The Barber of Seville
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The Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia) is a comic opera in two acts by Gioacchino Rossini with a libretto (based on Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville) by Cesare Sterbini. The première (under the title Almaviva, or the Useless Precaution) took place on February 20, 1816, at the Teatro Argentina, Rome. Based on Opera America statistics, the opera is the fifth most performed opera in North America.
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[edit] History
An opera based on the play had previously been composed by Giovanni Paisiello, and another was composed in 1796 by Nicholas Isouard. Though the work of Paisiello triumphed for a time, Rossini's later version alone has stood the test of time and continues to be a mainstay of the operatic repertoire.
This Rossini's opera follows the first of the plays from the Figaro trilogy, by French playwright Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, while Mozart's opera Le Nozze di Figaro composed 30 years earlier in 1786 is based on the second part of the Beaumarchais' trilogy. The original Beaumarchais version was first performed in 1775, in Paris at the Comédie Française at the Tuileries Palace.
Rossini is well known for his fast work at composition, and true to his style, all the music for Il Barbiere di Siviglia was completed in under three weeks; though the famous overture was actually borrowed from a prior Rossini opera, Aureliano in Palmira. Barbiere was first performed on February 20, 1816, to disastrous failure: The audience hissed and jeered throughout, and several on-stage accidents occurred. The second performance, however, met with quite a different fate, becoming a roaring success. It is curious to note that the original French play of Le Barbier de Seville endured a similar story, hated at first only to become a hit within a week.
[edit] Roles
- Rosina, Bartolo's ward (lyric coloratura or mezzo soprano)
- Doctor Bartolo, Rosina's guardian (bass)
- Count Almaviva, a local nobleman. He uses the alias Lindoro (tenor)
- Figaro, the Barber of Seville (baritone)
- Fiorello, the Count's servant
- Basilio, Bartolo's accomplice, a music teacher (bass)
- Berta (Marcellina), servant to Doctor Bartolo (soprano)
- Ambrogio, servant to Doctor Bartolo (silent)
[edit] Plot
[edit] Act I
Seville. Square before the house of Bartolo. In a public square outside Dr. Bartolo's house a band of musicians and a poor student named Lindoro are serenading, to no avail, the window of Rosina ("Ecco ridente in cielo"/"There laughing in the sky") Lindoro, who is really Count Almaviva in disguise, hopes to make the beautiful Rosina love him for himself - not his money. Almaviva pays the musicians who then depart, leaving him to brood alone. Figaro approaches singing. (Aria: "Largo al factotum della città"/"Make way for the factotum of the city") As Figaro used to be a servant of the Count, the Count asks him for assistance in helping him to meet Rosina, offering money to Figaro, should he be successful in arranging this. (Duet: "All'idea di quel metallo"/"At the idea of that metal") Figaro advises the Count to disguise himself as a soldier and to feign drunkenness in order to gain entrance to the house. For this suggestion, he is richly rewarded.
Change of scene: Chamber of Dr. Bartolo. (Rosina's cavatina: "Una voce poco fa"/"A voice just now") Knowing the Count only under the name of Lindoro, Rosina writes to him, and is leaving the room when Bartolo and Basilio enter. Bartolo is suspicious of the Count, and Basilio advises that he be put out of the way. (Aria: "La calunnia è un venticello"/"Calumny is a little breeze") When the two have gone, Rosina and Figaro enter. The latter asks Rosina for a few words for Lindoro, which she has already written. (Duet: "Dunque io son...tu non m'inganni?"/"Then I'm the one...you're not fooling me?") Although surprised by Bartolo, Rosina manages to fool him, but he remains suspicious. (Aria: "A un dottor della mia sorte"/"To a doctor of my class") When the stage is empty, Berta tries to pass through the exit, but is met by the Count disguised as an intoxicated soldier. In fear of the drunken man, she rushes to Bartolo for protection: Bartolo endeavours to remove the supposed soldier, but does not succeed. The Count manages to see Rosina, whispers that he is Lindoro, gives her a letter, and she hands the watching Bartolo the list of the wash. Bartolo and the Count start arguing. When Basilio, Figaro and Berta disappear, the noise attracts the watch. Bartolo believes that the Count has been arrested, but Almaviva mentions his name to the officer and is released. Bartolo and Basilio are astounded, and Rosina makes sport of them. (Finale: "Fredda ed immobile"/"Cold and unmoving") '
[edit] Act II
Almaviva again appears at the house of the doctor, this time disguised as a singing tutor, and acting as substitute for the supposedly ailing Basilio, who gives singing lessons to Rosina. Bartolo is initially suspicious and only allows Almaviva in when the Count gives Bartolo Rosina's letter and describes his plan to discredit Lindoro. He will picture Lindoro as a servant of the Count, intent on pursuing women for his lordship. In order that he may not be alone with Rosina, the doctor has himself shaved by Figaro. (Quintet: "What, Basilio! what do I see?") When Basilio suddenly appears he is bribed by a full purse from Almaviva, to feign sickness. Finally Bartolo detects the trick, drives everybody out of the room, and rushes to a notary to draw up the marriage contract between himself and Rosina. He also shows Rosina the letter she wrote to "Lindoro," and convinces her that Lindoro is merely a flunky of Almaviva. The stage remains empty, while the music describes a thunder storm. The Count and Figaro climb up a ladder to the balcony and enter through a window. Rosina shows Almaviva the letter and expresses her feelings of betrayal and heartbreak. Almaviva reveals his identity and the two reconcile. While Almaviva and Rosina are enraptured by one another, Figaro urges them to leave. They hear two people approach the door, and go to leave via the ladder when they realize it has been removed. The two are Basilio (he removed the ladder) and the notary. Basilio is given the choice of accepting a bribe and being a witness, or receiving two bullets in the head (an easy choice, he says). He and Figaro witness the signatures to a marriage contract between the Count and Rosina. Bartolo barges in, but is too late. The befuddled Bartolo is pacified by being allowed to retain Rosina's dowry.
[edit] Noted arias and duets
- Ecco ridente in cielo (Almaviva)
- Largo al factotum (Figaro)
- All'idea di quel metallo (duet, Almaviva & Figaro)
- Una voce poco fa (Rosina)
- La calunnia è un venticello (Basilio)
- A un dottor della mia sorte (Doctor Bartolo)
- Dunque io son (duet, Figaro & Rosina)
[edit] Recordings
- Claudio Abbado conducting the London Symphony Orchestra with Hermann Prey as Figaro, Teresa Berganza as Rosina, and Luigi Alva as Almaviva (1972).
[edit] Parodies
The opera, and especially its overture, was famously parodied in animated cartoons starring Woody Woodpecker (The Barber of Seville, Shamus Culhane, 1944) , Bugs Bunny (Rabbit of Seville, Chuck Jones, 1950) and Tom and Jerry (Kitty Foiled, William Hanna & Joseph Barbera),(The Cat Above and the Mouse Below, Chuck Jones, 1964), as well as Tex Avery's Magical Maestro (1952).
The Seinfeld episode The Barber also contains brief snippets of music from the opera in which Jerry is seen sneaking around his barber's back with the apprentice.
In the 1993 film Mrs Doubtfire, actor Robin Williams sings the aria "Largo al factotum" as a cartoon bird.
See also the film "The Barber of Siberia", 1999, by Nikita Mikhalkov.
[edit] References
Plot taken from The Opera Goer's Complete Guide by Leo Melitz, 1921 version.
