Giovanni Battista Velluti

Giovanni Battista Velluti, born in Montolmo (today Corridonia, in the province of Ancona) in January 1780 and died in Sambruson di Dolo, near Venice, in January 1861, was one of the last great castrato singers of Italian opera. His career unfolded during the flourishing of bel canto, and his figure marks the end of a vocal tradition that had dominated the stage for more than a century.

He trained in Bologna and, for six years, with Calpi in Ravenna. He made his debut in Forlì in 1801 and, two years later, was already singing in Naples at the premiere of Guglielmi's Asteria e Teseo and Andreozzi's Piramo e Tisbe. Between 1805 and 1808 he performed in Rome, where he premiered Traiano in Dacia and took part in works by Nicolini, Tritto and Cimarosa. At La Scala in Milan he sang in several premieres from 1808 to 1810, among them works by Mayr and Pavesi, and he also performed in Venice and Turin. In 1812 he visited Vienna and Munich, and on his return to Milan he created the role of Arsace in Rossini's Aureliano in Palmira in 1813.

In the years that followed he worked steadily in Milan, Sinigaglia, Padua and Turin, and toured Germany and paid a visit to Saint Petersburg. His favourite role was Tebaldo in Morlacchi's Tebaldo e Isolina, which he sang in several cities in northern Italy. In 1824 he premiered the role of Armando in Meyerbeer's Il crociato in Egitto at La Fenice in Venice. After being engaged by the King's Theatre in London, he made his debut there in 1825, first arousing curiosity and then enthusiasm among the public. His final performance took place at La Fenice in 1830, in Nicolini's Il conte di Lennox.

His legacy is bound up with the end of an era: for much of his career he had no rival, and his retirement is regarded as the closing of the age of the castrati in the history of opera.