If Mozart's passion for female voices is obvious, it should not be forgotten that his first great virtuoso lyrical arias were intended for castrati! In the tour of Europe that his father began with him, Mozart was called to compose his first operas for the Italian stages where the castrati triumphed in the role of the Primo Uomo of the opera seria. In Mitridate Re di Ponto , created in Milan in 1770 by the young 14-year-old composer, three of the performers are thus castrati! Follow particular Lucio Silla (Milan 1772) La Finta Giardiniera (Munich 1775), and the same (in parallel with the composition The Magic Flute ) La Clemenza di Tito (Prague 1791): in these works Italian seria, Mozart obviously leaves the first role for the stars of the rooms for which he composes, or uses their presence to spice up the work. And it is the castrato Venanzio Rauzzini who created the splendid Exsultate Jubilate of which he is dedicatee, in Milan in 1773! The incredible Franco Fagioli dedicates his resplendent timbre to this repertoire which made Mozart's first great successes, and for which he wrote the virtuoso arias of his maturity. Despondency, heightened feeling, courage and vocal virility await you
