The Barber of Seville

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The Barber of Seville

opera by Rossini

Also known as: “Almaviva o sia l’inutile precauzione”, “Almaviva, or The Useless Precaution”, “Il barbiere di Siviglia”

Written by Linda Cantoni, Betsy Schwarm•All

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Italian:: Il barbiere di Siviglia

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The Barber of Seville, comic opera in two acts by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (libretto in Italian by Cesare Sterbini) that was first performed under the title Almaviva o sia l’inutile precauzione (Almaviva; or, The Useless Precaution) at the Teatro Argentina in Rome on February 20, 1816. With a plot based on Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais’s 1775 play Le Barbier de Séville, Rossini’s opera remains one of the most frequently performed comic operas in the repertoire. The barber of the title is Figaro, whose impressive entrance aria (“Largo al factotum”)—with its repeated proclamations of his own name—is one of the best-known of all opera arias.

Background and context

The Barber of Seville was commissioned by the impresario of the Teatro Argentina at the end of 1815, when Rossini was nearly 24 years of age. In deference to Giovanni Paisiello, a popular Italian composer who in 1782 had himself based an opera on the Beaumarchais play, Rossini called his own work Almaviva. (The title was permanently changed to Il barbiere di Siviglia for the Bologna revival August 10, 1816, after Paisiello’s death.) Nonetheless, the production was viewed by Paisiello’s supporters as an affront; a group of them came to Rossini’s premiere, and they booed and hissed throughout the performance. The work was barely ready, and the performers were underprepared. Overall, the opening night was plagued by mishaps and pranks.

Not surprisingly, for the opera’s second performance Rossini decided to stay home. But this time the audience—presumably lacking Paisiello’s disruptive fans—was wildly enthusiastic; afterward they took to the streets and gathered outside the composer’s house to cheer. Before long, productions were mounted across Europe and beyond; in 1825 the opera became the first to be sung in Italian in New York City.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, performances of the opera reflected common changes in fashion, some of which can be heard in recordings that remain in circulation. In the 19th century it was common for operas to be split into additional acts so that elaborate scene changes could be accomplished. The Barber of Seville was turned into a three-act production by splitting Act I between the outdoors serenade scene and the interior scene at Bartolo’s house. The most frequent change to the opera was the transposition of Rosina’s part from the original mezzo-soprano into a higher soprano range to accommodate the usual leading singers; when that was done, Berta’s range was lowered to mezzo-soprano so that contrast between the women’s voices was preserved. (Rossini’s use of highly ornamented mezzo-soprano coloratura roles is distinctive and rare in the repertoire.) In addition to these large-scale changes, the opera became laden with errors and changes in orchestration and structure that accumulated to become performance tradition. For example, in published scores Rossini’s piccolo part was changed to a flute part, extra bass and percussion parts were added, and copyists’ errors were perpetuated. There was nothing approaching an authoritative score—that is, one based on evidence from the composer’s original materials—until 1969.

Betsy Schwarm

Cast and vocal parts

Figaro, a barber and factotum (baritone)
Count Almaviva, a young nobleman (tenor)
Rosina, a young lady and ward of Doctor Bartolo (mezzo-soprano)
Doctor Bartolo, Rosina’s guardian (bass)
Don Basilio, a music teacher (bass)
Fiorello, Almaviva’s servant (baritone)
Berta, Bartolo’s housekeeper (soprano)
Ambrosio, Bartolo’s servant (bass)
Notary, constable, musicians, servants, soldiers

Setting and story summary

The Barber of Seville is set in Sevilla, Spain, in the 17th century.

Act I

Scene 1. Dawn, outside Dr. Bartolo’s house near Sevilla.

Young Count Almaviva is in love with Rosina, ward of the cantankerous Dr. Bartolo. With the help of some local musicians, he serenades her outside her balcony window (“Ecco ridente”), but she does not appear. Despairing, he dismisses the band. Just as they disperse, he hears someone approaching and hides. It is Figaro, barber and factotum extraordinaire, who will take on any job as long as he is well paid (“Largo al factotum”). Having recognized Figaro, Almaviva emerges from hiding and lays out his problem. The Count is in luck, for Figaro is frequently employed in Bartolo’s house as barber, wigmaker, surgeon, pharmacist, herbalist, veterinarian—in short, as jack-of-all-trades. They hide as Bartolo comes out of the house, instructing his servants to keep the door locked and chuckling to himself about his plan to marry Rosina. When he leaves, Figaro urges the Count to serenade Rosina again, this time in the guise of an impoverished student who calls himself Lindoro. Rosina responds to the serenade, but she is soon pulled away from the window by a servant. Figaro suggests that the Count can get into the house disguised as a drunken soldier who will be billeted there. Marveling at Figaro’s creativity, the Count agrees, promising to bring a purse of money to him at his shop. The scene ends as the Count anticipates the joy of love—and Figaro the joy of money. (This is the point in the opera where difficulty changing the elaborate scenery led 19th-century opera companies to create a separate “act” for the following scene. Modern performances use Rossini’s two-act structure.)

Scene 2. Later the same morning, in the music room of Bartolo’s house.

Rosina recalls the voice of her suitor (“Una voce poco fa”) and writes him a letter, determined to win him despite the plans of her guardian. She has sent for Figaro; just as he is about to tell her about “Lindoro’s” identity, Bartolo arrives and Figaro hides. Bartolo is angrily looking for Figaro, who apparently gave the servants sneezing fits with one of his powders. Rosina pretends not to have seen him. She leaves the room, cursing Bartolo, who now also blames Figaro for turning Rosina against him.

Don Basilio, Rosina’s music teacher, arrives. Bartolo will need his help in getting Rosina to marry him by the next day. He already knows that Count Almaviva is Rosina’s secret lover (although she still does not know his name), and when Basilio tells him that Almaviva is in town, Bartolo fears the worst. Basilio suggests slandering the Count (“La calunnia è un venticello”), but Bartolo does not want to wait for that to work; instead, the two go to Bartolo’s study to draw up the marriage contract. Figaro then comes out of hiding, having heard everything, and relays the story to Rosina. He then tells her about his cousin “Lindoro,” who is in love with her. Rosina pretends to be surprised, but Figaro knows better. She is eager to see her lover, and Figaro suggests that she write him a letter. Rosina feigns bashfulness, then pulls from her bosom the letter she has already written. As soon as Figaro leaves, Bartolo returns and questions Rosina about a spot of ink on her finger, a missing piece of letter paper, and an obviously used pen on the writing desk. He dismisses her false explanations, threatening to lock her in her room as he pompously declaims that she cannot fool him (“A un dottor della mia sorte”). Rosina manages to slip away, with Bartolo in pursuit.

Bartolo’s servant, Berta, enters grumbling about Rosina’s behaviour. She is interrupted by a knock at the door. It is the Count, disguised as a drunken soldier, shouting and staggering into the room. Bartolo comes in to see what the rumpus is about. The Count drunkenly addresses him by a number of insulting variations on “Bartolo,” then surreptitiously looks around for Rosina, who now enters. The Count whispers to her that he is “Lindoro.” He tries to follow her out to his “quarters,” but Bartolo claims to be exempt from laws requiring him to house soldiers. The Count challenges him to a duel. Bartolo demands to see a letter the Count has slipped to Rosina, but she hands him a laundry list instead. Berta and Basilio enter as Rosina and the Count triumph over Bartolo. When Rosina feigns a fit of weeping, the Count again threatens Bartolo, and everyone calls for help. Figaro answers the call, warning them that a crowd is gathering outside. As the Count and Bartolo renew their altercation, the police arrive, intending to arrest the Count. He reveals his true identity to the police captain, who releases him. Confusion ensues as everyone simultaneously proclaims their view of the situation.

Act II

Scene 1. Bartolo’s music room, later the same day.

The Count arrives, this time disguised as “Don Alonso,” a music master sent to substitute for Basilio, who is supposedly ill (“Pace e gioia”). “Don Alonso” tells Bartolo that he happens to be lodging at the same inn as the Count. As proof, he produces Rosina’s letter, which he proposes to show her, claiming that he found it in the hands of another woman. Bartolo is thrilled with the idea. He takes the letter and leads Rosina in. She recognizes “Lindoro” immediately. The couple sit at the harpsichord, and Rosina sings an aria (“Contro un cor”), working into the song both an appeal to her lover and insults to the unknowing Bartolo. Bartolo does not care for the aria and begins to sing his own song, dedicated to Rosina, in the style of a famed castrato. His dreadful falsetto performance is interrupted by Figaro, who states that he has come to shave Bartolo. Bartolo does not want to be shaved, but Figaro pretends that he is insulted, and Bartolo gives in. Figaro has a plan, and he needs one of Bartolo’s keys to open the balcony shutters. Bartolo gives Figaro the keys so that he can fetch the shaving basin. Bartolo whispers to “Don Alonso” that he suspects Figaro of complicity with the Count. A loud crash is heard, causing Bartolo to run off to see what has happened. Rosina and “Lindoro” exchange quick promises of love. Bartolo and Figaro return, as Figaro explains that the room was so dark that he crashed into and broke all of Bartolo’s china; he secretly hands the balcony key to the Count.

As Bartolo settles in to be shaved, Basilio unexpectedly arrives. Basilio has no idea why his arrival has occasioned confusion and is flabbergasted when the Count and Figaro “diagnose” him with scarlet fever. The Count slips him money, supposedly to buy medicine, and urges him to take to his bed (“Buona sera, mio signore”). Basilio, not inclined to ask questions about the windfall, at last leaves.

Figaro begins to shave Bartolo; meanwhile, “Lindoro” arranges to elope with Rosina at midnight. When Bartolo tries to look at them, Figaro distracts him by feigning a pain in his eye. But Bartolo manages to figure out at last that “Don Alonso” is an imposter and flies into a rage as the others attempt to calm him.

Scene 2. Dr. Bartolo’s house, later the same evening.

Bartolo returns with Basilio, who confirms that “Don Alonso” must be the Count. Bartolo sends Basilio to get a notary. Calling for Rosina, he shows her the letter she had written to “Lindoro” and tells her that “Lindoro” loves another woman and is plotting with Figaro to acquire her for Count Almaviva. Rosina, crushed, reveals the elopement plans to Bartolo, who vows to stop the wedding.

As a violent storm rages, Figaro and the Count, who is still in character as “Lindoro,” climb in through the window to keep the midnight appointment with Rosina. She repels “Lindoro,” accusing him of betraying her love and trying to sell her to Count Almaviva. “Lindoro,” delighted, reveals himself to be none other than the Count. As the lovers express their joy, Figaro congratulates himself on a job well done, but danger still lurks. Looking out the window, Figaro sees two people at the front door and raises the alarm. This gets the lovers’ attention, but as the three try to sneak quietly out the balcony window (“Zitti, zitti, piano, piano”), they discover that the ladder has been removed. They hide as Basilio enters with the notary, calling for Bartolo. Figaro boldly steps forward and tells the notary to perform the wedding ceremony for Count Almaviva and Figaro’s “niece.” The Count silences Basilio’s protests by paying him off. The lovers sign the contract, with Figaro and Basilio as witnesses. Their happiness is interrupted by the arrival of Bartolo with a police officer, but the Count once again avoids arrest by revealing his identity—this time to everyone. Bartolo at last bows to the inevitable as everyone celebrates the triumph of love.

Linda Cantoni