"Farinelli" is a lush drama about artistic ambition, sexual intrigue and heated rivalries, surrounding a historical figure who was castrated at the age of 10 to achieve his perfection.

Farinelli was the most famous singer of his century, arguably one of the greatest singers of all time. He enjoyed a quasi-mythical status in his own life-time, for his exceptional voice, and for his androgynous beauty. It has been recorded that his range covered more than three and a half octaves. Some accounts state that he could produce 250 notes in a single breath and sustain a note for more than a minute.

The 18th Century castrati raised the art of singing beyond human limits, due to the combination of a child's fresh voice, the vocal power of a man, and the high register of a woman. They won adoration similar to that of the rock stars of our time. 18th Century groupies wore medallions bearing the portraits of their favorite castrati.

The golden age of castrati lasted from the beginning of the 17th Century to the dawn of the 19th Century. The last castrato, Alessandro Moreschi died in 1922.