The Barber of Seville, Der Barbier von Sevilla, Le Barbier de Séville, СевильÑкий цирюльник
Premiere / date of written: 20 February 1816
The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's French comedy Le Barbier de Séville (1775). The première of Rossini's opera (under the title Almaviva, o sia L'inutile precauzione) took place on 20 February 1816 at the Teatro Argentina, Rome.
Rossini's Barber has proven to be one of the greatest masterpieces of comedy within music, and has been described as the opera buffa of all "opere buffe". Even after two hundred years, it remains a popular work
Libretti
original libretto
line-by-line of the original libretto
Images
Audio recordings
Year |
Cast |
Conductor, Opera chorus and orchestra |
Label, Comment |
Buy |
1950 |
Rosina — Giulietta Simionato,
Count Almaviva — Luigi Infantino,
Figaro — Giuseppe Taddei |
Fernando Previtali Coro e Orchestra della Rai di Milano
|
CD: Warner Fonit Cat: 5046 71224-2
|
|
1957 |
Rosina — Maria Callas,
Count Almaviva — Luigi Alva,
Figaro — Tito Gobbi |
Alceo Galliera Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus
|
Audio CD: EMI Classics Cat: 3920462
|
|
1971 |
Rosina — Teresa Berganza,
Figaro — Hermann Prey,
Count Almaviva — Luigi Alva,
Paolo Montarsolo,
Enzo Dara |
Claudio Abbado London Symphony Orchestra and Ambrosian Singers
|
Audio CD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 457 7332
|
|
1974 |
Rosina — Beverly Sills,
Figaro — Sherrill Milnes,
Count Almaviva — Nicolai Gedda |
James Levine London Symphony Orchestra and the John Alldis Choir
|
Audio CD: EMI Classics Cat: 7243-5-85523 and EMI Classics for Pleasure Cat: 3932762
|
|
1989 |
Rosina — Cecilia Bartoli,
Count Almaviva — William Matteuzzi,
Figaro — Leo Nucci,
Don Basilio — Paata Burchuladze,
Doctor Bartolo — Enrico Fissore |
Giuseppe Patanè Teatro Comunale di Bologna Orchestra and Chorus
|
CD: Decca Cat: 425 520-2
|
|
1992 |
Rosina — Kathleen Battle,
Count Almaviva — Frank Lopardo,
Figaro — Plácido Domingo,
Don Basilio — Ruggero Raimondi,
Doctor Bartolo — Lucio Gallo |
Claudio Abbado Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Chorus
|
CD: Deutsche Grammophon, Cat: 435 763-2GH2
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Video recordings
Year |
Cast |
Conductor, Opera chorus and orchestra, Director |
Label, Comment |
Buy |
1972 |
Rosina — Teresa Berganza,
Figaro — Hermann Prey,
Count Almaviva — Luigi Alva,
Paolo Montarsolo,
Enzo Dara |
Claudio Abbado Teatro alla Scala orchestra and chorus Jean-Pierre Ponnelle |
Deutsche Grammophon VHS/DVD
|
|
1982 |
Rosina — Maria Ewing,
Count Almaviva — Max René Cossotti,
Figaro — John Rawnsley,
Claudio Desderi,
Catherine McCord |
Sylvain Cambreling Glyndebourne Festival Chorus and Orchestra John Cox |
Castle VHS/Warner DVD
|
|
1989 |
Rosina — Kathleen Battle,
Count Almaviva — Rockwell Blake,
Figaro — Leo Nucci,
Don Basilio — Ferruccio Furlanetto,
Doctor Bartolo — Enzo Dara |
Ralf Weikert Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus John Cox |
Deutsche Grammophon VHS/DVD
|
|
2010 |
Rosina — Joyce DiDonato,
Count Almaviva — Juan Diego Florez,
Figaro — Pietro Spagnoli,
Don Basilio — Ferruccio Furlanetto,
Doctor Bartolo — Alessandro Corbelli |
Sir Antonio Pappano Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Royal Opera Chorus
|
Virgin Classics
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External links