Carlo Scalzi Italian castrato singer Country: Italy

1. Early Life and Career
2. Venetian Operas and Return to Rome
3. Wanderings and Opera Premieres
4. London Interlude
5. Later Career and Legacy

Early Life and Career

Carlo Scalzi was born in Italy around the year 1700. Little is known about his early life or the circumstances surrounding his castration. By 1718, Scalzi had established himself as a successful castrato singer in Rome, performing in operas by Alessandro Scarlatti.

Venetian Operas and Return to Rome

Between 1719 and 1722, Scalzi worked in Venice, collaborating with composers such as Giuseppe Maria Orlandini, Carlo Francesco Pollarolo, and Giovanni Porta. In 1722, he returned to Rome before briefly performing in Genoa.

Wanderings and Opera Premieres

Throughout the 1720s, Scalzi toured Italy, performing in operas in Florence, Milan, Venice, and Parma. He achieved particular acclaim in Naples. Scalzi also created new roles in the premieres of operas by Johann Adolf Hasse ("Miride e Damari") and Leonardo da Vinci ("L'Ernelinda").

London Interlude

From 1733 to 1734, Scalzi joined George Frideric Handel's opera company at the King's Theatre in London. Handel tailored and expanded arias from his existing operas to showcase Scalzi's exceptional vocal abilities. However, Scalzi's performances in England were met with less enthusiasm than those in his native Italy.

Later Career and Legacy

In 1734, Scalzi returned to Italy and resumed his touring career. He performed his last known role in 1738, but the details of his later life remain obscure. The Italian librettist Pietro Metastasio praised Scalzi as a performer of unparalleled talent, drawing comparisons to the legendary castrato Farinelli.