Ildebrando D’Archangelo

Scofield: Ildebrando, Mozart is a very special composer to you, I understand. You have said he’s the composer who inspired in you the passion for music. Can you tell us a little bit about your feelings and relationship with this composer?

D’Arcangelo: Yes, I started to play piano for many years. And when I arrived 16, I was in the chorus, and the maestro for the chorus, Monica Bacelli, she’s a contralto, listened my voice. She said why don’t you sing, like an opera singer? I started to laugh because I didn’t like opera. At the beginning, when my father introduced me to opera, it was so boring for me.

Scofield: [Laughter] Is it really?

D’Arcangelo: It’s true. I said, why are these people screaming all the time! And then Monica Bacelli introduced me the finale of Don Giovanni to listen, and I fell in love immediately.

Scofield: So, it was Don Giovanni that changed your whole attitude to opera, from not liking it to loving it?

D’Arcangelo: Exactly.

Scofield: Wow, Don Giovanni is such a remarkable spectacular work. The list aria, in which Leporello catalogues all of the women from one country to another who have been conquered by Don Giovanni, this is such a great aria, every Bass or Base baritone has a special take on it. How did you approach the list aria from Don Giovanni?

D’Arcangelo: The wonderful thing of Leporello is the comedy. And this is the only character in the opera who has many colours. Leporello tries to imitate Don Giovanni in this aria, and so he’s like the figure of all emotion in Giovanni by night. So that’s why Leporello really catches the audience even more than Giovanni.

Scofield: A brilliant combination, these two really. Alter egos, aren’t they? Giovanni and Leporello.

D’Arcangelo: Exactly.