The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution (Italian: Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione) is a comic opera in two acts. It was written by Gioachino Rossini, with the Italian text created by Cesare Sterbini. The story is based on a French play titled The Barber of Seville by Pierre Beaumarchais, which was first performed in 1775. The first performance of Rossini’s opera, originally called Almaviva, o sia L'inutile precauzione, happened on February 20, 1816, at the Teatro Argentina in Rome. The stage designs were created by Angelo Toselli.
Rossini’s The Barber of Seville is widely regarded as one of the greatest examples of comic opera. It is often called the most famous of all "comic operas." Even after 200 years, the opera remains widely performed and enjoyed.
Composition history
Rossini's opera tells the story of the first of three plays written by French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais. These plays focus on a clever and resourceful character named Figaro, the barber of the title. Mozart's opera The Marriage of Figaro, composed 30 years earlier in 1786, is based on the second part of Beaumarchais's trilogy. (This play was first created as an opéra comique, but it was not accepted in that form by the Comédie-Italienne.) The version now widely known was first performed in 1775 by the Comédie-Française at the Théâtre des Tuileries in Paris.
Other operas based on the first play were written by Giovanni Paisiello (in 1782), Nicolas Isouard (in 1796), and Francesco Morlacchi (in 1816). Although Paisiello's work was popular for a time, only Rossini's version has remained well-known and is still a key part of operatic performances. On November 11, 1868, two days before Rossini's death, composer Constantino Dall'Argine premiered an opera using the same libretto as Rossini's work. The opera included a dedication to Rossini. The premiere was not a failure, but critics criticized the "audacity" of the young composer. This work is now forgotten.
Rossini was known for being very productive, completing an average of two operas each year for 19 years, with some years including as many as four. Musicologists believe that, as expected, the music for Il barbiere di Siviglia was written in just under three weeks. However, the famous overture was reused from two earlier Rossini operas, Aureliano in Palmira and Elizabeth, Queen of England. Therefore, the overture does not include any themes from Il barbiere di Siviglia itself.
Performance history
Luigi Zamboni, for whom Rossini wrote the role of Figaro, encouraged Rossini and Francesco Sforza-Cesarini, the Teatro Argentina’s financially struggling manager, to hire his sister-in-law, Elisabetta Gafforini, as Rosina. However, her fee was too high, and they chose Geltrude Righetti instead. The premiere of Rossini’s opera on 20 February 1816 at the Teatro Argentina in Rome was a failure. The audience booed and laughed loudly throughout the performance, and several accidents happened on stage. Many in the audience were supporters of Giovanni Paisiello, a rival composer who had previously written The Barber of Seville. Paisiello’s followers disliked Rossini’s version because they believed it changed the mix of serious and humorous elements in the music. However, the second performance was successful. The original French play, Le Barbier de Séville, had a similar story: it was poorly received at first but later became popular.
The opera was first performed in England on 10 March 1818 at the King’s Theatre in London in Italian. An English version, translated by John Fawcett and Daniel Terry, was performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 13 October 1818. It was first performed in America on 3 May 1819 in English (likely the Covent Garden version) at the Park Theatre in New York. It was later performed in French at the Théâtre d’Orléans in New Orleans on 4 March 1823. The opera became the first Italian opera performed in New York when Manuel Garcia (who played Almaviva) and his Italian troupe opened their first season there with Il barbiere on 29 November 1825 at the Park Theatre. The cast included three other members of Garcia’s family, including his 17-year-old daughter, Maria-Felicia, who later became known as Maria Malibran.
The role of Rosina was originally written for a contralto. Music critic Richard Osborne noted that some singers have changed Rossini’s original plan by moving the role of Rosina to a higher pitch, turning it from a deep, rich voice into a lighter, higher voice. However, Rossini often adjusted his music for specific singers. For example, he wrote a new aria for the second act for Joséphine Fodor-Mainvielle, a soprano who performed Rosina in the 1818 London premiere. This aria was performed around 1820 at the Théâtre-Italien in Paris and published there. According to Alberto Zedda, the first person to create a critical edition of the opera, moving Rosina’s role from a contralto to a soprano requires adjusting the part of Berta, the second female lead, which was originally written for a soprano. A mezzo-soprano singing Berta may struggle with the range of her aria and the high note required in the first-act finale.
The singing lesson in Act 2 has often been turned into a major performance. Adelina Patti included songs like Luigi Arditi’s “Il bacio,” a piece from Verdi’s I vespri siciliani, and Henry Bishop’s “Home! Sweet Home!” in her performances. Nellie Melba played the piano during her final song. Pauline Viardot later added Alexander Alyabyev’s “Nightingale.” In a 1956 recording of a La Scala performance, Maria Callas sang a shortened version of “Contro un cor,” transposed up a tone, in E.
After Patti performed a very elaborate version of the opera’s legitimate aria, “Una voce poco fa,” Rossini reportedly asked her, “Very nice, my dear, and who wrote the piece you have just performed?”
The opera remains a popular part of the operatic repertoire. Because there are few true contraltos, the role of Rosina is most often performed by a coloratura mezzo-soprano (with or without pitch changes, depending on the singer). In the past and occasionally today, it has also been performed by coloratura sopranos such as Marcella Sembrich, Maria Callas, Roberta Peters, Gianna D’Angelo, Victoria de los Ángeles, Beverly Sills, Lily Pons, Diana Damrau, Edita Gruberová, Kathleen Battle, and Luciana Serra. Famous recent mezzo-soprano Rosinas include Marilyn Horne, Teresa Berganza, Frederica von Stade, Lucia Valentini Terrani, Susanne Marsee, Cecilia Bartoli, Joyce DiDonato, Jennifer Larmore, Elīna Garanča, Isabel Leonard, and Vesselina Kasarova. Ewa Podleś, a famous contralto, made her stage debut in the role of Rosina.
Synopsis
The square in front of Bartolo's house
In a public square near Bartolo's home, a group of musicians and a poor student named Lindoro sing songs to the window of Rosina, but she does not respond. Lindoro is actually the young Count Almaviva, who is pretending to be poor to win Rosina's love, not for her money. Almaviva pays the musicians to leave, leaving him alone to think. Rosina is the young ward of Bartolo, an old and grumpy man who plans to marry her when she is old enough to inherit her large fortune.
Figaro arrives, singing a song called "Make way for the factotum of the city." Because Figaro once worked for the Count, the Count asks him to help him meet Rosina, promising money if he succeeds. Figaro suggests that the Count disguise himself as a drunken soldier sent to stay at Bartolo's house. For this idea, Figaro is given a reward.
A room in Bartolo's house with four doors
The scene begins with Rosina singing a song called "A voice a little while ago." This song was originally written in the key of E major, but sometimes it is changed to F major so that coloratura sopranos can perform it with extra notes, sometimes reaching high Ds or Fs.
Rosina, who only knows the Count as Lindoro, writes to him because she wants to learn more about him. As she leaves the room, Bartolo enters with the music teacher Basilio. Bartolo is suspicious of the Count, and Basilio suggests spreading false rumors about him. This song, "Calumny is a little breeze," is usually sung a tone lower than the original D major.
After Bartolo and Basilio leave, Rosina and Figaro enter. Figaro asks Rosina to write a few encouraging words to Lindoro, which she has already written. Rosina tricks Bartolo when he enters, but he remains suspicious.
Count Almaviva, pretending to be a drunk soldier, enters Bartolo's house and demands to stay there. The housekeeper, Berta, runs to Bartolo for help. Bartolo tells the "soldier" that he has an official exemption to avoid hosting soldiers. Almaviva acts too drunk to understand and dares Bartolo to fight. While Bartolo searches for the exemption paper, Almaviva whispers to Rosina that he is Lindoro in disguise and gives her a love letter. Bartolo asks Rosina about the paper in her hand, but she tricks him by showing her laundry list. Bartolo and Almaviva argue loudly. Basilio enters, then Figaro, who warns that the noise is disturbing the neighborhood. The noise attracts the Officer of the Watch and his troops. Bartolo demands the Officer arrest the "drunken soldier," but Almaviva reveals his true identity, and the Officer stops. Bartolo and Basilio are surprised, and Figaro quietly laughs. The confusion causes headaches and strange sounds.
A room in Bartolo's house with a piano
Count Almaviva returns to Bartolo's house, pretending to be Don Alonso, a priest and singing teacher replacing the sick Basilio. Don Alonso tells Bartolo he found a note from Lindoro to Rosina and claims Lindoro is a servant of the Count with bad intentions. While Almaviva pretends to teach Rosina, Figaro arrives to shave Bartolo. Bartolo insists Figaro shave him in the music room so Rosina is not alone. Basilio arrives for his lesson but is bribed by Almaviva to leave. A group of people argue. Bartolo overhears the lovers and drives everyone away. Berta complains about the chaotic household.
A room in Bartolo's house with a grille looking out onto the square
Bartolo orders Basilio to prepare a notary to marry him to Rosina that evening. Basilio leaves, and Rosina arrives. Bartolo shows Rosina the letter she wrote to "Lindoro" and convinces her that Lindoro is only a servant of the Count trying to trick her. Rosina agrees to marry Bartolo.
During a musical break, the music plays like a thunderstorm to show time has passed. Almaviva and Figaro climb a ladder to the balcony and enter Rosina's room through a window. Rosina accuses Almaviva, whom she believes is Lindoro, of betraying her. Almaviva reveals his identity, and they reconcile. Figaro urges them to leave as two people approach the door: Basilio and the notary. The Count, Rosina, and Figaro try to leave but find the ladder gone. Almaviva bribes the notary to marry him to Rosina, with Basilio and Figaro as witnesses. Bartolo arrives with the Officer and guards but arrives too late. The marriage is complete, and Bartolo is allowed to keep Rosina's fortune. The opera ends with a song celebrating love.