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Book of the Week: The Castrato and His Wife

Book of the Week: The Castrato and His Wife: Episode 3

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Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

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Music: Classical

Helen Berry's portrait of celebrated 18th-century castrato Giusto Ferdinando Tenducci

Helen Berry's portrait of celebrated 18th-century castrato Giusto Ferdinando Tenducci and his love affair with young Irish girl Dorothea Maunsell. Read by Greta Scacchi.

Music details:

Overture from Artaserse by Johann-Adolf Hasse, Track 5, Farinelli, Il Castrato Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Auvdis Travelling K1005, performed by Ewa Mallas-Godlewska, Soprano; Derek Lee Ragin, counter-tenor, Les Talens Lyriques, conducted by Christophe Rousset 

‘Taccia il vento e la tempesta’ from Merope by Broschi, Track 10, L’Age d’Or des Castrats, EMI CDC5552592.  Sung by Aris Christopfellis, sopranist.    

‘Psalm 109, Dixit Dominus’ by Claudio Monteverdi, Track 2, Vespers of the Blessed Virgin, Naxos B0000013VY performed by The Scholars Baroque Ensemble    

‘Salve Regina’ by Giovanni-Battista Pergolese, Track 10, Farinelli, Il Castrato Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Auvdis Travelling K1005, performed by Ewa Mallas-Godlewska, Soprano; Derek Lee Ragin, counter-tenor, Les Talens Lyriques, conducted by Christophe Rousset 

‘Stabat Mater’ by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Decca B001N5J7SW, performed by Emma Kirkby and The Academy of Ancient Music, conducted by Christopher Hogwood  

Air d’Epidide: ‘Quel usignuolo’ from Merope by Geminiano Giacomelli, Track 2, Farinelli et son temps, EMI 5552502, performed by Aris Christopfellis and the Ensemble Seicentonovecento, conducted by Flavio Colusso.   

Recitatif & air de Farnaspe: ‘Oh cari sdegni…Lieto cosi tal volta’ from Adriano in Siria by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Track 12, Farinelli et son temps, EMI 5552502, performed by Aris Christopfellis and the Ensemble Seicentonovecento, conducted by Flavio Colusso.   

La partenza: ‘Ecco quak fiero instante’ by Carlo Broschi Farinelli, Track 4, Farinelli et son temps, EMI 5552502, performed by Aris Christopfellis and the Ensemble Seicentonovecento, conducted by Flavio Colusso.   

‘Generoso risuegliati o core’ by J A Hasse, Track 9, Farinelli, Il Castrato Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Auvdis Travelling K1005, performed by Ewa Mallas-Godlewska, Soprano; Derek Lee Ragin, counter-tenor, Les Talens Lyriques, conducted by Christophe Rousset    

No. 21 ‘Air – Water parted from the sea’ from Artaxerxes by Thomas Arne, Track 12, CD 2, Artaxerxes, Linn Records B004MAETAQ performed by Christopher Ainslie and the Classical Opera Company,  

‘Taccia il vento e la tempesta’ from Merope by Broschi, Track 10, L’Age d’Or des Castrats, EMI CDC5552592.  Sung by Aris Christopfellis, sopranist.   

‘Son qual nave ch’agitata’ by Broschi, Track 1, Farinelli, Il Castrato Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Auvdis Travelling K1005, performed by Ewa Mallas-Godlewska, Soprano; Derek Lee Ragin, counter-tenor, Les Talens Lyriques, conducted by Christophe Rousset    

‘Lochaber’, Track 7, Airs and Graces, BIS B002WLWP5S,  performed by William Skeen  

‘Per questo dolce amplesso’ from Artaserse by Hasse, Track 6, L’Age d’Or des Castrats, EMI CDC5552592.  Sung by Aris Christopfellis, sopranist.   

‘Vo Solcando un Mar Crudele, from Artaserse by Track 11, La dolce fiamma: Forgotten Castrato Arias, Virgin B002T3AEYS  performed by Philippe Jaroussky/Le Cercle De L'Harmonie /Jérémie Rhorer

The Castrato and His Wife

Book of the Week

Serialised book readings, featuring works from various genres

Serialised book readings, featuring works of non-fiction, biography, autobiography, travel, diaries, essays, humour and history

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Episode 3

BBC Radio 4 - Book of the Week, The Castrato and His Wife, Episode 3

In Dublin, Tenducci encounters the teenage girl, who brings him love and potential ruin.

Helen Berry's astonishing portrait of the love affair between an Irish girl and Tenducci, the famous 18th-century castrato. Today, Tenducci falls in love. Read by Greta Scacchi.

Helen Berry's astonishing new portrait of Giusto Ferdinando Tenducci, the celebrated 18th century castrato, and his love affair with a young Irish girl, Dorothea Maunsell. 

In today's episode, Tenducci's growing fame takes him to Dublin, to sing in a season of operas in English. It's in Dublin that he first encounters a charismatic teenage girl, who will bring him adventures in love, but a brush with total ruin. 

Read by Greta Scacchi
Abridged by Viv Beeby
Produced by Emma Harding

'The Castrato and His Wife' is published by Oxford University Press.

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