Composing For A Singer: The Vocal Qualities of Adriana Ferrarese del Bene Exemplified Through Four Mozart Arias

Adriana Ferrarese del Bene played Susanna in the 1789 revival of Le Nozze di Figaro in Vienna, for which Mozart rewrote both arias sung by the character. She later became the soprano who premiered the role of Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte. In both instances, Mozart carefully considered the vocal abilities of Ferrarese when composing the arias for Susanna and Fiordiligi, including Ferrarese\u27s powerful chest voice, ability to negotiate large leaps, and agility. Through melodic analysis of the four arias Mozart wrote specifically for her voice, an understanding of Mozart\u27s ideal sound is apparent. Musical examples from each of the four arias are included to demonstrate specific moments in which Mozart highlight\u27s Ferrarese\u27s strengths