castrato

(redirected from castratos)
Also found in: Thesaurus, Encyclopedia.

Related to castratos: Castrado

ca·stra·to

(kă-strä′tō, kə-)

n. pl. ca·stra·ti (-tē) or ca·stra·tos

A male singer castrated before puberty so as to retain a soprano or alto voice.

[Italian, from Latin castrātus, past participle of castrāre, to castrate; see castrate.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

castrato

(kæˈstrɑːtəʊ)

n, pl -ti (-tɪ) or -tos

(Classical Music) (in 17th- and 18th-century opera) a male singer whose testicles were removed before puberty, allowing the retention of a soprano or alto voice

[C18: from Italian, from Latin castrātus castrated]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cas•tra•to

(kæˈstrɑ toʊ, kə-)

n., pl. -ti (-ti)

a male singer, esp. in the 18th century, castrated before puberty to prevent his soprano or contralto voice range from changing.

[1755–65; < Italian < Latin castrātus]

castrato

An adult male voice in soprano or contralto range achieved by castration to prevent voice deepening. Found in European church choirs in seventeenth and eighteenth century and a popular voice for operatic composers such as Handel.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun

castrato - a male singer who was castrated before puberty and retains a soprano or alto voice

singer, vocalist, vocalizer, vocaliser - a person who sings

Translations

Kastrat

castrat

kastrat

castrato

[kæsˈtrɑːtəʊ] N (castrato or castrati (pl)) [kæsˈtrɑːtɪ] → castrato m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

castrato

n pl <castrati> → Kastrat m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Mentioned in ?

References in periodicals archive ?

Seduction, voyeurism, masquerade balls, the Inquisition, cross-dressing castratos and abusive husbands are just a few of the events and characters from Casanova's life that are dramatised in this ballet.

Sensuous splendour of a colourful life; REVIEW: Northern Ballet: Casanova, New Theatre, Cardiff ?????....

Howard points out that it was doubly propitious because Handel had rarely used castratos in his oratorios after 1737.

Howard, Patricia. The Modern Castrato: Gaetano Guadagni and the Coming of a New Operatic Age

She and the others on the committee of castratos were there because they could never rise to the task in hand.

A neutered probe from the outset

"We countertenors are the heritage of the castratos," says Khodr, adding that the tune from "Partenope" is "beautiful, it's gorgeous.

Taking on the divine monster's mantle

The concert is called Sacrificium after Bartoli's latest album which concentrates on the music of Porpora whose pupils were the most famous castratos of all time.

HOT TICKET; WANGER SHOW 'ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EVER STAGED'

It moves at different times into a history of the Teatro S Giovanni Grisostomo, the most luxurious Venice theatre, flagship of the Grimani family and the place where the great castratos generally sang; a sketch of the development of musical education in Naples and of Neapolitan opera seria; an analysis of changing styles of vocal writing and ornamentation; an account of the criticism of opera by literary men; and a social history of the singing profession and its role in the opera business.