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

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.