popularised the music of the famous i8th century italian castrato, farinelli. the castration process involved the removal of a boy s testicles to maintain the purity of his prepubescent voice. the voice of farinelli apparently was incredible. he had incredible range. he had such a flexible voice. at the same time, he was able to to sing very gently, very soft. he had this long breath, you know? and for me, it was fascinating. it is a challenge for women also, to sing, to perform music which was written for a man. the photo on the cover of this bestselling 2020 album depicted cecilia as a male and she dedicated it to farinelli. cecilia bartoli is a real female trailblazer.