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Zefirino [videorecording] : the voice of a castrato
directed and photographed by Gerardo Puglia ; produced by Gaetana Marrone ; edited by William Tadler ; consulting writers, Maria DiBattista and Daniel Seidel.
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1 videodisc (23 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
"Zefirino: The Voice of a Castrato," an award-winning documentary about a senior thesis performance by 2004 Princeton graduate Anthony Roth Costanzo, will be screened at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, in 10 East Pyne. The film demonstrates how Costanzo assembled a remarkable production to portray the lives of the castrati, male singers in 18th-century Italy who were castrated before puberty to maintain their soprano singing voices. Costanzo conceived of, co-wrote, produced and starred in the production, titled "The Double Life of Zefirino," as his senior thesis project. The performance, which included Costanzo singing six 18th-century arias, had costumes designed by acclaimed film director James Ivory, sets created in Milan and two professional dancers who helped convey the story of the castrati. The film won a 2007 director's choice award at the international Black Maria Film and Video Festival. Filmmaker Gerardo Puglia directed and photographed the 23-minute film, which took two years to make. It was produced by Gaetana Marrone-Puglia, a Princeton professor of French and Italian who taught Costanzo. Wendy Heller, associate professor of music, was his thesis adviser.
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