The Castrato

New York: The John Day Company. Near Fine in Near Fine dj. (c.1973). First Edition. Hardcover. 0381982327 . [spine very slightly turned, minor shelfwear to bottom edge, one-time owner's signature at top of ffep; jacket shows just light surface wear, thin black smudge across lower edge of spine]. "Set against the dazzling courts of Madrid and Vienna, the glamorous opera houses of London, Paris, and Rome, [this novel] is the story of Carlo Broschi, detta Farinelli, who actually was the most celebrated musical figure of his time. A male soprano with a bell-like voice which captivated men and women alike, Farinelli began life as a simple Italian peasant. The cruel mutilation which enabled him to sing in the choir of a Benedictine monastery preserved a voice of rare beauty -- a gift which would carry him from an obscure Italian conservatory to the heights of European society." .