"Thou, poor machine, of mean, delusive sound!" : on the castrato singer Senesino in early 18th-century English literature

Bibliogr. s. 170-172. Niniejszy artykułu powstał na podstawie rozdziału pracy magisterskiej pt. "Fenomen postaci kastratów w literaturze i kulturze. Analiza przypadków eunuchizmu na wybranych przykładach" napisanej pod kierunkiem prof. dr hab. Elwiry Buszewicz i obronionej na Wydziale Polonistyki Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego w 2023 roku

The aim of this paper is to analyze the motif of the castrato in early 18th-century English satirical literature, which gained popularity due to its criticism of Italian operatic art. As a celebrated figure in George Frideric Handel’s operas, Senesino captivated audiences with his extraordinary vocal abilities. However, his reception in literary discourse was often ambivalent, reflecting broader anxieties about masculinity, artificiality, and the perceived unnaturalness of "evirati". The castrato is often presented as a paradoxical figure - possessing a commanding stage presence yet lacking the markers of conventional male authority. His ambiguous gender identity and non-normative bodily state challenged contemporary ideals of masculinity, making him both a subject of fascination and a target of ridicule.