Musico

The Italian term musico (pl.: musici) has a number of meanings:

Originally, the term referred to any trained, as opposed to amateur, musician.
In the 18th century, the polite term was used for the voice-type known today as castrato, which was considered a derogatory term at the time.^[1]^[2] The leading castrato in a company was referred to as a primo musico. A diminutive form (musichetto) was also occasionally used.
In the 19th century, after the disappearance of castrati from opera, the term referred to a female singer, usually a contralto, who performed male leads in travesti.^[3]

References

^ New Grove Dictionary of Opera, vol 3, p.529, sv "musico"
^ Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992), The Oxford Dictionary of Opera, 782 pages, ISBN 0-19-869164-5
^ Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992) op. cit.

v t e Opera terms by origin
English	Breeches role Chest voice Concert performance Duodrama Head voice Insertion aria Mad scene Melodrama Monodrama Number Opera house Patter song Prompter Sung-through Surtitles
French	Claque Coup de glotte Divertissement Encore Entr'acte Haute-contre Intermède Overture Répétiteur Roulade Timbre Tragédie en musique Travesti
German	Fach Gesamtkunstwerk Kammersänger Kapellmeister Leitmotif Literaturoper Regieoper Singspiel Sitzprobe Spieloper Sprechgesang
Italian	Aria Aria di sorbetto Arioso Banda Bel canto Bravura Brindisi Burletta Cabaletta Cadenza Cantabile Castrato Cavatina Chiaroscuro Coloratura Comprimario Contralto Convenienze Da capo aria Diva Falsetto Falsettone Fioritura Impresario Intermezzo Legato Libretto Licenza Maestro Melodramma Messa di voce Mezzo-soprano Musico Opera seria Ossia Passaggio Pasticcio Portamento Prima donna Recitative Ritornello Sinfonia Solita forma Soprano Soprano sfogato Spinto Squillo Stagione Stile rappresentativo Tenore contraltino Tenore di grazia Tessitura Verismo Vibrato
Other	Hovsångare