Россини: Largo al factotum из оперы "Сивильский цирюльник" | Величайшие арии всех времен

“Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!” is the thundering refrain in the famous aria, “Largo al factotum” (Make Way for the Factotum), from Gioacchino Rossini’s Opera “Il barbiere di Siviglia” (The Barber of Seville). Baritone Michael Arivony performed it at the opera gala held by the German AIDS Foundation in Bonn in 2023. Accompanying him was the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, conducted by Dirk Kaftan.

MICHAEL ARIVONY | Baritone
BEETHOVEN ORCHESTRA BONN
DIRK KAFTAN | Conductor

"Il barbiere di Siviglia" by Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) has proven to be one of the greatest masterpieces of operatic comedy. It has been described as the “opera buffa” (comic opera) of all "opera buffe." First performed on 20 February 1816 at the Teatro Argentina in Rome, with the composer himself conducting, it was allegedly a fiasco. Nevertheless, Rossini and his work quickly became famous all over Europe. For example, at Vienna’s Kärntnertor Theater, nothing other than Rossini was performed for the whole 1822 season.

The opera is set in Seville in the second half of the 18th Century. A passionate nobleman hires a local barber and proper scoundrel to help him woo and marry a witty woman. During his first appearance in Act I, Figaro sings “Largo al factotum” in order to distract Dr. Bartolo, who’s also set his sights on Rosina, while Count Graf Almaviva tries to charm his beloved. During the aria, the barber, Figaro, laments melodically that he is a “Jack of all trades,” and for the whole town, at that. He’ll give you a shave, cut your hair and deliver a love note or two. And Rossini composed it all in a virtuously witty and chatty tone that aims to make him immortal. The word "factotum" refers to a general servant. It originates from Latin and literally means, "to do everything.”

Baritone Michael Arivony is from Madagascar. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and completed his master’s degree at the University of Music Franz Liszt in Weimar. In 2020, he and his duet partner Teodora Oprisor won first prize at the International Student Song Duo Competition in Groningen in the Netherlands. A year before that, he was awarded third prize at the International Song Competition “Das Lied” in Heidelberg. He also represented Madagascar in 2021 at the renowned Singer of the World competition in Cardiff, where he was among the finalists in the “song” category. Michael Arivony also performs as a conductor. For two years he was the head conductor of St. Bartholomew’s Chamber Orchestra in London. In 2017, he founded the Michael Rakotoarivony Association to promote music education in his homeland, Madagascar. Since September 2022, Michael Arivony has been a member of the ensemble at the Vienna State Opera.

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