Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini)

Overview

Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to a libretto by Cesare Sterbini, after Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville (1775). It premiered at the Teatro Argentina, Rome, on 20 February 1816 (Wikipedia, "The Barber of Seville"). Count Almaviva, helped by the barber Figaro, wins Rosina from her guardian Dr Bartolo. Rosina, with "Una voce poco fa", was a favourite role of coloratura sopranos, among them Adelina Patti.

Marie and this work

• 19 April 1876, Naples. She arrives at "le théâtre Frondo" [probably the Teatro del Fondo, which is inferred, not stated] "en plein premier acte de mon cher Barbier de Séville" and settles on a sofa in the box (058.0241).
• 15 June 1877, Nice. Telling an anecdote, she compares her entrance to the scene "si vous avez vu Le Barbier de Séville" in which Bartolo is petrified at the sight of Count Almaviva (072.0059), disguised.
• 16 March 1880, Paris. Writing of Patti, whom she has seen in Traviata, Faust, "le Barbier", Trovatore and Lucia: "On assure que le Barbier est son triomphe mais comme elle l'a chantée avec un méchant ténor cela a gâté la chose" (087.0623, 087.0624).

Nice, 1874-1875

Marie's first Nice opera season is full of the Barber; the diary names it "Le Barbier" or "Il Barbiere" and records Rosina's arias, which she sings herself.

• 29 December 1874, Nice. At the Opéra, "Le Barbier de Séville" (028.0078).
• 27 January, 22-23 February 1875. "Il Barbiere di Seviglia" with the Belona, who sings Rosina better than Armina but "bien faible"; Dory sings "la Rosina" (029.0079, 030.0058). The next day, shut in at home, she says "comme Rosine : a che serve lo spirito, a che giova la belleza" (030.0064). On 30 March again (030.0413).
• 25 May 1875. At the theatre, as Galula and Girofla (Audiffret) leave their embrace, "le rideau se lève, et les deux hommes, Almaviva et Figaro, entrent" (033.0238): the opera of the evening, presumably the Barber.
• 7 June 1875. She sings the serenade "Se il mio nome" ("la sérénade du Barbier") and "Dormi pure" on the way home (034.0020).
• 14 November 1875. "La fille se déguise en Rosine et en Almaviva" (049.0414).
• 4 - 22 December 1875. "Le Barbier, mon petit opéra favori" (050.0483); before the mirror she says, like Rosina, "A che serve lo spirito... fra quattro mura, mi par d'esser proprio in sepoltura" (050.0502, with footnote); the opera again on 17 December ("Encore !", 050.0905); on the 22nd, among gentlemen, she recites its recitatives and answers the "Surprenant" with phrases of the Barber (050.1146).

Not the opera: 027.0073 and 050.0681 (M. Barbier, vice-president of the Cercle Masséna) are a person's surname.

Not this work

"Un vrai roman de Rosine" (054.0082, Rome, 14 February 1876, with a source footnote) refers to the heroine of Beaumarchais's comedy, not the opera. 054.0082 belongs to the play (or at most to the shared story), and the footnote cites Beaumarchais 1775.

Sources

• Wikipedia, "The Barber of Seville".
• IMSLP, Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini, Gioacchino)).