Elvis, The Beatles, Rossini. Their impact on pop culture is enormous. While the influence of the first two artists is apparent, the effect of the Italian composer, who wrote the comedic The Barber of Seville, which Arizona Opera will perform on January 27-28 at Symphony Hall in Phoenix, is harder to spot.
The masterpiece has been referenced in everything from Seinfeld to Bugs Bunny cartoon shorts. But Gioachino Rossini’s legacy goes beyond the small screen. Mika, the pop star behind the 2007 song “Grace Kelly,” has stated he was inspired by “Largo al factotum” when writing the hit’s catchy chorus (if you’ve been on TikTok, then you know the song), and Louis Prima borrows the song’s melody for “The Bigger the Figure.”
“[Opera] brings the angels into the room, if you will, and it’s glorious,” says Aubrey Allicock, who will play Bartolo in the Arizona Opera production. “I think real musical artists recognize that and want to implement it.”
But what draws you into the 200-plus-year-old hit is the absurd story, which involves a love triangle between Count Almaviva, Bartolo and Rosina. The titular man with the scissors – i.e. Figaro, whose name rings out repeatedly in “Largo al factotum,” providing the opera with its most iconic and enduring lyric – is the count’s wingman, using anything he can to help Almaviva get the girl. Sounds like the plot of your favorite rom-com, doesn’t it?
“Opera is everywhere,” Allicock says. “You hear it in your ear, but you’re not really recognizing that that’s opera. It’s everything in life.”
