Farinelli, a castrato, retired from the public stage at age 32 to sing privately for two consecutive Spanish monarchs to soothe their mental disorders.
Compositional Technique
Nicola Conforto's music, featured in works like Nitteti and Ezio, shows early classical traits in both vocal writing and orchestration, moving away from late baroque styles.
Composer Biography
Farinelli, a musician himself, composed music for the first two verses of Metastasio's popular Canzonetta, 'Ecco quel fiero istante', as a gift for his friend.
Composition History
Metastasio and Farinelli debuted in the musical scene at the same time and in the same piece, Angelica e Medoro, a 'serenata' composed by Porpora in 1720.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Emperor Charles VI advised Farinelli to adopt a more sentimental, less charged style of expressiveness, which may have influenced his views on operatic performance.
Composer Biography
Pietro Metastasio, a prominent librettist, and Carlo Broschi, known as Farinelli, a famous castrato, were close friends who called each other 'twins'.
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