A new series, presented by Jane Austen & Co., entitled Music and the Regency kicked off on Tuesday, February 18th, 2025, with a lecture by Jeff Nigro, an art historian and former regional coordinator of JASNA’s Chicago-Region.
One of the main subjects for the evening was “Georgian Fangirls”—a term Nigro used lightly as a way of paying homage to the admirers and supporters who engaged their emotions, desires, and intellects at the same time while attending operatic performances.
The bulk of the presentation was dedicated to understanding the castrati. A castrato was a male singer who was castrated before puberty to preserve his vocal range. These castrati were the superstars of the opera in the 17th and 18th centuries. They also filled church choirs throughout Italy. Gaspare Pacchierotti, Giovanni Rubinelli, and Luigi Marchesi were famous Italian opera singers who were also castrati.
There were women during this time who swooned over the castrati. Maria Hadfield Cosway was celebrated as a new kind of opera fan. Her appreciation of singing was knowledgeable and genuine. Frances Burney, the eminent author, and her sister, Susan, were, like Maria Cosway, sensitive and enthusiastic lovers of music. Frances Burney once wrote, “His singing filled me with rapture—my terms are strong, and yet they but weakly express my meaning…never have I known pleasure so exquisite, so heartfelt, so divinely penetrating, as this sweet singer has given me.” These ladies are the spiritual ancestors of today’s “fangirls”.
Ultimately, Nigro sought to encourage historians and participants alike to take fandoms seriously. These female fans knew what they were listening to and showed their appreciation.
Did you miss watching this program? Check it out on the Jane Austen Summer Program YouTube Channel.
And be sure to join us next time as we explore Jane Austen’s Musical Life on March 6th at 7 p.m. Visit the Jane Austen & Co. website to learn more about the upcoming speakers who will be taking part in this lecture series.
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