The role of the two-register vocal theory in determining Francesco Benucci's influence on W. A. Mozart's Viennese operas

Anthony Price Radford, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Abstract

The principles of eighteenth century bel canto technique, specifically the two-register theory described in treatises of singing masters Pier Francesco Tosi (c1646-1732) and Giambattista Mancini (1714-1800), will help us build a profile of Francesco Benucci's voice. This study then answers how Francesco Benucci, who created the role of Figaro in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro , influenced Mozart's opera buffa composition. We learn that Benucci was a well-trained and talented singer, who offered an opera composer great flexibility. We also conclude that Mozart was a composer with an understanding of vocal function and color, who could display a singer's vocal talent on a level rarely matched by his contemporaries.

Subject Area

Recommended Citation

Anthony Price Radford, "The role of the two-register vocal theory in determining Francesco Benucci's influence on W. A. Mozart's Viennese operas" (January 1, 2005). ETD collection for University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Paper AAI3201775.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3201775