The Alteration
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The Alteration is a 1976 alternate history novel by British writer Kingsley Amis, set in a parallel universe in which the Reformation did not take place. It won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award in
Cover of first edition (hardcover)
Castrato
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A castrato is a male singer who underwent castration before puberty in order to retain a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto. The voice can also occur in one who
The Alteration
…its origins and context within the author's life. In 1973, Amis had heard a reproduction of the voice of Alessandro Moreschi, the last known European castrato. Amis disagreed with the proposition that Moreschi's performance could be considered "great art", because Moreschi had been castrated, and "true" art…
The 18th-century castrato Farinelli, painted by Bartolomeo Nazari
A Byzantine castrato from the 11th century
A caricature of Farinelli in a female role, by Pier Leone Ghezzi, 1724
The castrato Carlo Scalzi, by Joseph Flipart, c. 1737