Difference between revisions of "Gaetano Orsini"

'''Gaetano Orsini''' ({{circa]] 1667 ‐ {{date|1750|10|21}}), often only named '''Gaetano''',  was a castrato singer. Born in Bologna, his path took him to Milan and Vienna. At the court of Vienna, he was one of the busiest singers; his career at the Hofkapelle lasted more than 50 years in which he performed in many oratorios and operas. As the Österreichisches Musiklexicon notes, his voice was often accompanied by a violoncello or chalumeau ''obligato'', not a very frequent choice, which helps us to make assumptions about the character of Orsini's voice that it complemented the obligato part so well.  

 

* [[Antonio Caldara]]: Andromaca 1724,  

* [[Antonio Caldara]]: La Clemenza di Cesare 1727  

* [[Antonio Caldara]]: Telesilla 1729

* G. Reutter: Il Tempo, e la Verità Dialogo, 1731  

* [[Antonio Caldara]]: Enone, 1734,  

*[[Giovanni Bononcini]]: Turno Aricino, 1707  

*F. Conti: Teseo in Creta, 1715

*J. J. Fux: Orfeo ed Euridice, 1715, 1728

*J. G. Reinhardt: La Più Bella, 1715

*A. Lotti: Il Costantino, 1716  

*F. Conti: Sesostri Rè d'Egitto, 1716  

*[[Antonio Caldara]]: Ormisda, 1721  

*[[Antonio Caldara]]: Il Re del Dolore, 1722 (oratorio)

Orsini was one of J. J. Fux' preferred singers. With the exception of his opera Psiche (1720), Orsini appeared in all of Fux's operas, as well as in the coronation opera Costanza e Fortezza (1723) in Prague.  

Towards the end of Karl VI's reign, Orsini's performances became rarer, especially after Caldara's death in 1736. However, he appears in the singers lists of Viennese opera scores until at least 1739. (abridged from the ''Österreichisches Musiklexikon'')<ref name="ÖsterrreichischesMusiklexikon"/>

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