Artist:
The Barber of Seville
Genre: Opera
Background:
The Barber of Seville was Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais’s first comedy and one of his most successful plays. The Barber of Seville was followed by The Marriage of Figaro, which was a continuation of the earlier tale. The Barber of Seville was converted into an opera with two acts, entitled Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Gioacchino Rossini.
The opera is based in the 17th Century, in Seville. In the first act, we see that Count Almaviva has fallen in love with the pretty ward of Doctor Bartolo, Rosina. Although Dr. Bartolo is Rosina's guardian, he desires to marry Rosina himself, as she is heir to a great fortune. To win over Rosina, the count takes the help of Figaro who is the “Barber of Seville” and they both make a plan. Almaviva meets Rosina under the disguise of a poor student named Lindoro. After a serenade and an exchange of letters, he decides to meet Rosina. With the help of his accomplice Figaro, he disguises himself as a tipsy dragoon and manages to get into Bartolo’s house. But his plan comes aground when he is discovered by the guard and arrested by him.
In the second Act Almaviva disguises himself again to gain entry into Bartolo's house. He is now the deputy of Basilio, Rosina's music teacher and Dr. Bartolo's accomplice. He tells Bartolo that Basilio is taken sick. To win the suspicious Bartolo’s confidence, he presents one of Rosina’s letters and says that it has been given to him by a mistress of Almaviva. Bartolo thinks he will inflame Rosina’s jealousy by telling her about the scandal. Bartolo tells Rosina about the alleged affair of her lover. Rosalina feels heartbroken and agrees to marry Bartolo. But Almaviva arrives just in time, he tricks Bartolo and convinces Rosina of his honesty. He then asks her to elope with him before Bartolo discovers the he has been tricked.
The main characters of the opera are Rosina-Bartolo's ward, Doctor Bartolo-Rosina's guardian, Count Almaviva - a local nobleman who uses the alias Lindoro, Figaro- the Barber of Seville, Fiorello-the Count's servant, Basilio-Bartolo's accomplice and a music teacher, Berta-servant to Doctor Bartolo.
The Barber of Seville has entices audiences where ever it has been performed. The characters and their witty ways have captured the imagination of generations of theater enthusiasts. Watch this classic comedy and have a great time. Contact your on line ticket vendor and get the tickets now!
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