book review – The Adventures of Nico and Gianni, by J.J. Sagmiller.
For much of the 18th Century an Italian opera had to feature at least one renowned castrato in a lead part or it would surely fail. Because of the popularity of Italian opera throughout 18th-century Europe, famous castrati singers became superstars, earning huge sums of money and an enthusiastic crowd of fans. Though castration produces impotence, it does not mean all sexual activity is ruled out.
