Farinelli

Farinelli, professional name of Carlo Broschi (1705-1782), Italian singer, the most renowned of the castrati (male sopranos). Born in Andria, he studied with the famous Italian composer and singing teacher Nicola Porpora and achieved early fame as a star in Porpora's operas. Although Farinelli amassed fortunes in Italy, London, and Paris, his greatest success came in Madrid after 1737, where he was engaged to sing several arias each night to cure the melancholic fits of King Philip V. After the accession of Charles III in 1759, Farinelli was dismissed and lived the last 20 years of his life in retirement.