Monday 22 November

Rehearsing and recording scenes from Opera21 commission The Last Castrato
music by Torsten Rasch, words by Max Hoehn
produced by Opera21

Born into poverty in rural Italy, Alessandro Moreschi was one of the last boys to be castrated for the glory of art and the glory of God. He died in 1922, the last-ever representative of a voice-type that had captivated audiences and musicians for centuries. This chamber opera explores Moreschi’s turbulent private life and how his identity profoundly challenged the gender politics and social conventions of his time.

Music Director Gerry Cornelius

Andrew Watts, Rebecca Bottone, Alan Ewing and Isaac Rogers sing the main roles

CHROMA

violin 1 Marcus Barcham-Stevens (leader), Charlotte Bonneton, Chihiro Ono, Natasha Humphries
violin 2 Richard Milone, Alicia Berendse, Katherine Roberts
viola Oliver Wilson, Bridget Carey, Katie Heller
cello Peteris Sokolovskis, Chris Allan
bass Lucy Shaw
clarinet (db bass clarinet) Stuart King
bassoon (db contrabassoon) Jo Turner
accordion Ilona Suomalainen
percussion Steve Gibson
theremin Charlie Draper

insight into The Last Castrato:

Opera 21’s Crowdfunding page here