Daisie Garrison
2/16/2009
Farinelli Summary and Reaction
"Farinelli" is a movie based on the story and life of Carlo Broschi (later changed his name) and his older brother Riccardo. To preserve Carlo's voice, he underwent surgery to become a castrato. He may have lost his male tributes but he got something more in return: an amazing voice. Some called it the "voice of an angel." Farinelli's brother was very manipulative and neurotic. Farinelli became a very famous singer. Both men and women loved to hear his beautiful angelic voice as it touched each and every one of them. He sang his songs to King Philip V each night. It relieved the king of his melancholy. Riccardo, Farinelli's brother, wrote his music. This was because early in their life, their father declared that Farinelli should only sing the songs that Riccardo wrote him. This gave Riccardo's career a boost. Farinelli was given the opportunity to work with Handel. Handel was a great composer back in their time. The two brothers also partnered up in the bedroom with all the young women that fell head over heels with the young singer. Farinelli would start the job and due to his surgery as a child Riccardo would finish it. Farinelli was considered one most celebrated opera singers of the 18th century. The movie was very interesting and gives very detailed descriptions of the life of Farinelli.
I thought the movie was very intriguing. It was very detailed in the lives and kept me interested throughout the entire movie. Some of the things they did together were very odd and "weirded" me out, but he was a fantastic singer from what I was able to experience in the classroom. I just feel like there had to have been a lot more aspects of his life left out that would have made the movie better. However, it was a great piece of work. I had never really heard of Farinelli, and I'm a very picky person, but the movie was unique and fascinating. It is not a movie I would look to rent, but I enjoyed it very...