'Un meraviglioso Apollo': divi e spettatori milanesi in età austriaca

[Autom. eng. transl.] The reception of opera singers in the 18th century shows the growth of the phenomenon of stardom. In Milan, the brothers Pietro and Alessandro Verri, in their correspondence, testify to the success of castrated musicians and the competence with which, as spectators, they judge vocal ability and scenic technique. In particular, in the last decades of the eighteenth century, the performances of the well-known castrato Luigi Marchesi are the subject of careful analysis that enhances the vocal technique in its many components, but expresses doubts about the expressive capacity of the singer, highlighting the limited sensitivity that emerges in the singing of Marchesi, and the lack of emotional involvement of the spectators.