Although Farinelli has received a great deal of attention in scholarship, the early music performance scene and in popular culture, little has been written about his singing. The current perception of Farinelli’s musical profile is based almost entirely on the research of Franz Haböck from the beginning of the 20th century and the writings of Charles Burney. As a result of the emphasis of both writers on Farinelli’s bravura singing, the singer’s name has become synonymous with castrato virtuosity. This study takes a more diffentiated approach. It reconstructs the artistic persona of Farinelli from libretti, scores and documentary evidence, evaluates the veracity of anecdotal information pertaining to his singing that has so far been accepted largely at face value and considers the aesthetic implications of Farinelli’s singing. Part I of this study seeks to reconstruct Farinelli’s vocal profile. In chapter 1, contemporary descriptions by earwitnesses are examined and evaluated with regard to important aspects of his singing, i.e., the sound quality, volume and range of his voice, technical elements such as his trill, agility and breath control, ornamentation and improvisation and, finally, his acting. Chapter 2 summarises the main stages of the singer’s operatic career. The purpose of this chapter is not to reiterate biographical information, but to provide an outline that can serve as a framework for the discussion of the development of Farinelli’s vocal technique, personal style and reception. The chapter also identifies important points of professional interaction between Farinelli and other famous singers. Chapter 3 falls into two parts. Firstly, the main elements of vocal technique, as described in the vastly influential vocal treatises of Tosi and Mancini, are outlined in relation to notational practice of 18th-century manuscript scores and their relevance to the music sung by Farinelli. Secondly, the development of Farinelli’s voice in terms of the singer’s vocal technique, range, volume and details of style is discussed on the basis of the analysis of Farinelli’s operatic roles. Chapter 4 focuses on the analysis and contextualisation of important stylistic changes that occured during Farinelli’s career. Throughout, Farinelli’s stylistic choices are discussed in relation to the aesthetic preferences of the different audiences he encountered. Part 2 explores aspects of Farinelli’s artistic profile from the vantage points of aesthetics and rhetoric. Based on analyses of Farinelli’s arias on nightingale metaphors, chapter 5 discusses the conceptual frameworks and aesthetic issues that have often resulted in a critical reception of his virtuosity, both during his lifetime and in the 20th century. Chapter 6 examines the manner in which the principles of rhetoric have been applied to 18th-century music in recent scholarship. It argues for a different, more integrated approach that reflects the performance-centred period understanding of rhetoric, which, unlike the modern understanding, was not yet inflected by the author and work concepts. Chapter 7 analyses rhetorical strategies in Farinelli’s Venetian bravura arias and their implications with regard to the issues of authorship and the relationship between performer and audience. In chapter 8, the text-music relationship and communicative strategies in Farinelli’s slow expressive arias are scrutinised. The conclusion briefly assesses the impact of Farinelli on Italian opera, theatrical performance practice and musical aesthetics.

'Lied der Freiheit' KV 506 nach einem Text von Aloys Blumauer ist ein Lied für Singstimme und Klavier von Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, welches Matthias Drude für Männerchor und Klavier bearbeitet hat. Mit freundlicher Genehmigung des Concertino-Musikverlags.

'Warnung' KV 416c ist ein Lied für Singstimme nach einem Text eines unbekannten Dichters, welches Matthias Drude für Männerchor und Klavier bearbeitet hat. Mit freundlicher Genehmigung des Concertino-Musikverlags.

Die vorliegenden Sätze für vierstimmigen Männerchor a cappella komponierte Matthias Drude für den Männerchor Misburg von 1905, dessen Chorleiter er von 1983 bis 1993 war. Es handelt sich um folgende Lieder: 1. Auf, auf zum fröhlichen Jagen 2. Bunt sind schon die Wälder 3. Wem Gott will rechte Gunst erweisen Mit freundlicher Genehmigung des Concertino-Musikverlags.

'Am Meer' ist ein Lied von Franz Schubert (1797-1828) für Singstimme und Klavier aus dem Zyklus 'Schwanengesang' (Text: Heinrich Heine). Matthias Drude hat dieses für Männerchor und Klavier bearbeitet. Veröffentlichung auf Qucosa mit freundlicher Genehmigung des Concertino-Musikverlags.

Volksliedbearbeitung von 'Kein schöner Land' (Anton Wilhelm von Zuccalmaglio, 1838) in drei verschiedenen Versionen 1. Männerchor und gemischter Chor gemeinsam 2. Männerchor allein 3. gemischter Chor allein

Volksliedbearbeitung für unterschiedliche Chorbesetzungen: gemischter Chor, Männerchor, beide zusammen. Mit freundlicher Genehmigung des Concertino-Musikverlags

Sans limiter notre propos aux seules voix masculines aiguës, il s'agit ici de refléter l'importance historique de l'évolution de la voix de ténor dans les mutations du goût et de la vocalité lyrique en France au cours du deuxième tiers du XIXe siècle. Aborder l'opéra, l'opéra-comique et les morceaux de salon via leurs interprètes permet d'insister sur la dimension théâtrale, vocale et oratoire de ces genres. En vue de définir les caractéristiques techniques du chant français, la thèse exploite largement les jugements portés par les artistes entre eux. Ces jugements sont notamment livrés par les méthodes et les mémoires imprimées, les archives du Conservatoire et les correspondances. Pour envisager les conditions pratiques des exécutions vocales, nous avons procédé à une étude des situations, des contraintes et des attentes des chanteurs comme des auditeurs, en fonction des lieux et des répertoires abordés. Afin de mieux appréhender les qualificatifs employés par les musicographes rendant compte des prestations publiques, on a mis en relation le lexique des traités avec les premiers enregistrements sonores. La meilleure connaissance des codes de la tradition permet en outre d'envisager avec une pertinence accrue la cohérence des divers paramètres concourant à la juste interprétation scénique et musicale. La réinvention d'après les sources d'un savoir-faire répond d'ailleurs à une attente croissante des programmateurs et des interprètes pour renouveler leur approche d'un répertoire ou redécouvrir une part du romantisme français oublié (www.lesfrivolitesparisiennes.com). / Looking at opera, opéra-comique and salon music through the eyes of the first performers stresses the histrionic and vocal dimension of their art. Thus, this dissertation drives from the mutual appraisals of artists, which can be found in treaties, memoirs, archives of the Paris Conservatoire, letters, etc. The vocabulary used to describe singing in the 19th-century has been linked to 78rpm records and cylinder recordings. The relative focus on high-pitched male voices is only relevant because changes in the general taste for opera voices were mainly triggered by leading tenors during the romantic era. The impact of various locations and repertory on the audience's expectations was studied in order to define the aesthetic and social frame of vocal performance. Reinventing the practical know-how from the sources actually meets the growing expectations of both schedulers and singers who want to renew the approach of the so-called "romantic" French repertory - which currently goes widely unknown and unsung. A better understanding of tradition allows for more consistent historically informed performances (www.lesfrivolitesparisiennes.com).