Il barbiere di Siviglia at Nationaltheater Mannheim

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2. Il barbiere di Siviglia

Count Almaviva is in love with Rosina. That is why he tries to enter the house of her uncle Bartolo in a very tricky manner. Bartolo himself keeps Rosina imprisoned as he wants to marry her because of her expected dowry. Count Almaviva does not let Bartolo, nor the scheming music teacher Basilio, detain him in any way. The barber, Figaro, is Almaviva’s confident companion who tries to make his friend happy in the end by whatever means possible.

Il barbiere di Siviglia is based on the first part of Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais' comedy trilogy, in which the figure of the clever and scheming barber is the protagonist. For various reasons – also due to the singer cast of the premiere – the librettist Cesare Sterbini and Gioacchino Rossini now focus on Count Almaviva as the story’s main character. The Barber is a sympathetic, but mostly unsuccessful loudmouth.

The work is regarded not only as Rossini's masterpiece in the field of opera buffa, but also as a role model of its genre since it was first performed on 20th February 1816 in Rome. Rossini's music does not underline states of mind, but depicts grotesque and certainly twisted scenes that have a tendency to be in part absurd. Above all there is an unbound vitality that makes this work unique and one of the most successful musical comedies in opera history.