Venanzio Rauzzini in Britain: Castrato, Composer, and Cultural Leader

Venanzio Rauzzini (1746-1810), the celebrated Italian castrato, is best known for his performance in Mozart’s Lucio Silla in 1772, with which Mozart was so pleased that he composed for the singer the famous motet Exsultate Jubilate. In 1774, Rauzzini moved to London where he performed three seasons of serious operas at the King’s Theatre. From 1777 until his death in 1810, he was the director of the concert series in Bath, a series that matched the prestige of any that were given in London. In addition, he composed prolifically, writing music for eleven operas.

This book is a study of Rauzzini’s remarkable yet often overlooked career in Britain. Paul Rice chronicles Rauzzini’s performances at the King’s Theatre and examines his leadership of the Bath subscription concerts from 1780-1810, recovering much of the repertory. Rice shows in detail how Rauzzini responded musically to the social and political conditions of his adopted country, and analyzes the castrato’s reception, as well as compositional choices, shedding new light on changing musical tastes in late eighteenth-century Britain.

Paul F. Rice is Professor of Musicology at the School of Music, Memorial University of Newfoundland.