Opera Aria "The Night Before,My Child" Singing Analysis

“L'altra note in fondo al mare” is a famous piece sung by Margherita in opera“Mefistofele”,written by the 19^th century Italian composer Arrigo Boito.Its distinct and beautiful theme melody,full and compact storyline,and exciting musical rhythm have always attracted its audience.It tells the story of a mother?Margherita?who killed her baby boy,recounts her misfortune and repents her crime,asking for the God's forgiveness while waiting for her sentence in the dismal cell.This soprano aria has intense difficulty and is therefore often chosen as a competition piece in domestic and international singing contests.It is also a classical teaching piece in Chinese arts academies.Thus,using this aria piece,“L'altra note in fondo al mare”as the research topic could help singers to better understand how to shape the characters in the opera,and have a better grasp of the characters'emotions in their singing and performance.This article discussed“L'altra note in fondo al mare”in the following four aspects:an introduction of the composer and the opera storyline;an analysis of the music;an analysis of the singing techniques;and comparisons across different singing versions.