Back in the old days of the powerful church, a good way for a boy to live a happy life was for him to castrate himself. And sing for the church , it was/is thought that castrated men sing better then the not castrated ones. You could somehow attain the perfect pitch of voice, this would also make them indefatigable lovers. Although the church forbade the act of castration to keep a healthy public image they would make excuses such as the boy was attacked by vicious dogs who bit of his --- or his peers beaten him badly and brutalized him. Even though what they said was sometimes not very veridical the people wouldn't question them. Some of the opera's pieces were strictly written for castrati singer. Spectators, after a great performance would shout '
Viva il coltello', which is Italian for ' Long live the knife'. But the actual castration wasn't done with a knife but a sharp string. What might sound painfully , was never documentated. Giovanni Francesco Grossi, an italian castrato was in love with a countess from Modena. Her enraged & mad family sent her into a community of nuns, but Giovanni still went to visit her . The modest family was so enraged they hired someone to assassain him in the end. Some castrato's even tried to marry but being affiliated with the church it became impossible, too bad for the supposed best lovers. Some castrato's became priest, one is that known , Loreto Vittori. Other castrato's that went big, Farinelli. He worked in the court of the king of Spain. Philip V of Spain loved songs and so did his wife who even paid Farinelli to sing for her husband each night.
The barberous practice did not end till the 20th centuary. The last soprano castrato was Alessandro Moreschi, he died in 1922 late enough for his voice to be recorded. And with him this tradition in the catholic church ended,
