"...on a higher moral plane...."

Posted by mutant on November 28, 2002 at 08:17:57

In Reply to: Choir: I think not posted by John Marks on November 27, 2002 at 20:12:07:

...than the ancient romans or anyone else? Obviously not. What fascinates me about the minds of those times is how they simply "gave themselves away." If they really wanted to do something in their own society then they did it more or less openly, and if it was about the castration of boys for music's sake or whatever, it somehow got done openly. In more puritanical societies badness goes on but it is simply more hushed. My opinion is that a certain type of liberty exists in an open society and that this sort of openness will always allow for the ample flourishing of ideas in public - both good and bad ideas. It is part of the monstrously unselfconscious rendering of the self that characterizes men when expressive powers are the least constricted. In the West's most open periods, Mozarts and Beethovens and Handels flourished right along with slavery and castration, but not because they were more hypocritical than us, for example. This enigma is what has drawn my interest in this post toward the castrati. I am fascinated with anything that those societies might have considered a worthwhile pursuit. I do not think that all of these "flourishes" were good. But, looking back it is interesting to compare them to our own more covert manifestations.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Close encounters of the fourth kind: Male-Castratto choir... - mutant 17:58:21 11/26/02 (17)

Choir: I think not - John Marks 20:12:07 11/27/02 (5)

Wait! I didn't know Lyle Azedo was.... - john purys 20:30:45 12/06/02 (0)

"...on a higher moral plane...." - mutant 08:17:57 11/28/02 (2)

Interesting note... If you pursue this, let us know. nt - clarkjohnsen 07:25:33 11/29/02 (1)

Of course... - mutant 09:10:02 11/29/02 (0)

add to the list - Bruce from DC 21:44:16 11/27/02 (0)

Very good CD: Farinelli Arias . . . - Pjay 06:15:56 11/27/02 (2)

Yep, I've been listening to that disc a lot, too.(nt) - Ears 13:02:59 11/27/02 (0)

Re: Very good CD: Farinelli Arias . . . - mutant 07:22:34 11/27/02 (0)

Re: Spike Milligan used to call this - Timbo in Oz 22:44:02 11/26/02 (1)

Re: Spike Milligan used to call this - Timbo in Oz 22:47:50 11/26/02 (0)

Re: Close encounters of the fourth kind: Male-Castratto choir... - SR 19:32:44 11/26/02 (5)

Pruned for the sake of music... - mutant 21:25:13 11/26/02 (4)

Everything you always wanted to know... - SR 22:34:10 11/26/02 (3)

OK, OK. I think I've had my fill of castration for one night... - mutant 23:59:22 11/26/02 (2)

Re: OK, OK. I think I've had my fill of castration for one night... - NickM 05:42:08 11/27/02 (1)

Yes, but in this case where both A+B output wires are going to the same point... - mutant 07:47:12 11/27/02 (0)

Follow Ups

"...on a higher moral plane...." - mutant 08:17:57 11/28/02 (2)

Interesting note... If you pursue this, let us know. nt - clarkjohnsen 07:25:33 11/29/02 (1)

Of course... - mutant 09:10:02 11/29/02 (0)

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