Domenico Annibali Italian singer, castrato Country: Italy

Biography of Domenico Annibali

Domenico Annibali was an Italian singer and castrato. Born in 1705 in Macerata, Italy, little is known about his childhood. However, it is known that from 1725 onwards, Annibali sang in Rome in the operas of Nicola Porpora. After 1726, he could be heard on the opera stages of Venice, where he remained from 1727 to 1729. In 1729, Annibali appeared at the Royal Opera House in Dresden, where he stayed until 1764. In Dresden, he participated in the world premiere of Johann Adolph Hasse's 'Cleofide' in 1731 and sang the leading role in Hasse's 'Attilio Regolo' in 1750. In 1734, Annibali once again sang in Hasse's opera 'Cajo Fabricio'.

While Annibali's soprano voice was not unique, like most sopranists of the time, he was a castrato. However, it was Domenico who set a record by reaching the high F, a note that very few could achieve. Nevertheless, his record-breaking high note did not have much aesthetic value, and he was unable to fully utilize his achievement.

Despite being affiliated with the Dresden Opera, Annibali also performed on other international opera stages. He could be heard in Rome in 1730, 1732, and 1739. In 1731, the audience in Vienna applauded him when he performed the lead role in Antonio Caldara's opera 'Demetrio'. Interestingly, his performance impressed the renowned composer Pietro Metastasio.

From October 1736 to June 1737, Domenico was part of the opera company at the Royal Opera House in London. His role in Handel's 'Poro' was also incomparable. In total, Annibali participated in three world premieres of Handel's operas: 'Arminio', 'Giustino', and 'Berenice' in 1737. He also sang in several of Handel's cantatas.

In 1764, Annibali left Dresden with the title of Kammermusikus and a pension of 1200 thalers. He returned to his hometown and later moved to Rome in 1776. Three years later, in 1779, he passed away. It is known that Domenico Annibali was also a vocal teacher, and one of his students was the renowned musician, lutenist, bandura player, singer, and composer Timofiy Bilohradsky.