Domenico Mustafa
Encyclopedia
Domenico Mustafà was an Italian castrato
singer, composer
and choir director. He was born in the comune
of Sellano
, province of Perugia
.
Domenico Mustafà was a famous soprano castrato
with the Cappella Sistina
in the Vatican
. He was particularly admired for his performances of Handel
ian music. At his prime Mustafà possessed a voice of superior strength and beauty, and he mastered the thrills and coloraturas to the utmost perfection. According to Franz Habock, he had a voice "as sweet and pleasant as that of a woman" with a usable range of at least 2 octaves from C' to C
Mustafà was also a composer - among his works were a famous "Miserere" and "Tus es Petrus secundum magnum". Admitted to the Cappella Sistina in Rome as a chorister in 1848, he soon became famous for his singing, intelligence and gifts as a composer. In 1855 he made his debut as a composer in a "Miserere" for six voices, with high acclaim. Five years later, in 1860, he was appointed as choir director by the pope Leo XIII
.
Being a man of great honour and responsibility, he was eventually nominated as a possible candidate, and finally elected, for the post of "Direttore Perpetuo" of the Sistine Chapel in 1878. However, even before 1878, he was already involved in directing the Chapel after the death of its former director Giuseppe Baini
. Also, he was an honoured lifetime member and president of the musical organisation "Società Musicale Romana" in Rome.
He came close to returning to the operatic stage when Richard Wagner
considered casting him as Klingsor in Parsifal in 1882. However, the whole idea was abandoned shortly afterwards due to a role confusion - the emasculated Klingsor was not a castrato, but a eunuch castrated past puberty and thus singing baritone, not soprano.
Domenico Mustafà was also a teacher and he gave music lessons to the famous French soprano Emma Calvé
in 1892. Here he taught Calvé to employ her famous "fourth voice", which was a very high and refined falsetto extending to an unearthly disembodied D
In person Mustafà was tall and broad, rather plump, very stylish and charismatic in countenance - in older age, he always wore glasses due to his failing sight. In private he was always mild, receptive and talkative — he often used to add a joke or two or an anecdote during a conversation. He was highly praised for his intelligence and deep insights into the musical aspects. Being a perpetual director of the Sistine Chapel, he nevertheless decided to withdraw in 1902 on the grounds of high age — appointing Lorenzo Perosi as his successor for the post of director. He then retired to a luxurious villa in Montefalco
where he spent the rest of his life, where he was occasionally visited by his friends and relatives.
He died in his home in 1912, and was buried in the cemetery of Montefalco, where his large tomb stands to this day. Mustafà's role as a director in the Sistine Chapel is considered to be of great importance, and a book about his life was written by Alberto de Angelis and released in 1926. His home villa, "Villa Mustafà", was turned into a hotel, and is now open to visitors and tourists, serving also as a museum in his memory.
Castrato
A castrato is a man with a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto voice produced either by castration of the singer before puberty or one who, because of an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity.Castration before puberty prevents a boy's...
singer, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and choir director. He was born in the comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of Sellano
Sellano
Sellano is a comune in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 50 km southeast of Perugia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,194 and an area of 85.7 km²....
, province of Perugia
Province of Perugia
The Province of Perugia is the larger of the two provinces in the Umbria region of Italy, comprising two-thirds of both the area and population of the region. Its capital is the city of Perugia...
.
Domenico Mustafà was a famous soprano castrato
Castrato
A castrato is a man with a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto voice produced either by castration of the singer before puberty or one who, because of an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity.Castration before puberty prevents a boy's...
with the Cappella Sistina
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio...
in the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
. He was particularly admired for his performances of Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
ian music. At his prime Mustafà possessed a voice of superior strength and beauty, and he mastered the thrills and coloraturas to the utmost perfection. According to Franz Habock, he had a voice "as sweet and pleasant as that of a woman" with a usable range of at least 2 octaves from C
Mustafà was also a composer - among his works were a famous "Miserere" and "Tus es Petrus secundum magnum". Admitted to the Cappella Sistina in Rome as a chorister in 1848, he soon became famous for his singing, intelligence and gifts as a composer. In 1855 he made his debut as a composer in a "Miserere" for six voices, with high acclaim. Five years later, in 1860, he was appointed as choir director by the pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
.
Being a man of great honour and responsibility, he was eventually nominated as a possible candidate, and finally elected, for the post of "Direttore Perpetuo" of the Sistine Chapel in 1878. However, even before 1878, he was already involved in directing the Chapel after the death of its former director Giuseppe Baini
Giuseppe Baini
Giuseppe Baini was an Italian priest, music critic, and composer of church music.He was born at Rome. He was instructed in composition by his uncle, Lorenzo Baini, and afterwards by G. Jannaconi...
. Also, he was an honoured lifetime member and president of the musical organisation "Società Musicale Romana" in Rome.
He came close to returning to the operatic stage when Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
considered casting him as Klingsor in Parsifal in 1882. However, the whole idea was abandoned shortly afterwards due to a role confusion - the emasculated Klingsor was not a castrato, but a eunuch castrated past puberty and thus singing baritone, not soprano.
Domenico Mustafà was also a teacher and he gave music lessons to the famous French soprano Emma Calvé
Emma Calvé
Emma Calvé, born Rosa Emma Calvet , was a French operatic soprano.Calvé was probably the most famous French female opera singer of the Belle Époque. Hers was an international career, and she sang regularly and to considerable acclaim at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, and the Royal Opera...
in 1892. Here he taught Calvé to employ her famous "fourth voice", which was a very high and refined falsetto extending to an unearthly disembodied D
In person Mustafà was tall and broad, rather plump, very stylish and charismatic in countenance - in older age, he always wore glasses due to his failing sight. In private he was always mild, receptive and talkative — he often used to add a joke or two or an anecdote during a conversation. He was highly praised for his intelligence and deep insights into the musical aspects. Being a perpetual director of the Sistine Chapel, he nevertheless decided to withdraw in 1902 on the grounds of high age — appointing Lorenzo Perosi as his successor for the post of director. He then retired to a luxurious villa in Montefalco
Montefalco
Montefalco is a town and comune in the central part of the Italian province of Perugia, on an outcrop of the Colli Martani above the flood plain of the Clitunno river, 7 km SE of Bevagna, 11 km SW of Foligno, and 9 km NW of Trevi.-History:The town has been actively settled since...
where he spent the rest of his life, where he was occasionally visited by his friends and relatives.
He died in his home in 1912, and was buried in the cemetery of Montefalco, where his large tomb stands to this day. Mustafà's role as a director in the Sistine Chapel is considered to be of great importance, and a book about his life was written by Alberto de Angelis and released in 1926. His home villa, "Villa Mustafà", was turned into a hotel, and is now open to visitors and tourists, serving also as a museum in his memory.