Sopranista

Venezuelan male soprano Samuel Mariño has been feted for his phenomenal vocal range, similar to that of a female soprano and far above that of the modern-day countertenor. Alongside the soprano and “trouser role” arias (written for sopranos playing male characters), Mariño performs arias originally scored for male castrato. These last are a revelation, given that roles such as Aminta from Mozart’s *Il re pastore* and Orfeo from Gluck’s opera *Orpheus and Eurydice* have been sung exclusively by female sopranos ever since castration was banned more than 150 years ago. Mariño, at one time mentored by the great soprano Barbara Bonney, has a voice of pure liquid gold with a technique to match. The final aria by Cimarosa, a world-premiere recording, is a faultless display of vocal control, stratospheric acrobatics, and sheer dramatic poise.