The legendary castrato Farinelli, real name Carlo Broschi, was also a composer, and this absorbing CD features some of his rarely recorded arias and recitatives performed by the highly-rated male soprano Jörg Waschinski. The ensemble Salzburger Hofmusik is directed by Wolfgang Brunner.

Farinelli was not only a star among the castratos of the 18th century, but also a composer. Singers of the 18th century were taught composition and improvisation, and Carlo Broschi, alias Farinelli, received an excellent education in the Neapolitan school “Nicolo Porporas”. This album brings together a fascinating selection of his vocal pieces including several arias and recitatives.

The Berlin-born singer Jörg Waschinski won the international Johann-Heinrich-Schmelzer competition in 1996 and received the special award at the national competition for singing in Berlin. The magazine Opernwelt elected him as best young singer in the season 1999/2000 and in the following year he was chosen as best singer overall. Waschinski is accompanied on the disc by “Salzburger Hofmusik“, an ensemble which varies in size from a trio to an orchestra. On this album the ensemble plays, as they often do, on historical instruments.