 |
 |
TRUE OR FALSETTO? A SECRET HISTORY OF THE CASTRATI
True or Falsetto? A Secret History of the Castrati!, a musical play written by Lucy Powell from an original idea by Ernesto, after previews and workshops in prestigious London venues like the Riverside Studios and the Battersea Arts Centre, had its world premiere at the Pleasance Theatre for Edinburgh Fringe 2002 where it was a critical success. After that the show went to Holland, Ireland, Mexico and Spain (in Spanish). It also had two sell out London runs at the Drill Hall. A spin-off cabaret version was presented to the Chelsea Arts Club in London and at the Tam Tam in Amsterdam.
LONDON REVIEWS // SEPTEMBER 2003
You will not find another show like ‘True or falsetto?’, not on the mainstream stage or on the fringe scene because this is a piece of theatre which manages to combine light-hearted entertainment with a very erudite subject. It is very well researched, incredibly funny and at the same time deeply moving.
Ernesto Tomasini is not really a castrato, of course. He can better be described as a falsettist with a considerable range and a wicked sense of humour our performer leads the audience in a theatrical tour de force revisiting the history of the male high voice, from its obscure beginning, through the triumphs on the baroque operatic stage, to the decline in the romantic period.
Tomasini sings, dances, acts and cross-dresses, resorting to all the tricks of a very classy cabaret act. He pulls some real bravura moments, like the impressive performance of both voices in Bizet’s ‘Parlez moi de ma mère’ from Carmen, displaying his four octave range, which includes both baritone and soprano registers.
But there are also very moving moments, like his rendition of ‘Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix’, from Saint-Saens ‘Samson and Dalila’, or the ending, when tears of laughter are confused with bitter ones. This one-man extravaganza is strongly supported by Lucy Powell's script and Amit Lahav's direction, as well as the ingenious set by Simon Kenny and Ilona Karas Prokopcova's brilliant costumes.
The show, which had originated in London but was christened at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year, enjoyed its second sell-out run at Drill Hall in September after a very successful spring debut. For the sake of those who did not manage to secure a ticket (and I suspect there were many), as well as for those who would like a second helping (or a third, like me), let’s hope that Tomasini is called to grace the London stage again soon.
B.A.Diana - Operatalent.com
Back at the Drill Hall after a successful run earlier this year, Ernesto Tomasini's one-man show is an artful account of four centuries of castrati ... Lucy Powell's smart script and Amit Lahav's inventive direction keep this the right side of illustrated lecture … when Tomasini sings - he lends an affecting falsetto to songs including a bawdy "Waiting at the Church" and the aptly titled "Mon Coeur S'ouvre a ta Voix" by Camille Saint-Saens.
So this is a collection of good moments cunningly strung together by Tomasini's playful energy. The high-light, though, is the finale - a wax-cylinder recording from 1902 of Alessandro Moreschi, "the last castrato". Hearing this ghoulishly beautiful sound, you know what Tomasini means when he says, "falsetto is as old as death."
Dominic Maxwell - Time Out, September 24-1 October
Gender Terrorists! // Rating: 5 Stars!
Liza Minnelli with Muscles!
Ernesto Tomasini, the superlative, ex-Lindsay Kemp Company counter-tenor now starring in his own, castratic-centric show. Not that he's actually had the chop, mind, but he's got the operatic balls (and tonsils) to convincingly mimic the loss of one's vocal manhood!
So what does he sound like? Well, Maria Callas with a non-functional dick, darlings, which is to say mezzo-soprano brightness and purity augmented by male breath-control and volume! .... Tomasini excels. A natural performer, he's hugely charismatic on stage.
Bursting in like a Catholic priest on the run from paedophilia charges, Ernesto immediately engages our collective genitals. It's a bizarre, twisted chapter of church history, shrewdly narrated by Ernesto who brilliantly captures that pathos My verdict? Cherish this show while you can!
Sasha Selavie - QX September 24-1 October
This one-man show by Lucy Powell (author of the hugely successful The Making Of Miss Peggy Lee) is a roller-coaster ride through the history of the castrato voice and the falsetto fach. It was great fun at Edinburgh last year, has since had a sell-out stint at the Drill Hall, and returns there tonight for another run.
And the great thing about it is it's informative as well as entertaining: a dummy is used to demonstrate an actual castration, for example, and the issues of sexuality and gender surrounding men who sing soprano are explored with relish. Diverting and fun.
Warwick Thompson - Metro, 10/9/2003
LONDON REVIEWS // APRIL 2003
Ernesto Tomasini has an amazing singing voice of four octaves; his countertenor range has a strength and beauty well suited to the operatic arias included in the show, in particular 'Vi ricorda o boschi ombrosi' from Monteverdi's Orfeo, 'Che faro senza Euridice' from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, and 'Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix' from Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila. The latter brought tears to my eyes, it was performed with such convincingly powerful emotion. And alongside the otherwise entirely classical repertoire came the music hall song, 'Waitin' at the Church', complete with broad Cockney accent - no mean feat for an Italian guy from Sicily!
Ernesto's performing career has been a varied one, covering theatre, cabaret and concert hall. In this show he combines all three, and keeps the audience entranced throughout. At one moment he is a mad doctor, carrying out a simulated castration; at another moment he is doing a sinister mime, Nosferatu-style, behind a translucent curtain; the next minute he is chatting amiably to the audience about his fan mail; the next he is auditioning for Herr Gluck, and coming gradually to terms with the idea that this innovatory German composer requires absolute realism from his performers.
Ernesto was ably accompanied at the piano by Musical Director Stephen Robinson, the imaginatively adaptable set was by Simon Kenny, and the versatile costumes were by Ilona Karas Prokopcova.
True or Falsetto received its world première in 2002 at the Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe, then went on in January 2003 to the Cosmic Theatre, Amsterdam. After the current London run it will move on to Ireland and Italy. I hope that it will return to the UK before too long - it deserves to be seen by as wide an audience as possible, and it would be interesting to see what could be done with it on film.
Ernesto has cult status as a cabaret performer, and I can well understand why - he is flamboyant, versatile, energetic, fascinating to watch and a joy to listen to, both singing and speaking. An image of him stays in the mind for days afterwards. If a CD of his singing had been on sale, I would have bought one. Ernesto is the besto!
Gill Stoker - The British Theatre Guide
In this history of the castrati, Tomasini, a falsetto singer himself who can reach the heights with gusto, uses the story to provide us with a medley of opera hits and even the odd music hall song, all framed by a clever storytelling device. Along the way there are some great theatrical moments, too; frocks come on, frocks come off and with the aid of a puppett there is a gruesome 'Shockheaded Peter'-style enactment of a castration operation. With Simon Kenny's gauze-and-curtain set, it all perfectly suits the table and drinks cabaret atmosphere of the Drill Hall basement. Amit Lahav's direction skilfully brings out the comedy and tragedy in the story - both moods apt for Tomasini's face, which is a weird hybrid of Buster Keaton paper-like expressionlessness and camp Peter Sellers cheekiness. ... And the final coup is gobsmacking as Tomasini plays us an early twentyth-century wax cilinder recording of a castrato. It's eerie, beautiful, horrific and other-worldly, and matched by Tomasini squeezing tears and passion into his words as he testifies for the thousands of castrati mutilated into songbirds: 'What is my voice', he asks, 'if not my soul with which I speak to God?'
Mark Espiner - Time Out
... one gets the impression that the voice and personality of this one-man show’s star, Ernesto Tomasini, could fill a football stadium if they had to. For just over an hour he is actor, storyteller, history teacher, comedian and cantor to a privileged and appreciative audience. He plays a voice, the falsetto, and illustrates its European history with arias, which span five centuries and the four octaves of his own remarkable voice.
... Tomasini does not let us forget the melancholic dignity of his operatic heroes. But his irreverence, and the energetic performance (Lahav, the director, specialised in physical theatre at drama school, and the show is reminiscent of Theatre Complicité’s early work), made us laugh more than we cried. He makes full use of an elegantly simple set, and elegantly flamboyant costumes to take us from the catacombs of the Vatican to the dressing rooms of an opera house via a rather gruesome hospital. And his voice shakes the room with its rendition of the castrato sound, exploring its capacities to be human or un-natural, florid or pure, grotesque or beautiful.
This is undoubtedly a show of contradictions – tragicomic, brutal yet tender, blending the high camp of the stage with that of the church. It is hilarious, moving, educational and a definite must-see.
Jacob Kenedy - Gay.com UK
... Now largely forgotten as a distasteful chapter of Europe's musical legacy, the whole story of the castrati - sometimes sordid, sometimes sumptuous - is finally revealed in this shocking and entertaining one-man show.
With a four-octave range, cult Italian countertenor Ernesto Tomasini could not have found a better vehicle to show off his many talents. Over the course of the evening he enacts an entire Papal court, invites the audience to aid him in the graphic and brutal castration of an eight-year-old boy and sings some of the most beautiful arias from the last four centuries of music. One part cabaret performer, one part Simon Schama and one part operatic quick-change artist, he is never less than riveting throughout the show.
... True or Falsetto? enjoyed a highly acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Festival last year under the sure hands of playwright Lucy Powell and director Amit Lahav. Powell's sensitive and thoroughly witty script examines the many accomplishments of the castrati's art as well as the strange allure of their androgynous sexual appeal. While restoring the vast contribution (now conveniently forgotten) that they made to the genesis of opera, Powell still refuses to gloss over the isolation and sacrifice of these tragic figures and their ultimate betrayal both by audiences who feted them and the church that was responsible for their creation.
True or Falsetto? is the perfect show for lovers of opera, innovative theatre and high camp musical comedy. Go on, treat yourself.
Jaspre Bark - What's On
EDINBURGH REVIEWS // AUGUST 2002
"Very funny, deeply moving and beautifully sung"
Michael Chance
This aria-strewn monologue traces the castrato role in the developement of opera with wit and an irreverent theatricality. ... Ernesto Tomasini gives a wonderful performance: it is flamboyant, but also quietly communicates the sadness at the story's heart. His falsetto voice captures the chimerical sound of the castrati with eerie accuracy. ... His admiration for castrati shines through, bringing dignity to people who were created for art but dismissed as abominations.
The Guardian
Drama with balls. Multi-talented, utterly engaging Ernesto Tomasini secretely teaches us about the castrati. ... His singing is a joy, his characterization superb and his enthusiasm catching. ... An absolute delight.
The List
Sicilian high voice Ernesto Tomasini takes us on a fascinating secret history trip that is poignant, scrupolous in its detail and a real revelation. ... An ingenious and delightful play, fabolously performed, it combines high camp with real tenderness. Unmissable.
Pick of the week and one of 3 best one-man shows at the Fringe. The List
This show is balls! Or to be more precise about the lack of them. Ernesto Tomasini has brought a fascinating and engaging show to the Fringe which is unlikely to disappoint any audience. ... Ernesto Tomasini via the use of puppets, a series of vignettes and scenes creates and weaves a fascinating story of this doomed species, but the most important and wonderful aspect of this show is Tomasini's voice. He manages to provide a remarkable rendition of castrato-style singing which is both exquisite and strangely eerie. ... The live musical accompaniment provided by Michael Roulston is superb and flawless. A great show which both educates and entertains, I recomend it.
Edinburgh Guide
Ernesto Tomasini has, by any standards, a remarkable voice. It not only spans 4 octaves but he can deliver a powerful falsetto in his upper register. He is perfect to perform Lucy Powell's new dramatic comedy about the life of the castrati. ... He tells the story with flair, wit and a few moments of brilliant, soaring musical illustration. ... This fascinating piece of musical history is beautifully told by Tomasini who is given able support by Michael Roulston on keyboard.
The Stage
Lucy Powell's ambitious one-man play is a brisk camp tour of the fascinating history of the castrati. ... the play entertains, thrills and moves. ... Powell is well served by cult Italian cabaret counter tenor Ernesto Tomasini, his powerful voice shakes the walls of the Pleasance.
The Scotsman
A brilliant piece ... an entertaining black comedy ... the real highlights of the show are the operatic songs. If Tomasini's comedy is visual and versatile, his singing voice is perfection. A real treat.
Scots Gay
Tomasini's natural 4 octaves voice gracefully elucidates the humorous documentary and gives us a taste of what the sound would have been like.
Three Weeks
This new one-man show by Lucy Powell is entertaining and informative and the issues of sexuality and gender surrounding men who sing soprano are explored with relish. Ernesto Tomasini is a likable performer with a genial manner, his powerful counter tenor voice has an appealingly fruity underbelly.
Metro
FROM “ALL MOUTH AND NO TROUSERS”
Castrati had more fun than you might think
Samantha Ellis meets a singer who wishes he'd had the chop.
Guardian
Monday August 5, 2002Most people think castrating choirboys is inhumane - but not singer Ernesto Tomasini. "I regret not having been castrated," he says. "I would have perfectly happily given up my masculinity for my art." Just over a century ago he would have got his wish: at the height of the craze for male sopranos, 5,000 boys a year were castrated in order to preserve their unbroken voices. Those who proved mediocre mouldered away in parish choirs, but the successful "sacred monsters" were cosseted and adored. The last official castrato, Alessandro Moreschi, retired from the Sistine Chapel in 1913, though some historians suspect that Domenico Mancini, who sang in the papal choir until 1959, was a secret castrato.Growing up in 1970s Sicily, Tomasini was all too aware of the castrato legacy. At 10, he was kicked out of the choir by the priests of the Santissimo Salvatore for "singing mass as Julie Andrews", while his mother wrung her hands at his coloratura hallelujahs. "She never said, 'Don't mince when you sing,' " he recalls, "but that was what she meant."
In his teens, he would sing when he was home alone. "The neighbours said, 'Oh, you've got such a lovely soprano voice, Mrs Tomasini.' And she said, 'I don't sing.' So then it was 'What do you do when I'm out? You sing like a woman!' "
Tomasini eventually unleashed his four-octave voice on the Italian cabaret circuit, and still performs at the ICA and the Soho revue bar Madame JoJo's as The Techno-Castrato and as The Amazing Tomasini. But he has also started singing the castrato roles that, since Moreschi died in 1922, have been sung by women. The postwar countertenor Alfred Deller inspired Tippett and Britten to write high-pitched male parts, but it is only recently that countertenors - including artists such as Andreas Scholl and David Daniels - have reclaimed castrato roles.
Such performers have proved that it is possible to achieve some of a castrato's range without recourse to surgery, but Tomasini longs for the frenzied glamour of 18th-century opera, in which castrati reigned supreme. Lucy Powell, who wrote True or Falsetto, the show that Tomasini is taking to this year's Edinburgh festival, cannot quite bring herself to agree with him on the benefits of castration. "The difficulty is that you can't make that decision as an adult. I know there are many fetish sites where people are making that decision on a daily basis, but they're not doing it for music." Last year human rights groups and historians called for a papal apology, but according to Powell, "He was too busy apologising to other people." Tomasini suspects that "many documents have been destroyed". Tomasini and Powell want to look at "the human side of what it meant to be created for art". But they are as interested in the drama as in the trauma. "We'll never get these amazing creatures back again," says Powell. "But I'd like to regain the idea of illusion, that anything is possible on a stage."
To read the whole article please click the link below.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2002
|
|
|
|
