ROH_Figaro_WebReadyDocument

No. 1 Duettino - Figaro and Susanna
Recitative
(Cinque... dieci... venti)
James dicussing the duet
James discussing recitative
www.youtube.com/embed/ykWDxVzQ75Y
www.youtube.com/embed/9y9APxtVmOA
Annotate your score with the points James refers to.
Are there any other nuances you notice in this musical conversation?
Activity 1: Production Comparison
Although the music and text remain the same, different productions of
The Marriage of Figaro vary in their portrayal of the characterisation
and interactions between Figaro and Susanna. Explore the ways different
directors have depicted the opening dynamic between the two characters.
Here are some YouTube examples, although there are many more:
Alison Hagley as Susanna and Gerald Finley as Figaro (Glyndebourne, 1994)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY9gSwBWj6E
Activity 2: Comparison
As James suggests in the video, compare different performances of a
recitative in terms of accompaniment style. Some questions to consider:
Which instruments are used? Is it a solo keyboard instrument or are
there others also? What roles do they play?
How ornate and busy is the accompaniment? Or does it tend to be
simpler and sparser? Is there a combination of both?
Specifically, what kinds of ornaments and embellishments do you hear?
You might like to compare different accompaniments of the brief
recitative you studied in the last chapter, which appears immediately
before Figaro’s Se vuol ballare. It begins with Bravo, signor padrone!
Some clips that could be used for comparison are:
Marlis Petersen as Susanna and Ildar Abdrazakov as Figaro (Metropolitan Opera, 2014)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPkQP2gwyzM
Bryn Terfel as Figaro from 1:40
www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1i0GGnMPaI&feature=youtu.be
Rosemary Joshua as Susanna and Luca Pisaroni as Figaro (Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Paris, 2004)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spt_3Q_gPAs
Ildebrando D’Arcangelo as Figaro from 12:57
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OYtlGpApc0&t=456s
Alison Hagley as Susanna and Bryn Terfel as Figaro (Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, 1993)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew571WMgrdg
Ferruccio Furlanetto as Figaro
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxhjLZnAZj8