Il barbiere di Siviglia (Paisiello)
Work data | |
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Title: | The Barber of Seville or The Useless Caution |
Original title: | Il barbiere di Siviglia, ovvero La precauzione inutile |
![]() Theater an der Wien , 2015 |
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Shape: | Opera buffa |
Original language: | Italian |
Music: | Giovanni Paisiello |
Libretto : | Giuseppe Petrosellini |
Literary source: | Le Barbier de Séville by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais |
Premiere: | September 15, 1782 |
Place of premiere: | St. Petersburg |
Playing time: | about 2 hours |
Place and time of the action: | Seville , 18th century |
people | |
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Il barbiere di Siviglia, ovvero La precauzione inutile (German: The Barber of Seville ) is an opera buffa by the Italian composer Giovanni Paisiello . The opera, described by Paisiello as Dramma giocoso in due atti ( Dramma giocoso in two acts ), is based on the comedy Le Barbier de Séville ou La Précaution inutile (1775) by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais . Paisiellos composed for the St. Petersburg Court Theater, premiered here in 1782. A second version in 3 acts was first given in 1787 at the Teatro dei Fiorentini in Naples. Paisiello's Barbers were extremely successful, but in the 19th century it was almost completely displaced from the operatic repertoire by Rossini's setting of the same material.
action
first act
Count Almaviva, disguised as a student named Lindoro, walks up and down the street, hoping to see Rosina ( introduction Ecco l'ora s'avvicina ). Almaviva meets his former servant Figaro, who now works as a barber (scene and duet Diamo alla noia il bando ). Figaro tells the Count that he had been unlucky since he left the Count's services and was happy to be of service to the Count ( Aria Scorsi già molti paesi ). A window in the house on the street opens. Rosina sings a wistful song, but when Bartolo catches her, she claims that it was just an aria from the opera “The Unnecessary Caution”, whereupon she sent the count a note with a message (aria and duet Lode al ciel - Una carta? Cos'è quella? ). The count tells Figaro that he fell in love with Rosina. Figaro offers the count help: As a barber he comes into the house every day, the count, disguised as a billeted soldier, can also enter the house. The Count serenades Rosina (with distinctive guitar accompaniment ) and tells her that he is a poor student named Lindoro ( Cavatina Saper bramate ). Figaro asks the Count to come to his house so that he can disguise him, but asks for a reward in the form of gold pieces (Duett Non dubitar, o Figaro ). Figaro tells Rosina that Lindoro is in love with her. Rosina gives Figaro a letter to Lindoro. At the same time, Figaro incapacitates Bartolo's servants with sleeping pills and sneezing powder so that they cannot tell what happened ( trio Ah! Ah! Ah! ). Don Basilio appears and warns Bartolo: He has heard that Count Almaviva is stalking Rosina. Since Bartolo himself wants to marry Rosina tomorrow, Basilio suggests slandering Almaviva (aria La calunnia, mio signore ). Figaro overheard the conversation between Basilio and Bartolo and informs Rosina of this. The suspicious Bartolo notices that Rosina has written something and suspects a message to her lover (Aria Veramente ho torto, è vero ). The count, disguised as a drunken soldier , appears and demands billeting, but Bartolo proves that he has been exempted from billeting. Lindoro secretly slips Rosina a message (trio Ah! Rosina! ). Rosina misunderstands Lindoro's invitation to stay with her guardian for the time being and laments her sad fate (Cavatina Giusto ciel, che conoscete ).
Second act
Bartolo is annoyed that Rosina no longer wants to take music lessons from Basilio. Then the Count appears, disguised as Don Alonzo, the music teacher, to get back into the house (duet Oh che umor! ). Alonzo declares that he has been sent as a representative by the sick Basilio and, in order to win Bartolo's trust, apparently forges an intrigue with Bartolo so that Bartolo can marry Rosina, and gives Bartolo Rosina's letter in the process. At the suggestion of Bartolo, “Alonzo” gives Rosina a music lesson. Rosina sings the aria Già riede primavera , whereupon Bartolo performs a song from his youth ( Seghidiglia Spagnuola Vuoi tu, Rosina ). Figaro appears and cunningly steals the key to the blind from Bartolo to enable Rosina to escape. Confusion arises when Basilio comes to give Rosina singing lessons, but Figaro saves the situation by complimenting Basilio ( quintet Don Basilio! Giusto cielo! ). While a thunderstorm is raging ( Temporale - thunderstorm music), Bartolo plans in conversation with Basilio to marry Rosina immediately. When Rosina appears, Bartolo shows her Lindoro's letter. He explains that Lindoro is only an agent of Count Almaviva, but that Count Almaviva now loves another woman. Angry at Lindoro's apparent betrayal, Rosina agrees to marry Bartolo. She reveals to him that Figaro and Almaviva even stole the key to the blind in order to kidnap them. Bartolo goes to fetch the notary and the judge so that he can not only marry Rosina, but also have Lindoro and Figaro arrested. Then the Count and Figaro appear. Rosina reproaches Lindoro (Accompagnato Io t'aspettava ). She reveals that she loved Lindoro. This is where the count reveals himself. When Rosina realizes that it was not Lindoro but Bartolo who cheated on her, they quickly marry the notary who was brought in by Bartolo. Figaro and the gold bribed Basilio act as groomsmen . When Bartolo appears, he is left with nothing but neglect ( Finale Cara, do be il mio ben ).
meaning
Paisiello wrote Il barbiere di Siviglia as court conductor of the Russian Tsarina Catherine II. The world premiere took place in the theater of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg . Il barbiere di Siviglia was one of the most successful operas of its time and was played on almost all European stages within a few years. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote an interlude aria for a performance in Vienna ( Already laughing the lovely spring KV 580). Paisiello's opera was so popular that it was considered a risky venture and provocation when Gioachino Rossini set the same subject to music in 1816. In order not to offend Paisiello and his followers, he originally chose the title Almaviva ossia L'inutile precauzione for his opera . In contrast to Rossini's setting , Paisiello's music is less virtuoso and turbulent, but more differentiated in the representation of the people. The comical trio of Bartolo with the yawning and sneezing servants has no counterpart in Rossini. Rosina's vocal number in the lesson scene in the third act is a large aria in the style of the opera seria with solo clarinet and solo bassoon . Paisiello reworked the opera into a three-act version for a performance in Naples in 1787 and wrote two new arias and one for it Finale for the second act.
Discography
- Arte Nova 49702: Putbus Festival Orchestra, Wilhelm Keitel
- Bongiovanni AB20009: Chamber Orchestra of the Giovanni Paisiello Festival, Giovanni di Stefano
- Dynamic CDS417: Trieste Teatro Verdi Orchestra, Giuliano Carella
- Hungaroton HCD12525-26: Hungarian State Orchestra, Adam Fischer
- Kicco 9020: Chamber Orchestra of the Greek National Opera, Chrissantos Alisafis
- Valhalla WLCD0282: I virtuosi di Roma, Renato Fasano
literature
- Anonymous: The barber of Seville or the futile caution . Supplement to CD SLPD 12525-27, Hungaroton 1985.
- Andrea Singer: Conradin Kreutzer's comic opera The Two Figaro. A successful continuation of Il barbiere di Siviglia and Le nozze di Figaro? Master's thesis, University of Vienna 2013 (PDF; 3.3 MB).
Web links
- Il barbiere di Siviglia (Giovanni Paisiello) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna
- Libretto (Italian), Milan 1786. Digitized version of the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna
- Libretto (Italian) as full text on librettidopera.it
- Detailed information from the Bampton Classical Opera (English)