Baldassare Ferri

Baldassare Ferri ( born December 9, 1610 Perugia, † November 18, 1680 ) was an Italian soprano castrato.

Life and career

Very little is known about Ferris childhood. After earlier castration he sang first in the Cathedral of S. Lorenzo in Perugia. At age eleven, then Ferri entered the service of Cardinal Fabio C. Crescenzio and worked as a singer in the cathedral of Orvieto. When Cardinal moved to Rome, also went with Baldassare. He took lessons there at Vincenzo Ugolini, Kapellmeister of the Cappella Giulia.

1625 heard him, the Polish Crown Prince Władysław, the future King Władysław IV, who was then in Rome. Władysław was impressed by Ferris art of singing and immediately took him into his service. Until 1655 he remained at the Warsaw court of the Vasa kings Sigismund III. and Vladislav IV The king often gave him breaks, which he used for guest performances in many European cities. 1654, shortly before her abdication, the Swedish Queen Christina took him for a guest to her court. Since then, however, Sweden was at war with Poland, the art-loving Queen closed unceremoniously a truce with Poland, lest ye escape the great pleasure to hear Ferri.

1655 Ferri traveled to Vienna and entered on October 1, with a salary of 110 florins in the court chapel of Emperor Ferdinand III. one. He lived in a Hofquartier at Vienna's " digging". The art-loving Ferdinand III. Ferri very appreciated and showered him with honors and appreciations of all kinds. Even under Ferdinand's successor, Emperor Leopold I, as a generous patron of the arts, who also composed himself, the castrato remained at the imperial court. Leopold Ferri raised to the peerage. The Emperor is a portrait Ferris with the inscription in his bedroom - have had hang " Baldassare Ferri Rè dei Musici ".

In Vienna, Ferri performed in many opera performances. Has not been proven whether he has in the legendary splendor opera Il pomo d' oro, which was performed on July 12, 1668 on the occasion of the marriage of Leopold I with the Spanish Infanta Margherita Theresa, participated.

Between 1675 and 1680, the aging castrato then returned to his hometown. After his death on December 9, 1680, he left the city of Perugia a fortune of 600,000 scudi.

Baldassare Ferri said to have apart from its enormous vocal art has a very pleasant appearance and good manners. Contemporaries therefore surpassed themselves with praise for him. Ferri said to have had an unusually high, this beautiful and sweeping soprano voice. Its large volume breathing enabled him, long and demanding coloratura effortlessly to sing. Added to this was a huge vocal range, a pure intonation, perfect voice and body control, as well as a performing talent. But his specialty was his trill technique.