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Il Barbiere di Siviglia

Gioacchino Rossini

High Notes

Rosina was one of the few comic roles that Callas ever performed.  It also has the distinction of being written for mezzo-soprano.  That said, the recordings recommended below feature a soprano singing the role.  Of the three, Callas sounds the most like a mezzo-soprano because of the timbre of her voice.  Peters and Sills, who are both coloratura sopranos, add ornamentation that would be troublesome for a mezzo-soprano.  This fact is most evident in Rosina's "Una voce poco fa."  The aria is written in E with a top note on B, the dominant of the key.  Callas stays within the range written for the mezzo-soprano.  Sills flits around dominant but goes no higher.  Peters sings the aria in the transposed key of F and ascends to high tonic or high F!  Surprisingly enough, she does not do this at the end but in the middle of the cabaletta section.  To hear a piercing high F at the close of the aria, check out Anna Moffo.

Commedia in two acts, 2 & 1/2 hours

Composed in 1816

Set to a libretto by Cesare Sterbini after Pierre-Augustin Beumarchais' 1775 play Le barbier de Seville and Giuseppe Petrosellini's libretto for Giovanni Paisiello's 1782 Il barbiere di Siviglia

First performed in Rome, Italy, Teatro Argentina, on 20 February, 1819

The cast at the premiere included Geltrude Righetti-Giorgi (Rosina), Manuel Garcia (Almaviva), Luigi Zamboni (Figaro), Bartolomeo Botticelli (Bartolo) and Zenobio Vitarelli (Don Basilio).

Principle Roles

• Rosina, Bartolo's well-to-do ward.....soprano, mezzo-soprano or contralto
• Il Conte d'Almaviva, Rosina's suitor.....tenor
• Figaro, a barber and rascal.....bass-baritone
• Dr. Bartolo, Rosina's guardian and suitor.....bass-baritone
• Don Basilio, a music teacher and hypocrite.....bass

The Story

Count Almaviva plans to woo Rosina. He is aided by Figaro, the barber of Seville. Dr. Bartolo, Rosina's guardian, also has his sights set on his ward. Almaviva does his wooing under the alias of Lindoro, a student. Almaviva twice gains entry into Bartolo's home. The first time, he poses as a drunken soldier. When Bartolo calls the guards, they let Almaviva go when they discover that he is actually a count. Almaviva next poses as a substitue for Don Basilio and subsequently conducts Rosina's music lesson. When Don Basilio show up to the lesson, he is bribed to keep quiet. In the end, Bartolo's plans are thwarted and Rosina learns Almaviva's true identity.

Notable Incipits

• "Ecco ridente in cielo" (Almaviva)
• "Largo al factotum" (Figaro)
• "Una voce poco fa" (Rosina)
• "La calunnia" (Basilio)
• "Pace e gioia sia con voi" (Almaviva & Bartolo)
• "Ah, qual colpo inaspettato!" (Rosina, Almaviva & Figaro)

Recommended Recordings

• Callas (Rosina), Alva (Almaviva), Gobbi (Figaro)
• Peters (Rosina), Valletti (Almaviva), Merrill (Figaro)
• Sills (Rosina), Gedda (Almaviva), Milnes (Figaro)

Upcoming Performances

• November 2008 - Warsaw (Wielki)
• December 2008 - Rome (Opera)
• December 2008-April 2009 - Vienna (Staatsoper)
• January 2009 - Charlotte (Opera Carolina)
• January-June 2009 - Prague (Statni)
• February & March 2009 - Budapest (Staatsoper)
• February-June 2009 - Hamburg (Staatsoper)
• June 2009 - Stockholm (Royal)