En Travesti: the Operatic Mezzo-Soprano as Leading Man.

Abstract

In the 17th and 18th centuries, an operatic tradition began that some roles originally intended for male castrato singers were now sung by women. After the disappearance of castrati, these roles were sung entirely by women, specifically mezzo-sopranos. Also, gradually during this time period, some composers began to write male roles expressly for female singers. This research project explored how the tradition of ?pants roles? began and a time line of the major roles of this type was created and compared to other non-pants mezzosoprano female roles in the same period.