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Giuseppe Gabriele Canetto
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According to historian María José López, drawing undoubtedly on apocryphal biographies, Giuseppe Gabriele Canetto was a castrato singer in 18th century Rome. Canetto trained with and shared the stage with his more famous counterpart, Farinelli. They were apparently so similar in both voice and physical appearance that they were often indistinguishable on stage. This similarity cost Canetto many roles to Farinelli. Despite the wealth of possibilities that lay before him, Canetto preferred to remain in the shadow of his friend Farinelli. Canetto was Farinelli's confidant and supporter in times of trouble Canetto married a Neapolitan woman of dubious reputation, Petra Cortese. Despite the fact that Canetto was ostenisbly a castrato, his wife bore five children. This undoubtedly led to Canetto's loss of favor in the eyes of his public, who began to suspect that his wonderful voice arose more from highly trained technique than from actual castration. Canetto began receiving fewer and fewer contracts, further discouraging him in his career. Thus, impoverished and demoralized, Canetto died, barely 77 years old, surrounded by his many relatives and countless debts. 
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