Originally Published September, 1982
Random House
March 1995
Featuring: Carlo Treshi; Tonio Treshi; Guido Maffeo
566 pages ISBN: 0345396936 Paperback (reprint) Add to Wish List
Following the stories of two men castrated to ensure their
perfect soprano voices, Cry to Heaven is a historical
novel in 18th century Italy. Guido Maffeo is castrated at
age six and enters the conservatory. He becomes a star
until he loses his voice. When his voice is gone, he
becomes a teacher, searching for a boy who can fulfill his
lost dream. He comes to Venice and his life is intertwined
with Tonio Treshi.
Tonio is the son of nobility and a beautiful singer. He
dreams and talks of being a singer, but his family scoffs--
that profession is for the castrati, not the son of a
nobleman. Tonio's family is complicated, his mother a dark
alcoholic who tips between lunacy and stupor, his brother
(Carlo) reportedly disowned for seducing a common girl.
But Tonio discovers the truth about his brother's sin and
turns to his music to hide his fear and confusion. Tonio
half-chooses and is half-forced into castration and begins
a lifelong plot to take revenge on Carlo. He realizes at
Guido's conservatory what has happened to him and refuses
to sing. Guido is tormented by Tonio withholding his
voice, but Tonio leaves the conservatory anyway.
Yet Tonio finds that he now has no place to belong and
that his power is building. He returns and begins to sing.
His two sides, dark revenge and heroic song battle for
control. Tonio begins his journey of stardom and
decadence, achieving no balance in his life. His sexuality
proves to be a source of great complexity, confusion, and
promise. The minute Tonio has sorted out his life and is
finally happy, he hears his mother has died and his time
has come to confront Carlo.
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