ROSSINI, Gioachino

Il barbiere di Siviglia

"Largo al factotum"

Joyce DiDonato, guest professor

Matheus Alvarenga, student

Natalia Kuchaeva, accompanying pianist

The student sings the famous aria from Il barbiere di Siviglia, and the professor then asks him what he enjoys about singing, what qualities he loves about his voice, and when he feels it flows well or not. It is important to be aware of this to prevent the voice from sitting "behind" and to use body posture to project forward rather than collapsing inward.
Since Figaro is Spanish, DiDonato recommends saying the text while imitating the way Spanish speakers talk, as if he had never worked on the aria before. This approach focuses more on practicing the spoken text rather than singing. She also suggests a tongue-twister-like exercise to practice at home, helping to improve speed and agility in articulation with a relaxed tongue.

They then go back to the beginning of the aria, and the professor corrects how he delivers the phrases, asking him about Figaro's character. It is crucial to convey his confidence, wit, and ability to make money. To achieve this, she suggests that the student use his own qualities and connect with the audience through Figaro's bold personality. They continue working on the text, which must be very clear—she emphasizes that he needs to focus more on the spoken quality of the voice rather than the sung one. To achieve this, she advises against singing the aria straight through and instead repeating the same phrase multiple times.

Language: English