Castrato - Modern Castrati and Similar Voices

Modern Castrati and Similar Voices

So-called "natural" or "endocrinological castrati" are born with hormonal anomalies such as Kallmann's syndrome, or have undergone unusual physical or medical events during their early lives that reproduce the vocal effects of castration without being castrated. Jimmy Scott and Radu Marian are examples of this type of high male voice. Michael Maniaci is somewhat different, in that he has no hormonal or other anomalies, but for some unknown reason, his voice did not "break" in the usual manner, leaving him still able to sing in the soprano register. Other uncastrated male adults sing soprano, generally using some form of falsetto, but in a much higher range than most countertenors. Examples are Aris Christofellis, Jörg Waschinski, and Ghio Nannini. However, it is believed the castrati possessed more of a tenorial chest register (the aria "Navigante che non spera" in Leonardo Leo's opera Il Medo, written for Farinelli, requires notes down to C3). Similar low-voiced singing can be heard from the jazz vocalist Jimmy Scott whose range matches approximately that used by female blues singers, while the Turkish popular singer Cem Adrian has the ability to sing from bass to soprano, his vocal folds having been reported to be three times the average length. Actor Chris Colfer has a similar range. Colfer has stated in interviews that, when his voice began to change at puberty, he sang in a high voice "constantly" in an effort to retain his range.