This particular excerpt from Rossini’s famous Italian opera The Barber of Seville features the main character Figaro(the barber)’s aria. This scene is known as “Largo al Factotum,” or “Make Way for the Factotum,” generally follows the traditional scene structure of Rossini’s operas.
Of course, the instrumental ensemble consists of full symphony orchestra dominated by violins and other string instruments with woodwinds. The music starts off with the orchestral introduction as Figaro walks onto the stage and sets up his props. Then, he begins singing his lines and recitatives. Although the cantabile section was hard to distinguish since most of the time the music was fast-paced, tempo di mezzo and cabaletta towards the end could be observed. On top of the constant singing of triplets in 6/8 meter at a presto tempo, the explicit use of Italian superlatives ending in ‘-issimo’ add some challenge to the rather tongue-twisting nature of the lines. Such a demanding performance of this aria highlights all qualities of a skilled baritone. The music in general portrays the personality of the character effectively with its lively and exciting tone and pace.
The performers in this scene include the village people as well although they remained silent the entire time. They mostly act out the choreography intended to show enthusiasm and praise toward the “factotum of the city.” Surrounded by the crowd, Figaro himself moves around the stage with confident gestures and facial expressions as he sang his aria. The one particular element unique to this performance is that the environment of the stage including the backdrop, props, and the outfits of the performers is all black and white. The lack of color helps focus the attention of the audience to the moving characters and the song of the scene.
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