John Rawnsley - Largo al factotum - Il barbiere di Siviglia

[sponderb]

My daughter age 2 viewed the 3 hr video of Rawnsley's performance once a day for 90 days. She danced happily to Largo al factotum. I tried to contact him to offer thanks but it wasn't til years later that I found him singing Rigoletto in Singapore. I went to his hotel and left him a thank you note telling of the joy he gave my daughter but I didn't give a return address. Too tacky. Somehow he found me and invited our family for lunch. John Rawnsley is a wonderful singer and a real gentleman.

[17Zheng]

I like Tom better...but this guy is WONDERFUL indeed!

[opiumjohnstarwars]

this is hysterical!!! GO ROSSINI GO!

[minamina976]

wonderful Baritono!!!!

[psadpoiafsdf]

Mrs Doubtfire

[DragcoDavid]

Is it just me or does this sound almost exactly like the guy who sings it in the looney tunes cartoon version?

[msinvincible2000]

This is the best version of "Largo al factotum" I've ever heard

[renascencewoman]

@msinvincible2000 you should hear earle patriarco. bravissimo!

[Leechermaster]

@msinvincible2000 I agreed.

[mh295zerbernak]

looney tunes brought me here

[KianaN16]

I love his face at the end! XD

[TotexDennys]

Michigan J. Frog

[MrJoshmeister]

Learning to sing this... and i'm a skinny british guy...

[Dogaradodia]

And the winner is...

John Rawnsley...

Best 'Largo al factotum'...

[albertobarbieri87]

Bellissimo!!!



[TalentedKU]

49 people envy his mustache 

[Isabella221b]

@TalentedKU ahahahahah XD you're a genius XD

[deliasulca]

Muy buena XD, gracias



[jadenu2003]

the best performance of "Largo al factotum dela citta".... thanks marcomiranda for share this beauty with us.....

[5748peter]

bravissimo!!! 

[Shaprika]

I can NOT watch this without smiling. Amazing acting, which compliments the singing, which compliments the play... Geez, it's all so brilliant! I love it <3

[oOLiukOo]

nothing else to say, we italians are just genious

[BaronVonAsskicker]

thumbs up if your first thought at hearing this is bugs bunny

[victorchapin3]

That was amazing, i just had to clap

[idonthaveanyvideo]

Come cuz tom n jerry

[AdriaFloriDeSoc]

1,883 brothers from another mothers.

[abisivepoo]

That was fucking brilliant.

[passionscorpio18]

Best interpretation ever........wonderful!!!!!!!!

[clarabellahp]

Fantastic what a performance!

[YesIHaveSeenTheRain]

@xaviervandepoll: Here in Italy it is written my way :D (or Chaikovskij)

[YesIHaveSeenTheRain]

Sono il factotum della città, della città, della città, della città! Thank God you made me Italian. Gioachino Rossini best music maker of the whole goddamn' mankind's history! (with Cajkovskij too)

[xaviervandepoll]

@YesIHaveSeenTheRain

Cajkosvkij = Tchaikovksy I presume? xD

[mephistoqx]

@xaviervandepoll no pibeh, caskosvki = casqueandose = fap fap

[puyipopo]

@mephistoqx Tan magnífica , llena de emoción y vigor, que esta interpretación es como un orgasmo sostenido por 4:58 min, queriendo escucharla una y otra y otra y otra vez ... sssssaabrrrooosso !!!

[marieoxo]

first time i heard this was on tom and jerry :P

[AdriaFloriDeSoc]

@marieoxo me2, goold old animations.

[DrRocky356]

love opera

[Betisllano]

Bravo, baritone. Wonderful.

[EyeShotFirst1]

He looks like Carlos Mencia, though thankfully you can't steal vocal ability. Great performance.

[ursuscarniolus]

Mr. barbiere himself...briliant

[JHaru777]

Fan... tastic! The first time I ever heard this was from Tom and Jerry and Bugs Bunny!

This opera and in particular this song, will last forever!

[willkelly90]

I looked for this song due the performance of tom and jerry :D

Oh and btw 49 peoples are bald.

[Trunks150]

@willkelly90 Yes me too! lol he is as good as Tom is XD

[bored1ca]

@willkelly90 yeah like what's up with that? Oh and I think you mean Bugs Bunny don't you? I'm sure most of the excerpts used from the Barber of Seville are in the classic Warner Bros. cartoons

[willkelly90]

@bored1ca Nope, I really meant Tom and Jerry XP, I know there's a Bugs Bunny one, but I liked Tom and Jerry's most :P

[riceball23]

@willkelly90 Mrs. Doubtfire brought me here.

[emilylouisechurchos]

Mrs Doubtfire!

[kirakeino]

i love how animated and joyful he is when he sings. he's definatly the best performer of this aria that i've ever seen.

[rjflesher]

Thumbs up if the Tex Avery cartoon "Magical Maestro" brought you here

[kphong1680]

I was brought here by an old classic Tex Avery cartoon call Magical Maestro( hope i spelled Maestro right).

[Kitty9991]

ENCORE! ENCORE!

[ravrik]

wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

bloody fantastic

that's all there is to say!

[TheLockon00]

THIS GUY IS SUCH A BOSS!!!

[brian55819]

Thumbs up if you're watching this in 2011

[brian55819]

Thumbs up if Prince Poppycock got you here

[videos4mydad]

48 Elmer Fudds didn't like this video.

[ancamg]

I think I listened this aria sung by Rawnsley, more than 100 times. I have the DVD and I played it over and over, never getting bored. I also loved Maria Ewing playing Rosina and Claudio Desideri as Bartolo. Amazing production! Great Glyndebourne festival. I wish I were there.

[teneverson]

The best! Tito Gobbi and Thomas Hampton do not compare.

[srvfan454]

Bravo! And also I want a jacket like that!

[birdebyrd]

Those who can, DO; those who can't , CRITIQUE!

[OldTrancer]

Great singer. Awsome power with effortless ease.

Was enjoying the english translation to. Shame all of it wasn't there but great vid. Thanks for posting.

[suchero]

@OldTrancer bravissimo john! ottima pronuncia peraltro.

[TheVodKanockers]

flawless it is!

[middie666]

fantastic performance,how wonderfull it would be to be able to sing like this.great acting also

[jonthewatch]

still prefer Tito Gobbi

[Arwen328]

Is anyone have performace "Largo al factotum" by Bryn Terfel? I would be very gratefull, the best Figaro ever!

[fred6059]

I am addicted to this opera.

[vendicatoresolitari0]

Molto bravo, ma meglio Tito Gobbi. Ottimo come attore. Look "Ballarò, gran finale Crozza", against Berlusconi, named "cavaliere", like the one of the Barbiere di Siviglia

( "con la donnetta, col cavaliere").

[rox1317]

BRAVOOOOO!!!!! awesome whistle too!

[vendicatoresolitari0]

@rox1317 "BRAVOOOOO!!!!! awesome whistle too!" Si, ha fatto anche il FISCHIO (pronounce "feeskio") (whistle)! Una novità!

[rox1317]

@vendicatoresolitari0 :) sono italiano...

[ydocnagol]

Love the look on his face at 3:56

[tantricsurfer]

strepitoso, perfetto.

[StaraptorEagle]

So beautiful - this is an opera (I think that's the right word) I'd LOVE to see! (The others are Carmen and Carmina Burana).

[makkolino82]

Bravooo!!!



[SimplySethJohnson]

3:32  What a crowd?

[OperaBracelets]

This is the best I could watch this daily- but then the song would be permanently stuck in my head instead of just for 3 days.

[Maniacdude87]

47 people didn't watch bugs bunny

[antoniovtorres]

he said a lot of words and all it says is "bravo figaro" @ about 1:10.. loose translation?

[ScottEwing]

@antoniovtorres "Ah, bravo, Figaro, bravo, bravissimo, bravo!"

[m83583]

love it love it love it 

[gary52100]

Non il migliore, però buona esecuzione di un brano difficile, al contrario di quel che tanti pensano!

Not the best, but good interpretacion.

Look Thomas Hampson, very and very good. Lissen him!

[MrPeiceofmind666]

bravo brilliant figaro. amazing job i can't find a better version then this one (other then pierre simones) but this is orchastrated so its much better bravo.

[Debby1ist]

Tra i migliori....Figaro!

[Ann4MaRi4]

I must say that he is looking more like Figaro..That was awesome!Bravo Bravissimo Figaro!!Bravo!! :)

[Blueeyedboy87]

Just wonderful!!

[mariedressler100]

I agree with elokia and say that Rawnsley's pronunciation is flawless and also say that his diction is also flawless! I understand every word he sings!

My goodness Turchesi, you sound so pompous, why cant you just enjoy one of the great performances of this aria to be found on YouTube - how many other baritones are able to sing the high 'A' with such authority?

[1377ana]

he is just the best.... what a character.. absolutely sublime

[sponderb]

John Rawnsley is not only a marvelous singer but one of the finest people in the business. His "Barber of Seville" is a must for any fan.

[unfad1ng]

Amazing!

[Turchesi]

Yes... great actor, but the pronunciation is not so accurate. Also, from this audio he seems to be sometimes slightly out of rhythm.

[elokia]

@Turchesi : are you insane??? His Italian pronunciation is absolutely flawless!! I assisted at another Barbiere in Parma yesterday, with an Italian singer, and his words were much less clearer than Rawnsley's!

[Turchesi]

@elokia Well, I was not referring to the comprehensibility... Most of the double consonants are missing, the sound r is often anglosaxon. More in general, one gets an impression of artificial diction. With this I do not want to mean that native singers alwayws have a better pronounciation. I just think that Italian diction is difficult and Rawnsley would require more accuracy, in my view.

[100voicebox]

@Turchesi

Italian diction may be difficult for you, that I can understand, but can you please explain what you mean by 'artificial diction?'

For your information, I know for a fact that many, many Italians never had any problems whatsoever understanding Mr. Rawnsley's Italian when he was singing in Italy!

[Turchesi]

@100voicebox Once again: it is not a problem with comprehensibility: Italian can be sung with an accent but in a comprehensible way. Artificial diction means that Rawnsley has spent clearly a great deal in learning Italian diction, but he did not succed, by the time of this video, in making it flaw naturally. In arts artifice must be hidden. Standard Italian is my mother tongue. I also studied Italian diction. From my experience I know that many students do not succeed in sounding natural.

[jrb040892]

Incredible singer AND an fantastic actor! What a character!

[salvatorevil]

47 people are high school musical fans xD

[ivanblackheart]

47 people have not culture

[coobeewp]

The greatest rendition....bravo bravo

[TuningBoy320Ci]

That are a good singer but don't play any word that are in a original rossini's opera.

[Mokolele]

BRAVO TRAUBE!

[MarcoBi503]

Simply perfect. BRAVISSIMO

[chriszitro]

Esto no solo es voz hehe

Estupenda actuación

[coloneldaddy]

Marvelous! John has a perfect Italian accent, yet i doubt that he

speaksfluent Italian, and why is it sung in Italian, since Seville is in Spain??????

[Sakkura1]

@coloneldaddy It's an Italian opera, so obviously it's all in Italian.

Of course the opera is based on a play, but that was all in French, so I guess the Spanish got a bit screwed here.

[NSkull2991]

This is an awsome version of largo al factotum. Pablo Elvira has a very impressive version also.

[MultiPeppedj]

è l'italia! muahhahhahahahah

[Aquahoma]

ENCORE ENCORE

[ramia89mae]

i youtubed this song after watchin the lil claymation at the beginning of Oscar

[jglsd1]

This is the best Largo al Factotum on youtube!

[severintintin]

@jglsd1 hi! try on my channel the link about figaro! tell me if you know and if you like

[beaxionaryo]

@jglsd1 i agree, this "LAF" is the better version i saw here... i like the stops he makes and the way he plays with the original notes

[reynaldomonterrey]

@jglsd1 indeed he has it all,what a master!!!

[TheLockon00]

@jglsd1 I was just thinking the same thing. Thomas Hampson is pretty damn amazing too, but he just doesn't have the power that Rawnsley does.

[Rapture1987]

@TheLockon00 John Rawnsley also plays the character in a much more likeable, even endearing fashion, than Thomas Hampson - who reminds me more of Gaston from Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Figaro loves what he does and is very very proud of his work, but he's not pompous or vain or conceited the way Thomas Hampson is.

[TheLockon00]

@Rapture1987 lol. That Gaston comparison is awesome.

[Rapture1987]

@TheLockon00 *giggle* Whoever it was that created Gaston's character at Disney MUST have seen Hampson play/sing Figaro somewhere in the mid-late 80s. ;)

[TheLockon00]

lol. Indeed. I think he saw Thompson and then mixed him with Conan the Barbarian.

[abir12501101]

Arias. <3

I think I'm the only Indian who listens to Arias. I'm proud. (:

[wolfshifter13]

does he have this on iTunes???



[wolfshifter13]

bravo bravo very wonderful!!!!

[MauricioRaizman]

He is so good that many great singers doesnt atempt to sing this aria. Its a very difficult one.Thank you John!!!!!!!!!!!! Me encanta escucharlo. Desde Venezuela GRACIAS!!!

[goebope]

pica - pau *--* HauHSUa..

[lucarioman69]

now, the line at 2:18, i just couldn't help watching over and over cause of the face he pulls.

it's funny how someone who likes classical music as much as me still enjoys the little bit :P

[mazen2009]

flawless indeed!!

[MrHenk1121]

jerry does better..

[Catalogia]

BELLO,BELLO,BELLO,BELLO....la mattina se lo ascolto mi alzo volando dal letto....bravo john,interpretazione molto divertente e allegra :)

[lpfreak1708]

i think Michigan J. Frogg does this song best

[CORZANIRIKKARDO96]

è italiano XDXD w italia w noi

[xxxHiMiKuNxxx]

this is AWESOME!!!!!!

[lionctbabr]

wow!!!

[TECHhelpWITcomputers]

Flaweless , Beautiful, and classic can't beat that!

[pendosia]

Search this (  Muslim Magomaev "Cavatina di Figaro" 1966 )

[Jjayd1st]

That's no singing frog!

[Rapture1987]

@Jjayd1st Would the singing frog's initials be T. H, by any chance? :P

[niothehan]

superb

[TheChattyxWoman]

BRILIANT 

[theXaloc]

"Quiero chipa! Quiero chipa! Quieroo chipaaaa" :P

[1377ana]

love it.. he is very very good

[c6green]

bloody brilliant!!

[poppycock165]

love it

[MagnusOda]

very good singer !

[OfirBeck]

Wow!

I never knew Danny McBride knew how to sing Opera!

[titiwis]

sans doute une des meilleures interpretations, dommage que le son soit si mauvais !

[peregrinefalcon11]

A youtube clip of Hampson in character can be found at "VFCZNw0Cgnw". If I had to compare the two, I think Hampson has the better voice. Rawnsley has the better comedic interpretation.

[mariavasilei]

always intonating higher than acceptable ...

[nakaiklx250f]

トムとジェリーの『へんてこなオペラ』

[tiziostanco]

Bravo Bravissimo!

[lporec4life]

I haven't listened to much of Rawnsley... but this doesn't thrill me. His upper range is really, really nice; but I feel like everything else lacks energy and his lower range isn't too strong. Almost makes me feel like I'm listening to a tenor sing this...

[karifrid]

@lporec4life I like this performance.I am a tenor but I sang this today and put on youtube for a fun...Then you can see the difference.... Kári Friðriksson. ( karifrid on youtube) (Still he sound like he has a little cold,or something)

[peregrinefalcon11]

@lporec4life Hampson may display more vocal virtuosity, but Rawnsley's interpretation including facial expressions, gestures, and comic timing is wonderful. Perhaps it is unfair to compare the in-opera rendition with the pure vocal rendition, but this clip is so entertaining.

[NumaNumaRiiko]

39 people listen to too much Justin Beiber.

[TheTailduck]

TOM AND JERRY !

[teteine29]

bravissimo !! good job man ! maybe the best version i ve seen

[elmauriplatense]

ma come con quella interpretazione il teatro non é cascato giu' dagli applausi??, incredibile. Forse non perfetto nella dizione, ma voce ed interpretazione perfette

[stEPHIQUE]

so... i have listened to 15-20 different interpretations, but this is just incredible. A++++ or 10++++ or, much more simple:

BRAVO!

[Kogida5]

Bravo, BRAVO, BRAVISSIMO!!!!

[peregrinefalcon11]

What I like best about this performance is the acting. Rawnsley's voice is excellent, but his comic interpretation makes this clip so wonderful.

[TheOnix123]

beautiful :')

[grossandri7]

so great

[gtroman]

If this opera was made today, he would be a used car salesman instead of a barber.

[fabio1292]

@TheYinYangbrothers Yes, quite "old" italian.

[CeroMetralleta]

LALALA LALALA LALALA LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­AA !!!!! xD JUST ASESOME

[GranVisirFrank]

Just Great!

[mariajhota]

prince poppy cock sings it better its  A FACT

[Zelyasha]

@mariajhota Hm. I disagree. This man is talented, but Poppycock is as well. I believe Rawnsley has him beat, however.

[mooretj991]

Wow....I was blown away... Outstanding!!! I need to listen to my Milnes/Merrill recordings to judge (they were 1/2 in my humble opinion as best for this probably most famous and probably most difficult baritone aria). AWESOME!!! Still blown away... need to listen a fourth time now....

[1973WBBH]

bravo!

[angelusleciele]

best part.... 3:50 

[bellekd1413]

I love the pose that he gives us in the end! Bravo!

[otharennaur]

Figaro qua, figaro la, figaro qua, figaro la, figaro su, figaro giu, figaro su, figaro giu; pronto, prontissimo, son come il fumine, sono il factotum de la città, de la città, de la città, de la città, de la città.

Ah, bravo Figaro, bravo, bravissimo, ah, bravo Figaro, bravo, bravissimo, a te fortuna, a te fortuna, a te fortuna non manchera.

Ah, bravo Figaro, bravo, bravissimo, ah, bravo Figaro, bravo, bravissimo, a te fortuna, a te fortuna, a te fortuna non manchera

I loooove that part LOL

[Drelnis]

It's so funny how I, after years of listening to Strauss, Puccini, Verdi, Donizetti, Schubert, Mozart, and Bellini, really "discovered" Rossini through Poppycock.

[DoctorJK3]

An excellent performance- Thanks to Looney Tunes from sticking the song in my head at a very early age. That did two things: gave me an appreciation for certain selections from various operas and allowed them to use royalty free music for their 'toons (cutting production costs).

[PainTrain51]

such a rare talent! amazing

[coloneldaddy]

@PainTrain51 Talent hell, this guy worked very hard, took jillions of voice lessons, and prqactices eery day. A talent is a "gift" given by some unknown deity. John's voice decries all that nonsense.

[Friday1970]

Thanks guys for getting me my first "Highest Rated Comments" hit.

Today, my two poor daughters had to put up with me and "The Voice of Italy" CD I had checked out from my library today. Of course, Largo al Factotum was blaring through the car stereo, with Manuel Ausensi as the vocals (not as good a John R, but good none-the-less).

Once again, never would have done this if it weren't for Poppycock.

I still love coming back to watch this vid too, like now...

[jewelmarkess]

@Friday1970 In case you decide to listen to a full opera, and there is no opera theater near you, you might want to know that the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts some of its performances in HD to select movie theaters all over the US. Some of the PBS stations show them later in the year, but not all PBS stations do it.

[Valor06]

I thank Bugs Bunny and Poppycock for sharing unrecognized master peices like this with the world. Opera just shows the power and magnificence of human capabilities, in this case the human voice!

[Willco22222]

It's great that PPC drew s lot of new people to Opera.

Try "O Mio Babbino Caro" by Puccini. It's about unrequited love. Deeply beautiful and emotional.