Il barbiere di Siviglia

The Barber of Seville is a redirect to this article. For more meanings, see The Barber of Seville (disambiguation) .

Work data
Title:	The Barber of Seville
Original title:	Il barbiere di Siviglia
Shaving scene II / 4 Victrola book of the opera, 1917
Shape:	Opera buffa in two acts
Original language:	Italian
Music:	Gioachino Rossini
Libretto :	Cesare Sterbini
Literary source:	Le barbier de Séville by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
Premiere:	February 20, 1816
Place of premiere:	Rome, Teatro Argentina
Playing time:	approx. 2 ½ hours
Place and time of the action:	Seville , 18th century
people
Count Almaviva ( tenor ) Bartolo, Doctor of Medicine, Guardian Rosinas ( bass ) Rosina, rich "eyeball" in the Bartolos house ( mezzo-soprano , in some versions soprano ) Figaro, barber ( baritone ; buffo ) Basilio, music master Rosinas, hypocrite (bass) Berta, Bartolos old housekeeper, in some versions also called Marcelline (soprano) Fiorello, servant of Count Almaviva (baritone / bass) Ambrogio, servant of Bartolo (bass) Officer (bass) Alkalde or Richter (silent role) Notary (silent role) Musicians, soldiers ( choir )

Il barbiere di Siviglia (German: The Barber of Seville ; original title at the premiere: Almaviva o sia L'inutile precauzione - Almaviva or The useless caution ) is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini . The libretto is by Cesare Sterbini based on the play Le barbier de Séville by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais .

action

The opera takes place in Seville in the second half of the 18th century.

Count Almaviva approaches his beloved Rosina incognito under the name Lindoro. There are two reasons for the masquerade: on the one hand, he wants to rule out that Rosina falls in love with him just because of his title, on the other hand, to avoid the greedy Dr. To deceive Bartolo, who is considering marrying the rich Rosina, his ward , himself . In order to get into his lover's house, the local barber Figaro advises him to disguise, once as a drunken soldier and another time as a music teacher. In the first act - disguised as a soldier - the count actually succeeds in slipping Rosina a love letter, in the second act - disguised as a music teacher - he comes closer to her during singing lessons, and both confess their love to each other. Almaviva then plans to free Rosina from the Bartolos house, her guardian, at night. For this, Figaro asked his customer Dr. Bartolo has already stolen the balcony key. Dr. Bartolo, however, gets wind of the escape plans and hurries away, on the one hand to appoint a notary to marry Rosina as quickly as possible, and on the other hand to inform the guards so that the “night kidnapper” can be arrested in the act. When the notary arrives, Almaviva uses armed force and a lot of money to persuade him to marry him and Rosina. At Dr. The count reveals himself to Bartolo's return with the guards. Bartolo is finally generously compensated: the count waives the dowry that Bartolo, as Rosina's guardian, would actually have to pay.

The following table of contents refers to the libretto of the original version from 1816. Later versions have slightly different sequences of scenes.

first act

Square in Seville towards the end of the night. On the left the Bartolos house with a walk-in balcony and an all-round lockable blind

The square in Seville

Scene 1. With a lantern in hand, Fiorello leads a group of musicians in front of the house (Introduction / Serenata No. 1). You are received by Count Almaviva, who urges you to be careful (introduction: “Piano, pianissimo”). The musicians tune their instruments and accompany Almaviva with a serenade for his lover (Cavatine: "Ecco, ridente in cielo"). Gradually it is day. Since the beloved did not appear, the count dismisses the musicians in disappointment after they have received their wages from Fiorello. He wants to wait a while longer alone and therefore sends Fiorello away too. When singing can be heard behind the scene, he hides behind a portico.

Scene 2. Figaro appears and sings a happy barber song (Cavatine Figaro: “Largo al factotum”). The count recognizes his friend, steps out and tells him about his love for the resident of the house, who is still unknown to him. Figaro knows more about it because he works as a barber there: the girl is Rosina, old Doctor Bartolo's ward.

Scene 3. Rosina steps out onto the balcony, followed by Bartolo. She has a letter for Almaviva with her - she claims to Bartolo that it is the text of the aria “Inutil precauzione” (“futile caution”). She drops the letter and sends Bartolo off to find it. Almaviva succeeds in picking up the letter. Bartolo angrily orders Rosina back into the room.

Scene 4. Almaviva has Figaro read the letter. In it Rosina asks him to let her know his name, his status and his intentions. She was determined to escape the strict surveillance of Bartolo. Figaro tells Almaviva about Bartolo's greed, who wanted to marry Rosina because of her inheritance. When Bartolo, dressed in screaming colors, with a wig and hat, steps out of the house, Almaviva and Figaro withdraw. Bartolo calls out to the servants in the house that Don Basilio should wait for him and hurries off to make preparations for the wedding with Rosina. Figaro tells Almaviva about the character of this Don Basilio: a greedy schemer who works as a music teacher in the Bartolos house. Rosina is now unsupervised, and Almaviva can serenade her again in which he introduces himself as a poor man with the name “Lindoro” (Canzone Almaviva: “Se il mio nome saper voi bramate”). Rosina listens to him enthusiastically, but then suddenly withdraws from the balcony when someone appears in her room. Since Almaviva really wants to talk to her, he persuades Figaro to give him access to the house for a rich wage (Duett Figaro, Count: “All'idea di quel metallo”). Figaro tells him his plan: In the evening, soldiers whose colonel is friends with him are expected in the house. Almaviva should therefore dress up as a soldier and pretend he was drunk. If he then shows a billing ticket, he will get admission. Figaro shows him his barber shop and then enters Bartolo's house. The count moves away to the other side.

Room in the Bartolos house with four doors. The front window with blinds, as in the first scene. On the right is a desk

Scene 5. Rosina appears with a letter in her hand and sings of her love for “Lindoro” (Cavatine Rosina: “Una voce poco fa”). She hopes for the support of Figaro.

Scene 6. Figaro enters the room to brief Rosina of the plan. However, they are interrupted by the return of Bartolo. Figaro is hiding behind the first door on the left.

Scene 7. Bartolo complains about Figaro's pranks, who remodeled the whole house for his own purposes. To annoy him, Rosina replies that Figaro was there and that she is always welcome. She leaves the room. Bartolo calls his servants Berta and Ambrogio to ask them about Figaro's visit - but Berta has too cold and Ambrogio too tired to answer. Both go again.

Scene 8. The already expected music teacher Basilio appears and warns Bartolo about Count Almaviva who is courting Rosina. Basilio suggests slandering him and thus making it impossible in Seville (Aria Basilio: “La calunnia è un venticello”). Bartolo is taking too long. He'd rather draw up the marriage contract as soon as possible. You will enter the first room on the right.

Scene 9. Figaro has heard everything and tells Rosina that Bartolo wants to marry her the next day. She asks about the young man with whom she had seen him under the balcony. Figaro replies that this is a poor student who is madly in love. After hesitating jokingly, he tells her the name of the person he loves: "R ... o ... ro ... rosi ... Rosina" (Duet Rosina, Figaro: "Dunque io son ... tu non m'inganni?"). "Lindoro" will be coming soon, but I would like a few lines from Rosina beforehand so that she can find out how she feels about him. Rosina gives him the letter that has already been written. Figaro leaves through the second door on the right.

Scene 10. Bartolo returns to the room and immediately asks Rosina what Figaro's intentions are. Rosina tries to evade: they only talked about unimportant things. But Bartolo notices the ink on her fingers and realizes that a letterhead is missing. He doesn't believe their excuses - he is too smart to be deceived (Aria Bartolo: “A un dottor de la mia sorte”). Bartolo is leaving.

Scene 11. Rosina only laughs at Bartolo's "hum". She goes into the second room on the right.

Scene 12. Berta comes out the second door on the left. The count knocks from outside and Berta opens it for him.

Scene 13. The count comes in disguised as a drunken officer and calls out to the residents (Finale I: “Ehi di casa… buona gente”). Bartolo appears to see what's going on. Almaviva is confused, calls him by various false names and shows him his billing ticket. Bartolo cannot get rid of the unwanted intruder.

Scene 14. Rosina comes back and the count reveals himself to her as "Lindoro". Bartolo assures that he has been exempt from billeting as a doctor and looks for the dispensation in his desk. Meanwhile Almaviva tries to slip a letter to Rosina. Bartolo has now found the certificate and reads it to Almaviva - but he simply knocks it out of his hand and declares that he wants to stay anyway. With a trick he manages to exchange letters with Rosina. However, the attentive Bartolo notices this and snatches the sheet from Rosina, which she has replaced with a laundry slip in good time. At that moment, Basilio came in with music from one side and Berta from the other. Bartolo can no longer prove anything to Rosina. She's starting to cry. Bartolo approaches her to comfort her, but is roughly held back by Almaviva, who has meanwhile drawn his saber. Everyone calls for help.

Scene 15. Figaro enters with his barber equipment and tries in vain to dampen the Count's overzealousness. This threatens Bartolo with the saber. The confusion gets bigger and bigger until an officer on watch appears with his soldiers and demands entry.

Scene 16. The officer asks what caused the noise. When he thinks he has seen the reason, he wants to take the count to prison. Almaviva orders a halt and hands the officer a paper. He is surprised and then withdraws with the soldiers. Everyone is amazed at this behavior. Only Figaro can hardly suppress laughter. All of Bartolo's objections are rejected by the guards, who in vain demand silence (Stretta of Finale I: “Ma signor” / “Zitto tu!”).

Second act

Room in the Bartolos house with a chair and a piano with various musical notes

Scene 1. Bartolo's research into the foreign soldier was unsuccessful. He suspects Count Almaviva sent him to his house to talk to Rosina. Someone's knocking at the door.

The count gives Rosina music lessons

Scene 2. The count comes into the room disguised as a music teacher. After a lengthy greeting, with which he was already getting on Bartolo's nerves, he introduced himself as "Don Alonso", who had come to represent the allegedly ill Basilio (Duet Graf, Bartolo: "Pace e gioia il ciel vi dia") . The alleged teacher tells Bartolo that he met Count Almaviva at the inn. He shows him a letter that Almaviva had received from Rosina, and he wins Bartolo's trust enough to fetch Rosina.

Scene 3. Rosina recognizes her lover immediately and confesses her love to him in the form of the song about “futile caution” (Aria Rosina: “Contro un cor che accende amore”). Bartolo does not recognize the real meaning, but only criticizes the music. As a counterexample, he himself performs an aria from his youth (Arietta Bartolo: “Quando mi sei vicina”). Figaro arrives with his shaving kit and joins the song. He declares that he has to shave Bartolo today because he will have too many other customers tomorrow - the officers of the new regiment, the curls of the Marchesa Andronica, the wig of Count Bombè, etc. Bartolo inevitably agrees and gives Figaro his keys to the Fetching laundry from the closet - including the key to the balcony door. Figaro drops dishes in the chamber, luring Bartolo out of the room. In the meantime, the Count proposes to Rosina, which she happily accepts. Figaro comes back and shows Almaviva the stolen balcony key.

Scene 4. At this moment, Basilio, the real music teacher, enters (quintet: “Don Basilio!…” / “Cosa veggo!”). Before his cover is exposed, Almaviva tells Bartolo to remain silent about the stolen letter. He slips Basilio a wallet and persuades him to call in sick and leave. Figaro is now preparing to shave Bartolo. He tries to cover up the two lovers through his position. They appear to begin with music lessons, but discuss Rosina's escape. Despite Figaro's distraction, Bartolo overhears Almaviva's last words. He throws Figaro and the Count out furiously. Rosina withdraws to her room.

Scene 5. The servants Berta and Ambrogio enter. Bartolo sends Ambrogio to get Basilio. He himself leaves through the second door on the right to stand guard there.

Scene 6. Left alone, Berta has the opportunity to write her own aria about love before she also leaves the room (Aria Berta: “Il vecchiotto cerca moglie”).

Scene 7. Bartolo leads in Basilio, who suspects that his alleged representative Alonso could have been the count himself. Bartolo now wants to go to the notary in order to marry Rosina as quickly as possible. Basilio advises him that the notary is busy marrying off Figaro's niece - but Figaro has no niece at all. Bartolo sends Basilio to summon the notary at once.

Scene 8. Bartolo calls Rosina over. With the letter received from “Alonso” as evidence, he claims that “Alonso” and Figaro would try to marry her to Count Almaviva. Rosina believes him, reveals the escape plan and agrees to marry him. She leaves sadly.

Thunderstorm scene II / 9, around 1830

Scene 9. A thunderstorm is approaching. Towards the end of the orchestra play, a window grille is opened and Figaro and the Count climb in via a ladder (Temporale Figaro, Graf: “Al fine eccoci qua”). Rosina comes out of her room and angrily rejects "Lindoro". He throws off his coat, reveals himself to her as Count Almaviva and repeats his marriage promise (Terzett Rosina, Graf, Figaro: “Ah qual colpo inaspettato!”). They prepare to flee together, but it fails because the ladder has been taken away. They cannot go through the main entrance either, because there are already people there.

Scene 10. Basilio enters with the notary. Figaro is delighted that his niece's already arranged wedding to the count can now take place. Basilio is silenced by a ring and threats. The count and Rosina sign the marriage contract. Figaro and Don Basilio act as witnesses.

Finale of the second act

Scene 11. Bartolo arrives too late with the guards and the alkali. Almaviva clears everything up and reveals himself to be Count and Rosina's husband (Accompagnato Graf, Bartolo: "Il Conte! ... che mai sento!" - Arie Graf, choir: "Cessa di più resistere"). Bartolo is annoyed that he has removed the ladder. The count appeases him by foregoing a dowry. Everyone celebrates the happy ending (Finaletto II: “Di sì felice innesto”).

layout

Instrumentation

The new critical work edition of the opera names the following instrumentation:

• two flutes / two piccolo flutes, an oboe, two clarinets, two bassoons
• two horns, two trumpets
• Bass drum , cymbals , triangle
• Strings
• Continuo, piano, guitar

Another oboe and timpani are added to the overture taken from Aureliano in Palmira . Triangle and continuo instruments are not required.

Some versions of the score contain the late version of the overture as planned by Rossini for Elisabetta regina d'Inghilterra . There are also three trumpets in this version.

According to MGG (first edition), the performance practice at the time of the premiere provided for the following line-up of the strings:

• four first violins
• three second violins
• three violas
• two cellos
• a double bass

Music numbers

The opera contains the following musical numbers:

• Sinfonia

first act

• Introduction (Fiorello, Graf, choir): "Piano, pianissimo" (scene 1)
• Cavatine (Count): "Ecco ridente in cielo" (scene 1)
  
  
• Cavatine (Figaro): "Largo al factotum" (scene 2)
  
  
• Canzone (Graf): "Se il mio nome saper voi bramate" (scene 4)
  
  
• Duet (Figaro, Graf): "All'idea di quel metallo" (scene 4)
  
  
• Cavatine (Rosina): "Una voce poco fa" (scene 5)
  
  

Basilio's aria La calunnia è un venticello , sung by Fyodor Chaliapin before 1938

• Aria (Basilio): "La calunnia è un venticello" (scene 8)
  
  
• Duet (Rosina, Figaro): "Dunque io son ... tu non m'inganni?" (Scene 9)
• Aria (Bartolo): "A un dottor della mia sorte" (scene 10)
  
  
• Finale I: "Ehi di casa ... buona gente" (scenes 13-16)
  
  
• Stretta des Finale I (Tutti, officer, choir): "Ma signor" / "Zitto tu!" (Scene 16)

Second act

• Duet (Graf, Bartolo): "Pace e gioia il ciel vi dia" (scene 2)
• Aria (Rosina): "Contro un cor che accende amore" (scene 3)
• Arietta (Bartolo): "Quando mi sei vicina" (scene 3)
• Quintet (Rosina, Graf, Figaro, Bartolo, Basilio): "Don Basilio! ..." / "Cosa veggo!" (Scene 4)
  
  

• Aria (Berta): "Il vecchiotto cerca moglie" (scene 6)
• Temporale / storm music (Figaro, Graf): "Al fine eccoci qua" (scene 9)
• Trio (Rosina, Graf, Figaro): "Ah qual colpo inaspettato!" (Scene 9)
• Accompagnato recitative (Graf, Bartolo): "Il Conte! ... che mai sento!" (Scene 11)
• Aria (count, chorus): "Cessa di più resistere" - "Ah il più lieto" (scene 11)
• Finaletto II (tutti and choir): "Di sì felice innesto" (scene 11)

Takeover of musical material

Rossini used some material from earlier works in the composition:

• No autograph manuscript of the overture used for the premiere has survived. There was speculation that Rossini had composed his own overture, but most of the older editions used one that had previously been used in two other Rossini operas, Aureliano in Palmira , Elisabetta regina d'Inghilterra , and Rossini possibly originally composed for L'equivoco stravagante as early as 1811 . The two versions differ in the instrumentation. Many sources contain no overture at all or contain an entirely different one, such as the one on Il turco in Italia . For the new critical edition of the score from 2009, a new version was created on the basis of the manuscripts that have survived.
• The opening chorus “Piano, pianissimo” is taken from the opening chorus of the second act “In segreto a che ci chiami” by Sigismondo .
• The Cavatine Almavivas “Ecco ridente in cielo” (first act, scene 1) is based on the eight opening bars of the priestly choir “Sposa del grande Osiride” in Aureliano in Palmira .
• The second part of Cavatine Rosina's “Una voce poco fa” (first act, scene 5) also comes from Aureliano in Palmira (there in the Rondo of Arsace “Non lasciarmi in tal momento”) and also appeared in the performance aria of Elisabetta in Elisabetta regina d'Inghilterra on.
• The beginning of Basilio's aria “La calunnia è un venticello” (first act, scene 8) is also taken from Aureliano in Palmira, from the duet Arsace / Zenobia. The crescendo of this aria comes from the duet Ladislao / Aldimira of the first act by Sigismondo.
• The tone sequence of Rosina to the words "Ah, do solo Amor tu was" duet "Dunque io son '(Act I, Scene 9) already came in the aria of Fanni" Vorrei spiegarvi il giubilo "in La cambiale di matrimonio used .
• The orchestral motif for the passage “I confetti alla ragazza” in Bartolo's aria “A un dottor de la mia sorte” (first act, scene 10) comes from the duet “E un bel nodo che due cori” from Il signor Bruschino .
• Rossini took the melody for Rosina's words “Dolce nodo avventurato” in the trio “Ah qual colpo inaspettato!” (Second act, scene 9) from his cantata Egle ed Irene. She appeared there with an echo to the words "Voi che amate, compiangete".
• The storm music (second act, scene 9) was already used in La pietra del paragone and in L'occasione fa il ladro .

There are also some quotes from music by other composers:

• The section “Zitti, zitti, piano, piano” in the trio “Ah qual colpo inaspettato!” (Second act, scene 9) quotes Simon's first aria “Already hurriedly happy the field man” from Haydn's oratorio Die Jahreszeiten .
• The part of Finale I on the words “Mi par d'esser con la testa” is based on a theme in the finale of the second act of Spontini's opera La vestale .
• Berta's aria “Il vecchiotto cerca moglie” (second act, scene 6) is probably based on a Russian folk song.

Conversely, parts of the music were later incorporated into other works:

• In addition to music from seven earlier operas, La gazzetta also contains elements from Il barbiere di Siviglia.
• The rondo of the Cenerentola “Non più mesta” in the finale of La Cenerentola is a heavily ornamented version of the Cabaletta Almavivas “Ah il più lieto” (second act, scene 11).
• The orchestral introduction to the second act of Gaetano Donizetti's Il borgomastro di Saardam plagiarized the entrance scene of the count disguised as a soldier in the first act.

rating

According to music critic Charles Osborne , Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia is considered one of the best comic operas. According to the Reclam opera guide, it is a “character comedy full of humor, tempo and surprising twists. The situation comedy, Rossini's ironic nuances and his subtle humor are reflected in the refined orchestral setting. ”The opera contains an abundance of happy melodies. In contrast to Mozart's opera Le nozze di Figaro , which is also based on Beaumarchais , serious elements are completely absent - which, however, can also be traced back to the respective models. The Rossini biographer Richard Osborne summarized the quality of the work as follows:

“That which is fundamentally refreshing does not only arise from the resounding effect of the famous Figaros Cavatina; Several elements work together: Rossini's sense of the brilliance of vocal and instrumental sound effects, his organization of the form, the control of the outbreaks within the forms that are so characteristic of his operas, his fast, intelligent text setting and what Verdi 'the overflowing' of real musical ideas'. "

- Richard Osborne : Rossini - life and work

Performed in a 1913 production in the Bolshoi Theater

Music numbers worth mentioning are:

• The Count's two-part performance aria "Ecco ridente in cielo" (first act, scene 1) in C major is remarkable because of its virtuoso final Allegro.
• Figaro's performance aria “Largo al factotum” (first act, scene 2) is full of energy. For the first time in the history of the opera, the high baritone range comes into its own. In earlier works hardly any distinction was made between bass and baritone. Richard Osborne described the aria as the “newest manifestation of the ancient driving force” and “embodiment of the libidinal élan vital”.
• In Almaviva's canzone “Se il mio nome saper voi bramate” (first act, scene 4), the nervousness of the count shown in Beaumarchais during his serenade to Rosina is depicted through the choice of key, voice and phrasing, as well as that from Sterbini's libretto, apart from the conscious bumpy verse, hardly emerges.
• The Figaro / Graf duet “All'idea di quel metallo” (first act, scene 4) captivates with its exuberant melodic ideas and the intoxicating ending.
• Rosina's cavatine "Una voce poco fa" (first act, scene 5) consists of two parts. An andante is followed by a faster coloratura ending. This piece was sung by sopranos for a long time, transposed up one note.
• Basilio's aria "La calunnia è un venticello" (first act, scene 8) is famous for its crescendo and popular with both bass and audience.
• Bartolo's aria “A un dottor de la mia sorte” (first act, scene 10) is a character piece. Due to its technical difficulty, it was often replaced in the past by a simpler replacement aria by Pietro Romani . It contains the fastest buffo chatter ever written and is pressed into a sonata form .
• Charles Osborne described the finale of the first act as "Rossini [...] at his magnificent best". Giuseppe Verdi named a musical phrase for the words "Signor, giudizio, per carità" as an example of "true dramatic characterization." In a letter from 1882 he wrote that this phrase was neither melody nor harmony. As a declamation, it is true and good, and so is music.
• The complementation of Basilio in the quintet to the words "Buona sera, mio ​​signore" (second act, scene 4) receives momentum from the key change from the "presto a letto" in G major over the tonic - leading tone to E flat major. An urgent opening phrase sung twice is answered after the cadence by a phrase that is subsequently recorded by the other people and has the character of a lullaby.
• The trio Rosina / Graf / Figaro: “Ah qual colpo inaspettato!” (Second act, scene 9) is, according to Richard Osborne, one of the most masterful numbers in the opera. It is an Andante maestoso in F major in ⁴ / ₄ time, in which comedy is produced in different ways. On the one hand there is an echo effect to the derision of Figaro; on the other hand, the lovers are held up unnecessarily so that the cabaletta form can be completed with the necessary final repetition.

Only towards the end of the second act does the tension ease a little, despite the masterful trio. Berta's sorbetto aria “Il vecchiotto cerca moglie” (second act, scene 6), the secco recitatives, Almaviva's “surplus” aria “Cessa di più resistere” (second act, scene 11) - which are also due to the high technical demands on the singer are often deleted - and the “cozy vaudeville finale” suggests haste in the composition.

history

Emergence

Title page of the libretto from 1816

Rossini's opera buffa was commissioned by the Teatro Argentina in Rome . He wrote it at the age of twenty-three. The contract, dated December 15, 1815, was signed by Rossini and the impresario Francesco Sforza-Cesarini and provided for a very tight time frame. It included the composition, rehearsal and performance of a comic opera for the upcoming carnival season. The libretto to be set to music had not yet been determined. Sforza-Cesarini was to provide it to him. The finished work was due to be handed over by January 20, 1816, and the performance was to take place around February 5. Rossini was to lead the first three performances personally from the harpsichord. The fee agreed was 400 Roman scudi and lodging in the same house as Luigi Zamboni (the singer of Figaro).

Sforza-Cesarini had difficulty planning himself. For financial reasons he had to skip the ballet, which was usually performed after the opera. The singers had not yet been signed at the time the contract was signed. This only succeeded five days later. For the libretto, Sforza-Cesarini initially turned to Jacopo Ferretti , but found his proposed text to be too common. Therefore he now commissioned Cesare Sterbini. Its libretto is based on the comedy Le barbier de Séville by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais , the first part of a trilogy with Count Almaviva and Figaro as the main characters. It was easy to convert into a libretto, because Beaumarchais had already viewed this comedy as a text for an opera-comique and performed it as such with songs collected in Spain.

Before Rossini's opera there were other, older settings of the material, including by Friedrich Ludwig Benda (Dresden, 1776), Johann André (Berlin, also 1776), Johann Abraham Peter Schulz (1786) and by Nicolas Isouard (1797) - but especially by Giovanni Paisiello . His opera Il barbiere di Siviglia, based on a libretto by Giuseppe Petrosellini , premiered on September 26, 1782 in Saint Petersburg and was then performed throughout Europe and America. Rossini was aware of the competitive situation. He wrote a letter to Paisiello, who was already 75 at the time, in which he belittled his own work and declared that he only wanted to deal with a topic that gave him pleasure. Paisiello is said to have wished him good luck in his answer. In addition, attempts were made to appease the followers of Paisiello by first giving his opera a different title ( Almaviva o sia L'inutile precauzione ) and adding the following “Avvertimento al pubblico” to the opera's printed libretto:

"La Commedia del Signor Beaumarchais intitolata " Il Barbiere di Siviglia, o sia l 'inutile precauzione si presenta in Roma ridotta a Dramma Comico col titolo di "Almaviva, o sia l' inutile precauzione all oggetto di pienamente convincere il pubblico de 'sentimenti di rispetto e venerazione che animano l'Antore della Musica del presente Dramma verso il tanto celebre Paesiello che ha già trattato questo soggetto sotto il primitivo suo titolo.
Chiamato ad assumere il medesimo difficile incarico il Signor Maestro Gioacchino Rossini, onde non incorrere nella taccia d 'una temeraria rivalità coll' immortale autore che lo ha preceduto, ha espressamente richiesto che il Barbiere di Siviglia fosse di nuovo interamente vi fosse , e nuovo interamente versificato, e aggiunte precchie nuove situazioni di pezzi musicali, che eran d 'altronde reclamate dal moderno gusto teatrale cotanto cangiato dall'epoca in cui scrisse la sua musica il rinomato Paesiello. »

“The comedy of Mr Beaumarchais, entitled 'The Barber of Seville, or The Vain Caution, is being edited in Rome as a comic drama entitled ' Almaviva, or The vain caution, performed in order to completely appreciate the feelings of respect and the audience To convince the admiration that moves the author of the music of the current drama towards the so famous Paisiello, who has already treated this subject under its original title.
Appointed to accept this difficult assignment, Maestro Gioachino Rossini, in order not to be accused of the daring rivalry with the immortal author who preceded him, expressly demanded that the Barber di Siviglia be 'completely new' and that some new situations are added for pieces of music, which are moreover required by modern theater tastes, which have changed a lot since the time in which the renowned Paisiello wrote his music. "

- Foreword to the libretto, Rome 1816

Sterbini began working on the libretto on January 18, 1816 and delivered the last parts on January 29. Meanwhile, Rossini was already starting to compose. He handed over the first act on February 6th, as the first rehearsal was already scheduled for the following morning. That night, however, the client Sforza-Cesarini unexpectedly died of a heart attack. He was succeeded by Nicola Ratti. How long it took Rossini in total is unclear. Depending on the source, the information varies between eight and fourteen days. Rossini himself named thirteen days. However, all of this information is questioned. The astonishing pace of work is usually explained by the reuse of an already existing overture and the further adoption of older works. Occasionally, however, the assumption was made that Rossini wrote his own overture for Almaviva , for which he used Spanish melodies received from Manuel García (the singer of Almaviva). However, this has not been preserved. Overall, the number of acquisitions is insufficient to significantly speed up the work. The handwriting of the original score also suggests that Rossini himself composed all the pieces in a row. Rossini biographer Herbert Weinstock assumes that Rossini actually completed the score in less than three weeks.

premiere

The first performance of the opera with the title Almaviva o sia L'inutile precauzione took place on February 20, 1816 under the direction of the composer in the Teatro Argentina in Rome. Geltrude Righetti-Giorgi (Rosina), Elisabetta Loyselet (Berta), Manuel García (Almaviva), Luigi Zamboni (Figaro), Bartolommeo Botticelli (Bartolo), Zenobio Vitarelli (Basilio) and Paolo Biagelli (Fiorello) sang. The performance was a fiasco , about which a number of legends formed, so that the actual sequence can no longer be reconstructed with certainty. There may be Paisiello supporters in the audience who deliberately wanted to cause interference. Rossini himself wrote on March 22, 1860, 44 years later, to the French admirer Scitivaux: “When my opera came out, they fell like wild animals on the beardless little maestro, and the first performance was one of the stormiest. But I wasn't worried, and while the audience whistled, I clapped the performers. "

Alexis Azevedo reported in his Rossini biography from 1864 about laughter, shouts of disapproval and high-pitched whistles at Rossini's appearance. He wore nut-brown clothes with gold buttons in the Spanish style, which he had received from the impresario Domenico Barbaja :

«Les descendants des anciens maîtres du monde étaient des gens trop sensés pour supposer qu'un homme vêtu d'un habit de cette couleur pût avoir la moindre étincelle de génie, et que sa musique méritât d'être écoutée un seul instant. »

“The descendants of the world's long-established maestri were people of so much common sense that they did not believe that a man wearing clothes of this color could have the slightest spark of genius, or that his music was worth it only listen for a single moment. "

- Alexis Azevedo : G. Rossini - Sa vie et ses œuvres Translation quoted from Herbert Weinstock

During the performance, the first Basilio, sung by Zenobio Vitarelli , tripped over a trapdoor and fell on his face.

"Le bon public, comme jadis ses ancêtres au Colisée, vit avec joie cette effusion de sang. Il rit, applaudit, demanda bis, fit, en un mot, un vacarme abominable. Quelques personnes, croyant que cette chute faisait partie intégrante du rôle, crièrent au mauvais goût et donnèrent des marques de la plus vive colère.
C'est dans ces conditions encourageantes que le navré Vitarelli dut chanter l'air incomparable de la Calomnie. A chaque instant, il était obligé de porter à son nez le mouchoir qu'il tenait à la main pour étancher le sang de sa principale blessure, et chaque fois qu'il se permettait ce mouvement, si nécessaire en pareille occurrence, les sifflets, les interpellations et les rires partaient de tous les points de la salle. »

“The dear audience was delighted to see the flow of blood, just like their ancestors in the Colosseum. It laughed, applauded, demanded repetition, in short, it was a terrible mess. Some people thought the stumbling was planned as part of the performance, complained about the bad taste, and clearly showed their anger.
Encouraged by these conditions, the injured Vitarelli had to sing the incomparable slander aria [(“La calunnia è un venticello”, first act, scene 8)]. In order to still the blood of the largest wound he had to keep the handkerchief in his hand up to his nose, and every time he made this movement, which was so necessary in his condition, whistles, expressions of disapproval, and laughter all caught up Hall all over again. "

- Alexis Azevedo : G. Rossini - Sa vie et ses œuvres Translation quoted from Herbert Weinstock

Azevedo went on to write that during the finale, a cat ran around among the singers. She was chased out by Zamboni, the singer of Figaro, then reappeared on the other side and jumped onto the arms of Botticelli, the actor who played Bartolo. The audience imitated the meowing and cheered on the animal.

Geltrude Righetti-Giorgi, the singer of Rosina, reported on the changing reactions of the audience, who first whistled her, then didn't listen, then applauded again and after the duet Rosina / Figaro broke out in whistles, laughter and screams. Rossini endured everything fearlessly and in the end left the theater unmoved. At the second performance on the following day - which Rossini did not conduct himself contrary to the terms of the contract - the audience remained calm and gave general applause, which increased after the third performance.

After the second performance, according to a report allegedly by Rossini himself in the 1858 brochure Une Soirée chez Rossini à Beau-Séjour (Passy) by Edmond Michotte, a large crowd came to Rossini's hotel and asked to see him in order to applaud him donate. Since Rossini did not want to see them for fear of a continuation of the tumult of the previous day, a riot broke out in which two windows next to his bed were smashed. In total there were a maximum of seven performances this season.

Aftermath

• Historical singers of the Rosina
• 

  Giuseppina Ronzi de Begnis , 1819

• 

  Henriette Sontag , 1828

• 

  Fanny Persiani , 1844

• 

  Geneviève Mathieu-Lutz, 1907

• 

  Marcella Sembrich ,
  before 1917

Title page of the translation by Ignaz Kollmann, Hamburg, around 1820

On August 10, 1816, the opera was first performed in Bologna under the title Il barbiere di Siviglia . Then it began its triumphal march around the world. On March 10, 1818 it was given at the King's Theater on Haymarket in London. Performances in English were on October 13 in Covent Garden and on May 3, 1819 in New York. The German premiere took place on January 1, 1819 in the Residenztheater in Munich. On May 27 of the same year in Graz there was the first performance in German with spoken texts translated by Ignaz Kollmann. In 1819 the opera was performed in the Theater an der Wien , and in 1820 at the Theater am Kärntnertor , 1821 in Madrid, Odessa and Brussels, 1822 in Copenhagen and Saint Petersburg, 1823 in Amsterdam, 1825 in Buenos Aires, Stockholm and Warsaw etc. When it was 1821 When it was performed again in Rome, the opera had already been performed a thousand times.

Later the opera was often edited and distorted. The recitatives have been replaced by spoken texts. The role of Rosina was transposed into the soprano. In addition to the version by Ignaz Kollmann, there were translations by Theobald Rehbaum (1890), Otto Neitzel , Günther Rennert , Siegfried Anheißer and Carl Stueber .

Poster of a performance at Covent Garden, 1875

A piano reduction was published as part of the Ricordi edition as early as the middle of the 19th century. A critical edition by Alberto Zedda appeared in 1969. Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's Salzburg production was based on this as early as 1968 . In 2009, a new critical edition of the Fondazione Rossini Pesaro was published under the direction of Patricia B. Brauner, in which all original sources and the progress of Rossini's research were taken into account.

• Historical singers of Figaro
• 

  Vincenzo Felice Santini, 1828

• 

  Giorgio Ronconi , 1844

• 

  Mario Sammarco , before 1917

• 

  Titta Ruffo , before 1917

Another setting of the Barbiere di Siviglia material comes from Costantino Dall'Argine . It was performed on November 11, 1868, two days before Rossini's death, at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna. Similar to Rossini's time with Paisiello, the composer Rossini reported on his opera on August 2nd and asked for his permission to dedicate it to him. Rossini answered him kindly, wishing him success and accepted the dedication.

• Historical singers of Basilio and Bartolo
• 

  Fyodor Chaliapin as Basilio, 1912

• 

  Lucien Fugère as Bartolo, 1914

The main characters of the barber are also main characters in the opera Le nozze di Figaro (1786) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte based on the second part of Beaumarchais' Figaro trilogy, La folle journée ou Le mariage de Figaro (1778/1784). The third part, L'autre Tartuffe ou La mère coupable, presented in 1792 , is the basis of Darius Milhaud's opera La mère coupable, which premiered in 1966 . Other French authors also wrote continuations of the first two parts. For example, Les deux Figaro (1795) by Honoré-Antoine Richaud Martelly served as the template for Felice Romani's libretto I due Figaro, ossia Il soggetto di una commedia , which u. a. Set to music by Michele Carafa in 1820 and by Saverio Mercadante in 1835 .

Even if Paisiello's opera appears again and again as a rarity on the repertoire of opera houses and festivals, Rossini's work enjoys far greater popularity today and, as a standard work in the international opera repertoire, is one of the most frequently performed operas in the world.

Recordings

Il barbiere di Siviglia has appeared many times on phonograms. Operadis lists 135 recordings in the period from 1918 to 2009. Therefore, only those recordings that have been particularly distinguished in specialist journals or opera guides or are worth mentioning for other understandable reasons are listed below.

• 1918/1919 (first known recording): Salvatore Sassano (conductor), orchestra and choir of the Teatro San Carlo Naples. Fernando de Lucia (Count Almaviva), Giorgio Schottler (Bartolo), Maria Resemba (Rosina), Francesco Novelli (Figaro), Stefano Valentino (Basilio), Nina Sabatano (Berta), Angelo di Tommaso (Fiorello). Standing CD: SRO 819-1.
• February 1957 (abbreviated, Opernwelt CD tip: “artistically valuable”): Alceo Galliera (conductor), London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus. Luigi Alva (Count Almaviva), Fritz Ollendorff (Bartolo), Maria Callas (Rosina), Tito Gobbi (Figaro), Nicola Zaccaria (Basilio), Gabriella Carturan (Berta), Mario Carlin (Fiorello). EMI CD: 5 6 5570 2, EMI CD: 7 47634 8 (2 CD), EMI LP: 29 1093 3 (2 LP), EMI MC: 29 1093 5 (2 MC).
• 1962 (abbreviated, Opernwelt CD tip: "artistically valuable"): Vittorio Gui (conductor), Royal Philharmonia Orchestra London , Glyndebourne Festival Chorus. Luigi Alva (Count Almaviva), Ian Wallace (Bartolo), Victoria de los Ángeles (Rosina), Sesto Bruscantini (Figaro), Carlo Cava (Basilio), Laura Sarti (Berta), Duncan Robertson (Fiorello), Harold Williams (Ambrogio) , John Rhys Evans (officer). EMI CD: 7 64162 2, Plaisir du clas LP: 1000133 (3 LP).
• June 1982 (Secco recitatives shortened, Opernwelt CD tip: “artistically valuable”): Neville Marriner (conductor), Academy of St Martin in the Fields , Ambrosian Opera Chorus . Francisco Araiza (Count Almaviva), Domenico Trimarchi (Bartolo), Agnes Baltsa (Rosina), Thomas Allen (Figaro), Robert Lloyd (Basilio), Sally Burgess (Berta), Matthew Best (Fiorello), John Noble (officer). Philips CD: 411 058-2 (3 CD), Philips LP: 6769 100, Philips MC: 7654 100 (3 MC).
• November 1992 ( Opernwelt CD tip: “artistically valuable”): Will Humburg (conductor), Failoni Chamber Orchestra, Hungarian Radio and Television Chorus. Ramón Vargas (Count Almaviva), Angelo Romero (Bartolo), Sonia Ganassi (Rosina), Roberto Servile (Figaro), Franco de Grandis (Basilio), Ingrid Kertesi (Berta), Kázmir Sárkány (Fiorello), Ferenc Korpas (officer). Naxos CD: 8.660027-29.

literature

• Rosemarie König, Kurt Pahlen (Ed.): Gioacchino Rossini: The Barber of Seville . Text book, introduction and commentary [Libretto: text book based on Caron de Beaumarchais by Cesare Sterbini, translated by Günther Rennert]. 2nd Edition. Schott, Mainz 1993, ISBN 3-7957-8016-0 (Italian and German, = series Musik Piper, Schott . 8016 operas of the world ).
• Gertrud Scheumann : Gioacchino Rossini: The barber of Seville. (Textbook Italian-German with photos). Longtai Verlag Gießen, Heuchelheim 2007, ISBN 978-3-938946-10-7 (= Gertrud Scheumann's opera series 1).

Web links

Commons : Il barbiere di Siviglia  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Visualized plot in How To Opera
• Il barbiere di Siviglia : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
• Libretto (Italian), Rome 1816. Digitized version of the Munich digitization center
• Il barbiere di Siviglia (Gioachino Rossini) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna
• Plot and libretto of it at Opera Guide landing page for URL upgrade currently unavailable
• Manuscripts and performances (1770–1830) of Il Barbiere di Siviglia ossia L'inutile precauzione in the DFG opera project
• Photos of three productions of the opera (Zurich Opera, Berlin State Opera, Semper Opera)

Remarks

1. ↑ In the new critical edition, as well as in Harenberg, Reclam and Charles Osborne, Rosina's vocal range is referred to as a mezzo-soprano. Occasionally (e.g. with Corago) the term Alt is also used .
2. ↑ In the original line-up, a flutist also played the first piccolo and the oboist also played the second flute and piccolo.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Il barbiere di Siviglia. Notes on the critical edition by Patricia B. Brauner , accessed February 1, 2016.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y} Herbert Weinstock: Rossini - Eine Biographie. Translated by Kurt Michaelis. Kunzelmann, Adliswil 1981 (1968), ISBN 3-85662-009-0
3. ^ Trumpets at Rossini's Barber? Interview with Patricia B. Brauner from April 17, 2008 on doppelhorn.de , accessed on January 28, 2016.
4. ↑ Il barbiere di Siviglia on librettidopera.it , accessed on January 18, 2016.
5. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v} Charles Osborne : The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini. Amadeus Press, Portland, Oregon, 1994, ISBN 978-0-931340-71-0
6. ^ ^{A b} Philip Gossett : On the road to success: Critical new edition of Rossini's “Il barbiere di Siviglia” on takte-online.de , accessed on January 29, 2016.
7. ↑ ^{a b c} Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini). In: Reclam's Opernlexikon. Digital library volume 52. Philipp Reclam jun., 2001.
8. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Richard Osborne: Rossini - life and work. Translated from the English by Grete Wehmeyer. List Verlag, Munich 1988, ISBN 3-471-78305-9
9. ^ List of stage works by Schulz, Johann Abraham Peter based on the MGG in Operone
10. ↑ List of stage works by Isouard, Nicolas based on the MGG at Operone
11. ^ ^{A b c} Wilhelm Keitel , Dominik Neuner : Gioachino Rossini. Albrecht Knaus, Munich 1992, ISBN 3-8135-0364-X
12. ^ Libretto (Italian), Rome 1816. Digitized version of the Munich digitization center
13. ↑ ^{a b c} Alexis Azevedo: G. Rossini - Sa vie et ses œuvres. Heugel, Paris 1864
14. ^ Work data on Almaviva ossia L'inutile precauzione / Il barbiere di Siviglia based on the MGG with discography in Operone
15. ^ Barbiere di Siviglia (Costantino Dall'Argine) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna
16. ^ I due Figaro, ossia Il soggetto di una commedia (Michele Carafa) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna
17. ^ I due Figaro, ossia Il soggetto di una commedia (Saverio Mercadante) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna
18. ↑ George Loomis: Riccardo Muti in His Element With Further Adventures of Figaro. New York Times, June 14, 2011 , accessed January 28, 2016.
19. ^ Discography on Il barbiere di Siviglia at Operadis.
20. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Gioacchino Rossini. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all opera complete recordings. Zeno.org , volume 20.
21. ↑ ^{a b c d} Il barbiere di Siviglia. In: Harenberg opera guide. 4th edition. Meyers Lexikonverlag, 2003, ISBN 3-411-76107-5 , pp. 772 f.