voices from breaking in puberty—but as adults, these legendary singers inspired some of the most virtuosic music ever composed for the human voice. In this filmed concert, the acclaimed Italian mezzo-soprano presents works from one of the foremost schools of castrato-singing of the day, that of the Neapolitan court. Dressed as an androgynous character, she sings selections by Porpora, Caldara, Araia, Graun, Leothe and Vinci, as well as more famous castrato arias by Broschi, Handel, and Giacomelli, all in the glittering surroundings of the Caserta Palace's intimate baroque theater.