A quirky and famous barber helps his former boss, Count Almaviva capture Rosina’s heart through funny schemes. Tanisha will explore how Rossini was the master of comedy through his ingenious music making.
1. Talk only with audio-visual presentation
2. Talk with 1 aria performed by the speaker
3. Virtual Talk
SUMMARY
The Barber of Seville, Italian Il barbiere di Siviglia, 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. READ MORE ON BRITTANICA
SETTING
As Sophia from the Golden Girls says “picture it” Barber of Seville is set in and around Sevilla, Spain, around the 17th Century
ACT 1: A square in Sevilla, outside a cigarette factory.
Scene 1. Dawn, outside Dr. Bartolo’s house near Sevilla.
Scene 2. Later the same morning, in the music room of Bartolo’s house.
ACT 2: Lillas Pastia’s tavern on the outskirts of Sevilla.
Scene 1. Bartolo’s music room, later the same day.
Scene 2. Dr. Bartolo’s house, later the same evening.
LEGENDARY CAST- WHO YOU WILL HEAR
Due to time constraint, this opera talk features a partial cast. If you loved the program, purchase from our affiliates or borrow the above DVD’s from your local library to see the full cast.
TANISHA’S PICKS
This opera talk features Tanisha’s favorite casts from these recordings. Click the link to purchase them for your own collection.
OPERA-ALIKES
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