Set against a sumptuous world of 18th century Italian high art and music, the story deals with two brothers, Ricardo Broschi and his younger sibling, Carlo. To preserve his beautiful voice, the 7-year-old Carlo undergoes primitive surgery to become a "castrato," glorious male singers who retained the vocal purity of young boys with the power of men and the high register of a woman. Blessed with the "voice of an angel," he embarks on a glorious journey of music and passion. As a highly skilled performer with sensuously handsome looks, Farinelli quickly attains a quasi-mythical status in his own lifetime. But the jealousies caused by celebrity and the strained relationships between Farinelli and his brother as well as other artists of his time cast a shadow over Farinelli's bright existence. And so, he chooses a life of exile in Spain, thus ending one of the most illustrious--and colorful--vocal careers in history.