The Castrato
By

Rating

Product Description
Product Details

About the Author

JOYCE POOL (1962) studied at the Pedagogical Academy in Leiden. She lives on the island Texel where she teaches high school. Pool has written both historical fiction and contemporary stories. The Castrato is her first young adult novel.

Reviews

"Angelo Montegne unwittingly pays a high price to study at a music conservatory in 1698 Florence in this Dutch import. The 12-year-old expects to inherit his father's tannery but for now takes joy in singing in the church choir. He dreams of becoming famous when he's given the chance to sing a solo for the pope, and his exceptionally beautiful soprano voice attracts the attention of priests in charge of the conservatory. When his father dies, a bewildered Angelo is coerced into a grisly visit to a barber on his way to Florence, where he joins other "sopranists" castrated to preserve their high voices. Angelo's descriptive first-person account spans four years as he gains an understanding of the world he has entered, with its decadence and unsavory demands, while wondering what chance he might have with any of the girls he's attracted to, including Rosa Scarlatti, daughter of the famous composer. Ellis' fine translation captures the distinct voices of several characters, from the cheeky Paolo, Angelo's guide to life at the conservatory, to the padres who make no bones about Angelo being their "gold mine," hired out to Florence's most important families, which include the Medicis. Angelo's highly personal story is imbued with historical details that provide a vivid sense of time and place. A compelling and unusual slice of European history that will be new to many young adults."-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"Angelo's exquisite voice catapults him to the top of his choir in Italian Renaissance Fiesole and attracts attention from the prestigious conservatory in Florence. Perhaps sensing a hidden danger, Papa refuses to let him go. But after Papa's untimely death, the conservatory becomes a realistic option for the orphaned Angelo. Readers will sense an ominous note as he is led away by Padre Battistaand straight to a brutal castration surgery, a not-uncommon practice in earlier centuries to preserve a young boy's soprano voice. Angelo, filled with regret about the price he has paid for his talent, desperately calculates how he can devote his life to music and still have a somewhat normal life as a half-man. When he attracts the attention of a Medici prince, a sexual predator who will bankroll Angelo's career amid a life of luxury, the desperation intensifies. This is a disturbing and fascinating glimpse into the dark side of Renaissance music. Angelo's story will tug at readers' heartstrings as he tries to find his way."-- "Booklist"

"At twelve years old, Angelo's pure voice attracts the attention of the padres of the Florentine Conservatory. Against his dead father's wishes, Angelo agrees to learn music at the conservatory without understanding the cost--castration. As a castrato, he is angry at the padres for their deceit, but quickly becomes their best singer along with his friend, Paolo. When Angelo and Paolo sing at a funeral for the wealthiest family in the city, their beautiful voices are noticed by Prince de Medici who invites them to his home to sing in a concert. The prince is captivated by Angelo's voice and presents him with another offer he cannot refuse. Angelo is forced to decide between his career as a singer and the freedom to love whom he chooses.
The Castrato is an historical fiction novel that follows a story line which has little representation in young adult literature....The book's focus, however, is not the history of this period, but rather Angelo's main dilemma, which is his ability to love another, both sexually and emotionally, as a castrato. With this focus, readers can identify with Angelo's struggle to understand himself, his sexuality, and his place in the world."-- "VOYA, Voice of Youth Advocates"

"During the peak of the baroque era, Angelo Montegne lives in Fiesol, a small Italian village. While he enjoys working in his father's tannery shop, his true passion is music. Angelo is a star singer in the local church choir, and his immense talent does not go unnoticed. When priests from a prestigious music academy in Florence try to recruit Angelo for their school, though, Angelo's father refuses to let him go. Angelo's musical career seems to have ended before it began, until a tragedy strikes. Defying his father's wishes, Angelo agrees to attend the academy, and he learns the price of admittance: his own castration. At the academy, Angelo develops friendships, but music remains his truest love and anchor. Just as Angelo finally begins to accept his future as a castrato, a beautiful girl from his youth reappears, and he must choose to follow his heart or pursue a successful musical career. This intriguing novel, originally published in the Netherlands, introduces a fascinating and disturbing part of musical history. Angelo's personal story is highly compelling, and his gender identity issues and the sexual fluidity of his classmates may lead to open discussions with teens. Some readers will be motivated to learn more about the history of castrati and the renowned composers of the baroque period. VERDICT: Great for fans of historical fiction or teachers looking for a unique read to add to their high school or college-level history or English syllabi. Give this book to fans of Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Paper Fan or Ruta Sepetys's Between Shades of Gray."-- "School Library Journal"

"Florence in 1698 is the backdrop for Joyce Pool's The Castrato, a sensitive tale of the joys and sorrows of life as a castrato.
Twelve-year-old Angelo Montegne, gifted with a golden voice, thinks he's made a good bargain. In return for education and the training, he will sing for the church at masses, funerals, and on demand for wealthy patrons. Only when he wakes with a searing pain in his groin does he begin to realize the true cost of his bargain, a mutilation performed against his will.
The story leaps ahead four years to find Angelo, still in training, renowned as one of the best sopranos in Florence. Soon he attracts the attention of Prince Ferdinando de Medici, attention that will ultimately force him to choose between a life of fame and luxury as the Prince's pet, and the life he would choose for himself.....The Castrato is an enjoyable portrait of post-Renaissance Italy told from a fresh and original point of view."-- "Foreword Reviews"

"Pool's sexually charged story opens with the dramatic aftermath of the castration of 12-year-old Angelo Montegne, an impoverished tanner's son with an exquisite singing voice in Fiesole, Italy, in 1698. Although Angelo's father vehemently turns down a priest's invitation for his son to join the oldest conservatory in Florence ("the price is too high"), Angelo is persuaded by his sister and aunt to accept, after his father's death. Traumatized by the unexpected castration, he now understands his father's objection, but it is too late: over the years Angelo becomes one of the conservatory's rising sopranists and catches the eye of the lecherous Prince de Medici. Pool doesn't shy away from describing Angelo's erotic desires (including those for Rosa Scarlatti, defiant daughter of the famous composer), his horror and disgust at his condition, or the sexual encounters between the young men in the conservatory, but she also convincingly depicts the sensory aspects of the lives of the poor and the wealthy in that era. Readers will be swept up into Angelo's life and rejoice with him at the happy ending."-- "Publishers Weekly"

Ask a Question About this Product More...
 
Look for similar items by category
This title is unavailable for purchase as none of our regular suppliers have stock available. If you are the publisher, author or distributor for this item, please visit this link.

Back to top