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From:  "Jeffrey Snider" <snide76258@a...>
"Jeffrey Snider" <snide76258@a...>
Date:  Mon Apr 2, 2001  1:56 am
Subject:  Re: Breath control of castrati


We are most familiar, of course, with the music written for castrati
by the great composers: Handel, Vivaldi, Scarlatti, etc. However, if
you find examples of music written for the castrati by the "less
great" composers of the time, you REALLY see what incredible capacity
they must have had. I don't remember where I saw it, but there is
some music where there are melismas that go on for what seems like
FOREVER. (And you thought "Rejoice" was bad!)

It is truly a remarkable story.

-JS


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