How to sing Rossini with Mark Elder (The Royal Opera)

Conductor Mark Elder and mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly explore the music of Rossini through Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville).
Find out more at www.roh.org.uk/...
The 23-year-old Gioachino Rossini completed his masterpiece Il barbiere di Siviglia incredibly quickly - legend has it in just 13 days - which Rossini attributed to ‘facility and lots of instinct’. He drew on Pierre-Augustin Beaumarchais’ play Le Barbier de Seville - part of a dramatic trilogy that also inspired Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro.
Il barbiere di Siviglia has all the ingredients for comic chaos: an imprisoned young woman, her lecherous guardian and a young noble suitor. Skilfully plotting behind the scenes is Figaro - an irrepressible and inventive character in whom many have seen a resemblance to the young Rossini himself. The score fizzes with musical brilliance, from Figaro’s famous entrance aria ‘Largo al factotum’ to the frenzy of the Act I finale, when the five principal voices pile on top of each other. Within a few decades of its 1816 premiere, Il barbiere di Siviglia had been toured round the world, reaching opera houses in New York, Buenos Aires, Trinidad and Ecuador. It has remained one of the most prominent and popular operas in the repertory.

[@FJMLAM]

Mark Elder is just SO engaging . He makes everything so clear. Brilliant musical mind.

[@divolifecoaching]

Royal Opera House, Please keep doing masterclasses such as this video! I have officially became a fan of Rachel Kelly! Bravo!

[@Tenortalker]

It is always healthy for a singer to be reminded of the essentials of the aria from a conductor's perspective. We have so much to cope with in one go - notes, rhythms, clean vocal technique, words, expression that sometimes basic things like arriving neatly on the beat so as to preserve the structure of the piece - which is what gives this aria its sparkle - can become slightly smudged. This is an enjoyable class with Mark Elder and the second half shows off Rachel Kelly's lovely voice.

[@flaze3]

What a beautiful voice! And a terrific performance too. I would happily listen to her sing the whole opera :)

[@vijayagita3158]

she has a very beautiful, warm , clear and rounded voice, love it!

[@Huaimek861]

Thank you Royal Opera House and Mark Elder for this most interesting and inspiring talk , I have enjoyed every minute and Rachel Kelly , what a beautiful voice and singer .

[@benjenkins3314]

Fantastic teacher and musician.

[@jkgou1]

Thank you very much for great performance Appreciate you guys treat this masterpiece so very very very seriously This work is my all time favorite

[@atmplayspiano]

Wow. Her voice is really warm and colorful.

[@rogerpropes7129]

Rossini is the first composer whose music starts to sound modern, like a Broadway musical; it came as such a surprise to me that he is largely responsible for the whole belcanto romantic period in 19th century music, (along with Beethoven of course.)

[@ghostofguy]

Such a cool video, Mark Elder is brilliant. No elitism going on with this cool man. Seen him sat in a public space working on scores and helping another conductor (I could here him pitching melodies. Found his perfect pitch astounding). Took time to speak to me once on the street and even crossed over a road to do it. This was when I worked at the home of the Halle. Made many fond memories of them all. Not many conductors that I met from other orchestras treated you as human.

[@sherlockholmeslives.1605]

I don't like Mark Elder! Despite the fact he is a big head. He is not that clever either!

[@unabarry2476]

I happen to know him and worked with him! Fabulous guy, and well liked in America too.

[@ioannastrom1126]

Rachel Kelly is really lovely!!

[@chooyaohui1870]

A lovely tutorial

[@jazznotes3802]

This is incredibly in-depth

[@sherlockholmeslives.1605]

My Favourite Pieces of Music - Venus - Holst Hill St Blues Theme - Mike Post Cliffhanger Theme - Trevor Jones William Tell Overture - Rossini 1812 Overture - Tchaikovsky Fingal's Cave Overture - Mendelsohn Night on a Bare Mountain - Mussorgsky Ride of the Valkyries - Wagner Dance of the Hours - Ponchielli Procession of the Sadr - Ippolitov-Ivanov Ruslin and Ludmiller Overture - Glinka Panic - Harrison Birtwistle Interludes from Sadko - Rimsky-Korsakov Atmospheres - Ligeti Wooden Planes sung by Art Garfunkel - Jimmy Webb Cheers - Mike.

[@ashleythorpe7933]

How about Siegfried's death and procession.

[@sherlockholmeslives.1605]

@@ashleythorpe7933 That too!

[@czerjyo]

En México, los coaches de estos eventos son Lupillo Rivera, Espinoza Paz.

[@kmlbnm]

Wonderfull lesson and Rachel Kelly us bravissima!!!

[@paacer]

Unusual sounding piano, sounds partly like a harpsichord , not keen . Love all these insights into compositions .

[@hetedeleambacht6608]

perhaps the diminution the singer made was not appropiate because it was to early? Like first expose the theme and in the da capo you can do this? I would love to learn about these stylistic things too, great tutorial, thanks! and awsome singer ofcourse

[@gd3172]

isn't she the person who Joyce DiDonato taught on how to trill?

[@noblesetsentimentales]

Yes, she is.

[@alfredoihldausend4093]

Is Rachel a mezzosoprano? It sounds like a beautiful soprano to me. Specially it is audible in the top notes. They have the typical ring of a soprano.

[@draganvidic2039]

No she’s a soprano

[@BerenKaderfidan]

What a brilliant singer! Brava!

[@GeorgeOu]

Wonderful singing and enlightening video. Also thank this channel's administrators for finally using non-interlaced video. No more ugly horizontal line artifacts in your videos.

[@Michael-mg3lu]

***** This link is a virus, dont click it.

[@julidada]

What a colossal jerk. He's right, of course, but I admire it so much more when great people choose to lift up those around them. Which doesn't mean going easy on them! Joyce DiDonato shows how it can be done.

[@magdahearne497]

Brilliant....more please

[@llumviz]

I want to know the rules that Mark Elder explains are the same for serious Rossini?

[@Dancing4Me33]

Just Lovely!

[@dkl6397]

I absolutely agree with him on extra “colouring”… When you know the actual notes it sounds disappointing… Doesn’t Rossini enough colourful 🙂

[@dionisisathens7030]

14:15 Rosina's aria

[@fetrfetr8996]

Пожалуйста,сделайте субтитры !

[@FJMLAM]

Mark Elder is Brilliant- so's the soprano

[@ruskor87]

Bravissima!

[@nairbittar]

Awsome!

[@vierdubbeleziekte]

What is the song called she sings on the end?

[@RoyalBalletAndOpera]

+O deer gawd Rachel is singing 'Una voce poco fa' from Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia (the aria is in a number of smaller movements)

[@vierdubbeleziekte]

Royal Opera House Awesome, thanks!

[@sherlockholmeslives.1605]

I don't like Mark Elder! Despite the fact he is a big head.

[@SeikoMeetsWorld]

Una Voce Poca Fa

[@Ariadne-cg4cq]

I deer gawd. Is is all one song from beginning to the end. It is called “Una voce poco fa”. It means “ I heard a voice just now”

[@vanesopranolirica]

Please traductino in spanish

[@fabriziomariagarzi5534]

Non e' cosi che si puo' insegnare "Una voce poco fa".

[@richardchilvers7391]

That piano looks like a grand, but sounds like an electric piano ??

[@alejandrorojas6852]

Richard Chilver No me gusto el pianista

[@genaroguerrero9228]

So that's how Christian Bale will look when he gets older...

[@callastoujours]

Yes!!! hahhahaah

[@zuraiashvili8647]

Who is this guy and how does he know and how Rossini meant his music?

[@Lorenzo-be1nm]

Because Art has parameters, because there are many many books written by specialists of how a composer is suppose to be sung, because of the score, because of the time in which was written, because of stories and reviews written in the time of Rossini's, because of conductors who have been passing their knowledge about these things from generation to generation, because there are people who have devoted your life to find out the true that there is to be found in "style"....

[@unabarry5496]

Because he is a musicologist, has done all the research, and highly respected in our profession.

[@luisortega4991]

what is wrong with the pianist???

[@aleksanchobanovcounter-ten1240]

Nobody knows, sadly, if they have given him the score just 10 minutes before the recording... (it might well be the case) :D So - poor pianist...

[@unabarry2476]

Nothing! Could you do better????

[@CamoflaugeDinosaue]

Probably the first time he's played the piece. Rossini isn't something you can just pick up and play without a minute of practice, also this piano score was the more complex version of Il Barbiere Di Siviglia.

[@oaaooaooaao]

@@aleksanchobanovcounter-ten1240 no he is just a bad pianist Every pianist has played this aria

[@mykytaoliinyk]

​@@unabarry2476excuse me, I respect your opinion. But! Music is profession and you have to be able to demonstrate some level, especially when you speak about correctness of performance. Some minimum level, at least, we have to play notes that composer wanted us to play.

[@julianaspector3391]

She's a soprano.

[@LaDivinaLover]

I’m still not convinced she is actually a mezzo.

[@violettawine5494]

Most likely to soprano 🧐?

[@rwhiterw3]

she should sing through the dotted upbeat before her high note...

[@unabarry5496]

Thank you for your obscene language.

[@mariamgotsiridze8053]

he looks like Christian Bale

[@user-jo2hx4py7g]

She is good singer.but she loos position sometimes and not in ritm

[@felicefelice]

Poor Rossini....

[@cys8964]

+felicefelice lesson learnt: if you are a composer, never write an Italian opera.

[@giusepperometta2634]

L opera deve essere compresa da tutti ...anche stranieri , senno a che sere ...

[@xxsaruman82xx87]

She is not a mezzo. She is a soprano.

[@tomhase7007]

A pianist who fails at side reading, a soprano without developed upper register who thinks she is a mezzo and a conductor who doesn't seem to take note of either of these facts. Curious...

[@LalehanLale]

rozina is not mezzo soprano, you failed right at the beginning Mister...

[@zuraiashvili8647]

+Lalehan Lale lots of mezzos have done it.

[@LalehanLale]

yes you are right even altos can do it but bellcanto age rossini donizetti bellini requires coloraturas...thank you for the info..

[@LalehanLale]

bel canto loves coloraturas...rossini, donizetti, bellini, writes for coloraturas...as far as i know...

[@jbouthiette]

+Lalehan Lale Coloratura is not a range, it is a quality (quick florid notes). One can be a coloratura soprano or a coloratura mezzo (or a contralto even).

[@marjie012000]

Written for Coloratura contralto... but as there are not many around (they're all singing pop music)... mostly this role in opera is now sung by the mezzo soprano

[@FranzFischerSDG]

She is trying to sing like mezzo. Her vowels are too dark. She should sing like what she is, not like someone else. HE is showing diphthong in "o". It should be pure "o" , not "ooo-u". She also needs to understand declamation and sing softly on unaccentuated vowels. Her vowels not clear.

[@charlesmcguffy]

Do fuck off.

[@user-jo2hx4py7g]

This is recetativ, better to be in tempo

[@Gotlev6]

She sounded better in the beginning and worse by the end. Diction like that will kill any voice.

[@AllenFigueredo5]

She's not a mezzo, but a soprano, and she need to develop her chest voice

[@paulinaluc]

"All music has to have pulse" - It's just like quite a stupid comment. Is he some sort of a music god? Not watching further

[@draganvidic2039]

Lyric or even spinto soprano trying to sing as mezzo with unfocused fake darkened and nasal voice. Like so many out there unfortunately .

[@Bumblebeebeebee]

Sad jealous KZbin commentators. Bleugh.

[@johnschmid2453]

I agree CM Indy Opera

[@draganvidic2039]

@@johnschmid2453 Thanks

[@Abigayl1950]

Elder is teaching how to destroy Rossini 🤬 Elder & the soprano are so horrible ...... what a shame 😅😅🤮🤮🤮😡🤬

[@flaze3]

ma di cosa parli? Lei è bravissima

[@desideria747]

I have opened this video by case and remained unfortunately more than disappointed. I didn't know that the level of the ROH was dropped down during the last 10 years SO rapidly. Mediocre conductor is trying to sell himself as "Rossini-specialist", mediocre pianist, the singer who should sing maximum in the chorus because her only musical quality is that she doesn't sing out of tune. She has absolutely NO VOICE because there is no timbre. And everybody is obediently applauding? Shame on you all!

[@desideria747]

***** Come back when you clean your ears you full idiot!

[@desideria747]

+Claudius Oh maestro Elder, I did not recognised you, sorry! ;)))

[@celloguy]

She was in the young artists program, not a main stage singer. Mark Elder is superb.

[@Dadacomero]

u're so right. It's so sad

[@aleksanchobanovcounter-ten1240]

I don't think you need to be so mean... level of ROH might not be what you expect, or just maybe you expect shaky sopranos with "timbre" well defined then overwhelmed by their vibrato of a fifth in both sides of the tone object of it. Rachel Kelly might not have colored everything in the way you expect, it is clearly she is working and achieving. So forgive her the fact she's not as mature and wise (neither native speaker) as Cecillia Bartoli (for example) would be to hit every possible color in this aria - after all she has all needed to make it shine and she needs to learn somehow how to use what is given to her. I, personally, find her voice lovely and convincing both in color and strenght - she will be an amazing Rosina one day, a day which is coming rapidly. Neither the director is that bad... he is charming in his own way and I think he says some interesting things. After all, it is not possible that everything will be as high scholarly level or language as you would like it to be, especially given the fact it has been produced for the "wide" audience. Besides nowhere in this video have I seen the director described as Rossini specialist, neither anybody in this video pretends for anything more than exploring the music through "Il Barbiere di Siviglia". Thus comment of hatred like this one, opens only the discussion of Your personal attitude towards ROH and I guess (out of Your comments) the director "starring" in this video. Please, get clear with Your inner demons and then comment again!

[@bunburyrichard]

It could have been a really informative and enlightening session. Unfortunately the speaker "plays to the gallery" and feels obliged to make a joke ever 2 minutes. The jokes are not particularly funny, at least for non-English people, and they detract from the topic. They are obviously crowd-pleasing but also very facile, sometimes bordering on the vulgar. I would gladly watch a version that was focused on professional advice and serious analysis.

[@aaaaaa-bh2xs]

当家のライセンスも無いのに！！！！！！！！！！！

[@sherlockholmeslives.1605]

I don't like Mark Elder! Despite the fact he is a big head.

[@unabarry2476]

He is our wonderful conductor of the Halle Orchestra in England, and a delightful man with his feet on the ground, and doesn't talk over people's heads or as snob!

[@sherlockholmeslives.1605]

He is an Egomaniac SCUM BAG!

[@sherlockholmeslives.1605]

To call him a Pretentious Tit is an understatement!

[@katie8325]

Why are you all over videos of him you freak?