From the late 16th century to the mid-19th century, castrati were a unique phenomenon in Western music. Although the practice of castrating young boys and training them to sing was not approved by the Church, authorities turned a blind eye. The only castrato, to have every been recorded was Alessandro Moreschi (1858-1922). He entered the the Sistine Chapel in 1883 and became conductory of the Choir in 1898.



The voice is clearly in the soprano range. It is obviously not a great voice, and the technique is below average. It's blemished by the habits of the time. However, take note that it's timbre is striking and unique, and it is most intriguing in the high notes.

The objective of the Castrato was to obtain a high voice, because the higher the voice was, the closer they were to God. I personally, don't dig this kind of stuff, but I do find it quite fascinating, looking at it from a historical perspective.