Opera masterpieces. The history of the creation of the opera J
FIRST ACTION
At dawn, musicians gather near Dr. Bartolo's house. They were hired by Count Almaviva to accompany his serenade to Rosina, the doctor's pupil. Alas, there is no answer to the serenade. The Count releases the musicians. The barber Figaro appears, long familiar to the count for his cunning and dexterity. Having learned that the count is in love with Rosina, the barber undertakes to help him - after all, Figaro enters Bartolo's house, where he is a barber, a doctor, and even a botanist. On Figaro's advice, the Count begins to sing again. Declaring his love, he calls himself Lindor. Rosina picks up the melody, but her singing is interrupted - obviously someone disturbed her.
Doctor Bartolo comes out of the house. He goes to the notary to quickly marry Rosina. Otherwise, the girl's dowry will leave his hands. Almaviva understands that there is no time to delay. Having received a generous advance from the count, Figaro instantly comes up with one cunning plan after another. Rosina is fascinated by the ardent and courteous young man who calls himself Lindor. She asks Figaro, who arrived so timely, about him. By the way, she already has a letter ready, which Figaro will give to Lindor.
Bartolo fears that his plans may fall apart. His anxiety is heightened by Don Basilio, the music teacher. He reports that Count Almaviva, in love with Rosina, has appeared in Seville. To get rid of his rival, Don Basilio suggests resorting to a proven weapon - slander. Fortunately, Figaro finds out about the plot.
Almaviva appears at the house, disguised as a soldier. He pretends to be drunk and demands an apartment to stay. The erupted scandal ends only with the arrival of the guard. They are going to take the annoying soldier into custody, but after a short dialogue between Almaviva and the chief of guard, the arrest is canceled.
SECOND ACT
Almaviva, in disguise, comes to Dr. Bartolo's house again. This time he introduces himself as the musician Don Alonso, a student of the ill Don Basilio. To confirm his words, he shows Rosina’s letter to Lindor, allegedly intercepted by him.
The "music lesson" begins. Figaro arrives to shave the doctor. Suddenly Don Basilio appears. The count's general persuasion and money convince him that he is really sick. Don Basilio goes home.
Bartolo does not give the lovers the opportunity to say a word to each other in private. Figaro tries to distract the doctor's attention, but he still notices that Rosina and her teacher are busy with more than just singing. The imaginary Don Alonso is expelled from the house. Bartolo decides not to delay his marriage to Rosina for a minute. He sends the recovered Don Basilio for a notary, and meanwhile he convinces the girl that Lindor is not who he claims to be. According to Bartolo, this is only a figurehead acting in the interests of Count Almaviva. In desperation, Rosina is ready to marry her guardian.
A thunderstorm breaks out. Figaro and Almaviva enter the house. They explain to Rosina that Lindor is Count Almaviva. Now Rosina can marry her beloved. Figaro convinces the notary, brought by Don Basilio, to formalize the marriage of Count Almaviva and Rosina.
Show summary
At first the opera was called “Almaviva, ossia l"inutile precauzione” (“Almaviva, or Vain Precaution”). Rossini gave his work this name because the opera “The Barber of Seville” had already been written - its author was Giovanni Paisiello, and it was a long time ago popular on opera stage. Rossini did not want to cause grief to the respected and hot-tempered author of more than a hundred operas, who was then seventy-five years old. In addition to Paisiello, operas based on the plot of “The Barber of Seville” were written by L. Benda (1782), I. Schultz (1786), N. Izouar (1797) and others.
Rossini in 1816 undertook to write a new opera for the Argentino Theater in Rome for the Carnival. However, censorship prohibited all librettos that were proposed by the composer. There was very little time left before the carnival, and then it was decided to use a censored theme. This is how the idea of “The Barber of Seville” arose. Rossini turned to Paisiello for permission, and he responded with kind consent, without doubting the failure of the opera young composer. The new libretto was written by C. Sterbini. Rossini composed quickly. But the speed with which The Barber of Seville was written (the composer used many of his previous works) is amazing. Composition and instrumentation took 13 days.
Characters
Bartolo, doctor of medicine, Rosina's guardian, - bass.
Bertha, his housekeeper, - mezzo-soprano.
Rosina, his pupil, - mezzo-soprano.
Basilio, her music teacher, - bass.
Figaro, barber, - baritone.
Count Almaviva - tenor.
Fiorello, his servant, - bass.
Notary, soldier, musicians.
The action takes place in the 17th century in Seville.
Overture
Plot
Action 1
Scene 1. On one of the streets of Seville, musicians gathered to accompany the young Count Almaviva, singing a serenade to his beloved, Rosina. This is a charming flowery one (“Ecso ridente in cielo” - “Soon the east will shine brightly with golden dawn”). But all efforts are fruitless. The musicians fail to call Rosina: she is strictly looked after by the old doctor Bartolo. The irritated count and his servant Fiorello send the musicians away.
And now we hear a joyful baritone behind the stage. This is Figaro, the barber, humming for his own joy and telling us how necessary he is to everyone in the city. This boast is the wonderful cavatina “Largo al factotum” (“Place! Spread wider, people!”). It quickly becomes clear that Figaro has known the Count for a long time (there are not many people in the city whom Figaro does not know.) The Count - with a certain amount of money in his hands - attracts Figaro to his aid in order to arrange his marriage to Rosina , and they begin to develop a plan of action. But their discussion is interrupted by Dr. Bartolo coming out of the house, he mutters that he himself intends to marry Rosina today. The Count and Figaro hear this.
Now both conspirators decide to act quickly. Taking advantage of Bartolo's absence, Almaviva starts the serenade again and this time introduces himself as Lindor (the melody of this canzone belongs to Vincenzo Bellini). Rosina answers him favorably from the balcony and suddenly quickly leaves, hearing someone’s steps in her apartment. The inventive Figaro immediately figures out what to do: Almaviva will dress up as a soldier and, as if drunk, enter the house, saying that his regiment is stationed in the city and he will live here. The count likes this idea, and the scene ends with a cheerful duet in which the loving count expresses his joy at the prospect of success of the whole undertaking, and the barber rejoices at the success of the project, which is already generating income.
Scene 2. Now events are unfolding quickly and violently. They take place in the house of Dr. Bartolo. Rosina sings her famous coloratura aria “Una voce poco fa” (“In the silence of midnight”). In it, Rosina for the first time confesses her love for the unknown serenader Lindor, then vows to belong to him forever, despite the guardian who is disgusted with her, with whom she will be able to cope. She continues to talk about what a wonderfully submissive wife she will be if she is not contradicted. Otherwise, she intends to become a true devil, a vixen. (Usually in modern productions this part is sung by a coloratura soprano. However, Rossini wrote it differently. He intended it for a coloratura mezzo-soprano, quite rare in the 20th century.) After her aria, she has a short but heartfelt conversation with Figaro, the barber, and less cordially with Dr. Bartolo.
Act 2
Scene 1. As the second act begins, the general confusion intensifies even further. Count Almaviva appears at Dr. Bartolo's house in a new guise - a music teacher: in a black robe and a seventeenth-century professor's hat. He says that he has come to replace Don Basilio, who has fallen ill, and he insists on giving Rosina a music lesson. In many modern opera houses, during this lesson, the leading soprano often, instead of an aria - the most elaborate and decorated with rich coloratura - inserts something own choice. But Rossini wrote for this episode the song “L"Inutile precauzione” (“Vain Precaution”), which was the original subtitle of the opera. Dr. Bartolo does not like this “ contemporary music" as he calls her. Whether it’s Arietta... And in a nasal voice he sings an old-fashioned sentimental romance.
A second later, Figaro appears with a shaving basin; he insists on shaving the doctor. And while the doctor’s face is covered in soap foam, the lovers are making preparations for their escape that very evening. But then Don Basilio comes. Of course, he is not sick at all, but in a charming quintet everyone convinces him that he has a fever, and he, having quietly received a weighty wallet from the count (an argument!), goes home to “be treated.” All these unusual actions arouse the doctor's suspicions, and at the end of another wonderful concert number, he drives everyone out of the house. Then, in contrast, comes the witty little song of Bertha, the maid, talking about the stupidity of all those old people who intend to get married in their old age.
Scene 2. At this moment, the orchestra uses sounds to describe the storm that is raging outside the window, and also indicates that some time has passed (the music for this episode was borrowed by Rossini from his own opera “La pietra del paragone” - “The Touchstone”). Outside, the window opens, and through it, first Figaro enters the room, followed by the Count, wrapped in a cloak. They are ready to escape. But first, however, they must convince Rosina that their intentions are noble, since she still does not know that Lindor and Count Almaviva are the same person. Soon they are all ready and singing the terzetto escape "Zitti, zitti" ("Hush, hush"), when suddenly they discover that there are no stairs! Later it turns out that Dr. Bartolo removed it when he went to arrange all the affairs of his wedding with Rosina.
And so, when Basilio and the notary, whom Dr. Bartolo had sent for, arrived, the Count bribed them to register his marriage with Rosina. He offers Basilio a ring; otherwise, two bullets from your pistol. The hasty ceremony is barely over when Dr. Bartolo returns, accompanied by an officer and soldiers. And then everything becomes clear. The Doctor even resigns himself to a certain extent to this outcome when the Count assures him that he does not need Rosina’s dowry and he can keep it for himself. The comedy ends - as a comedy should end - with universal reconciliation.
Outstanding Productions
First production in Russia: 1822, St. Petersburg. G. Klimovsky - Almaviva, I. Gulyaev - Bartolo, V. Shemaev - Figaro, N. Semenova - Rosina, A. Efremov - Don Basilio.
St. Petersburg, 1831 (resumption on the Russian stage). O. Petrov - Figaro, N. Dur - Bartolo, A. Efremov - Basilio, S. Borkina (Karatygina) - Rosina. In subsequent performances, the roles were performed by: L. Leonov - Almaviva, E. Lebedeva, M. Stepanova - Rosina.
1953, Bolshoi Theater. Almaviva - Ivan Kozlovsky, Bartolo - Vladimir Malyshev, Rosina - Vera Firsova, Figaro - Ivan Burlak, Don Basilio - Mark Reisen. Conductor Samuel Samosud.
Among the Italian productions: Luigi Alva - Figaro, Maria Callas - Rosina, Tito Gobbi - Figaro.
Musical numbers
| Overture | Sinfonia |
|
Act one Scene one |
Atto primo Parte prima |
| 1. Introduction (“Quietly, without speaking...”) | 1. Introduzione ("Piano, pianissimo...") |
| Almaviva's Cavatina ("Soon the East...") | Cavatina d'Almaviva ("Ecco ridente in cielo...") |
| Continuation and ending of the introduction (“Hey, Fiorello?..”) | Seguito e Stretta dell "Introduzione ("Ehi, Fiorello?..") |
| Recitative (“What scoundrels!..”) | Recitativo ("Gente indiscreta!..") |
| 2. Cavatina Figaro (“Place! Open up wider, people!..”) | 2. Cavatina di Figaro (“Largo al factotum della città…”) |
| Recitative (“Oh, yes! Not life, but a miracle!..”) | Recitativo ("Ah, ah! che bella vita!..") |
| Recitative (“Today he wants to marry Rosina...”) | Recitativo ("Dentr"oggi le sue nozze con Rosina!..") |
| 3. Canzona by Almaviva (“If you want to fuck, dear friend...”) | 3. Canzone d "Almaviva ("Se il mio nome saper voi bramate...") |
| Recitative (“Oh, heaven!..”) | Recitativo (“Oh cielo!..”) |
| 4. Duet of Figaro and Almaviva (“One thought - to extract metal...”) | 4. Duetto di Figaro e d"Almaviva ("All"idea di quel metallo...") |
| Recitative (“Long live my master!..”) | Recitativo ("Evviva il mio padrone!..") |
| Scene two | Parte seconda |
| 5. Cavatina Rosina (“In the Silence of Midnight…”) | 5. Cavatina di Rosina ("Una voce poco fa...") |
| Recitative (“Yes, yes, I won’t give in!..”) | Recitativo ("Sì, sì, la vincerò!..") |
| Recitative (“Ah! Wait, vile barber...”) | Recitativo ("Ah! Barbiere d"inferno...") |
| 6. Basilio’s Aria (“Slander is sweet at first…”) | 6. Aria di Basilio (“La calunnia and un venticello…”) |
| Recitative (“Well, what do you say?..”) | Recitativo (“Ah! che ne dite?..”) |
| Recitative (“Excellent, my sir!..”) | Recitativo (“Ma bravi! ma benone!..”) |
| 7. Duet of Rosina and Figaro (“Is it me? Oh, that’s lovely!..”) | 7. Duetto di Rosina e di Figaro (“Dunque io son… tu non m"inganni?..”) |
| Recitative (“Now I can breathe…”) | Recitativo ("Ora mi sento meglio...") |
| 8. Aria Bartolo (“It’s not for nothing that I am a keen-sighted doctor...”) | 8. Aria di Bartolo ("A un Dottor della mia sorte...") |
| Recitative (“Be angry, scold as much as you want…”) | Recitativo ("Brontola quanto vuoi...") |
| 9. Finale one (“Hey, a permanent apartment...”) | 9. Finale primo (“Ehi di casa… buona gente…”) |
| Act two | Atto secondo |
| Scene one | Parte prima |
| Recitative (“This is an unpleasant incident!..”) | Recitativo (“Ma vedi il mio destino!..”) |
| 10. Duet of Almaviva and Bartolo (“May peace and joy be upon you!..”) | 10. Duetto d "Almaviva e di Bartolo ("Pace e gioia sia con voi...") |
| Recitative (“Tell me, my lord...”) | Recitativo ("Insomma, mio signore...") |
| Recitative (“Come in, signorina...”) | Recitativo ("Venite, Signorina...") |
| 11. Rosina’s Aria (“If the heart fell in love...”) | 11. Aria di Rosina ("Contro un cor che accende amore...") |
| Recitative (“Wonderful voice!..”) | Recitativo ("Bella voce!..") |
| 12. Arietta Bartolo (“When you sit sometimes...”) | 12. Arietta di Battolo (“Quando mi sei vicina…”) |
| Recitative (“Ah, Mr. Barber…”) | Recitativo ("Bravo, signor Barbiere...") |
| 13. Quintet (“Don Basilio! What do I see!..”) | 13. Quintetto (“Don Basilio! Cosa veggo!..”) |
| Recitative (“Ah, what a misfortune has happened!..”) | Recitativo ("Ah! disgraziato me!..") |
| Recitative (“And the old man doesn’t believe me!..”) | Recitativo ("Che vecchio sospettoso!..") |
| 14. Bertha’s Aria (“The old man decided to get married...”) | 14. Aria di Berta ("II vecchiotto cerca moglie...") |
| Scene two | Parte seconda |
| Recitative (“So, with this Don Alosho...”) | Recitativo ("Dunque voi, Don Alonso...") |
| 15. Storm | 15. Temporale |
| Recitative (“Well, we finally got in…”) | Recitativo ("Alfine eccoci qua!..") |
| 16. Terzetto by Rosina, Almaviva and Figaro (“Ah! I’m glad...”) | 16. Terzetto di Rosina, d "Almaviva e di Figaro ("Ah! qual colpo...") |
| Recitative (“Ah, what a misfortune!..”) | Recitativo ("Ah, disgraziati noi...") |
| 17. Almaviva’s recitative and aria (“Why should I hide before you…”) | 17. Recitativo ed Aria d"Almaviva ("Cessa di più resistere...") |
| Recitative (“It turns out that I was fooled…”) | Recitativo (“Insomma, io ho tutti i torti!..”) |
| 18. Second finale (“Cares and worries…”) | 18. Finale secondo ("Di sì felice innesto...") |
Barber of Seville
But the blue evening is getting dark,
It's time for us to go to the Opera quickly:
There is delightful Rossini,
Europe's darling - Orpheus.
Not heeding harsh criticism,
He is forever the same, forever new,
He pours sounds - they boil,
They flow, they burn,
Like young kisses
Everything is in bliss, in the flame of love,
Like boiling Ai
Golden stream and splashes...
A. S. Gunsn
These enthusiastic lines from “Eugene Onegin” surprisingly accurately reflect all the charm of Rossini’s music, its youthful freshness and beauty.
Rossini was a universal idol; Not many composers gained such enormous popularity during their lifetime. “After the death of Napoleon, there was another person who was constantly being talked about everywhere: in Moscow and Naples, in London and Vienna, in Paris and Calcutta. This man’s fame is limited only by the boundaries of civilization, and he is only 32 years old.”, Stendhal, an ardent admirer of his talent, wrote about Rossini. Many were proud to know Rossini. Liszt showed him his works, Weber, Wagner, Saint-Saens sought meetings with the Italian maestro; the latter wrote in the late 1850s that “all of Paris clamored for the honor of being received in his luxurious apartment with high windows”. Among the visitors to his living room were famous composers: Aubert, Meyerbeer, Gounod, Thomas, Verdi. At Rossini's ceremonial evenings one could hear brilliant singers and outstanding virtuosos: Grisi, Patti, Nilsson, Tamburini, Tamberlik, Anton Rubinstein, Joachim, Thalberg. “Constant flattery surrounded the maestro,” recalled the composer Saint-Saëns, “but it did not touch him at all, for he knew its value, and towered over the environment around him by the superiority of his mind, which he showed, however, not in front of everyone.”. Sensitive and attentive contemporaries saw in Rossini a deep, insightful and observant man, with a subtle, sharp mind, keenly interested in the world around him; they saw in him a great artist who understood
new problems of art and its evolution, although defending its aesthetic ideals. I. V. Stasov reported about Rossini in a letter to Glinka: “I found in him that artistic soul, beautiful and simple...”. And R. Wagner, after a conversation with Rossini in 1860, said: “I must admit that of all the musicians I met in Paris, he is the only truly great one!”
In 1868, when Rossini died, Verdi bitterly told one of his friends: “A great name has died out in the world! It was the most popular name our era, the widest fame - and this was the glory of Italy!. The life and creative path of G. Rossini is as unusual as his unparalleled success: a rapid rise to the heights of fame, and then for about thirty years - almost complete silence.
Rossini's first stage work to see the light of the stage was the musical farce "The Marriage Bill". He brought to the young author fame, he soon began to receive orders for buffa operas from the theaters of Bologna, Venice, and Milan. His music, brilliant and witty, quickly captivated the Italian public. But wide recognition came to Rossini only after the production of “Tancred” and “The Italian Woman in Algiers” in 1813 - they made him the favorite of Northern Italy, and two years later he conquered Naples, staging the opera “Elizabeth, Queen of England” there.
In the autumn of 1815, Rossini went to Rome to work on a new opera, Torvaldo and Dorlisca, but even before its premiere, the impresario of one of the Roman theaters invited him to compose an opera buffa. The search for a plot began; finally, the composer settled on the comedy of the famous French playwright Beaumarchais "The Barber of Seville". The responsibility was enormous: back in 1782, Paisiello created his opera on the same plot in St. Petersburg, and for more than three decades it was fully revered by music lovers in Italy.
The libretto of the opera was commissioned to be written by C. Sterbini. The work proceeded quickly, music was composed in parallel with the text, and in approximately nineteen to twenty days the opera was completed.
Rosina-Adeline Patti
Rosina - Montano
Rosina - Giulietta Simionato, Bartolo - Melchiore Luisa. La Scala Theater, 1952.
The librettist preserved the plot and Spanish flavor of Beaumarchais's work, but weakened its ideological orientation. From politically spicy play he created a cheerful Italian comedy of manners, albeit democratic, with anti-clerical motives and clearly defined characters.
The premiere of “The Barber of Seville” took place on February 20, 1816, with outstanding singers of that time singing: Rosina - Geltrude Righetti-Giorgi (Rossini’s childhood friend), Count Almaviva - Manuel Garcia, Figaro - Luigi Zamboni. At its first performance, The Barber of Seville was a complete failure. The audience screamed and whistled... The upset composer left the theater without waiting for the end of the performance. Intrigues, and perhaps admirers of Paisiello, could not allow the recognition of a new opera created on the same plot, although Rossini, anticipating hostile attacks, at the first performances called it “Almaviva, or a Vain Precaution.” But when the passions subsided and at the next performance the audience listened carefully to all the music, they were delighted with it.
The opera continued to be performed with great success. One of the newspapers in Rome wrote: “If at the premiere “The Barber of Seville” did not meet with approval from the public, then the second time and at subsequent performances it was appreciated and aroused such enthusiasm that the whole theater shook with “Evviva!” at the address of Maestro Rossini. He was called to the stage several times and finally led home by torchlight!”. The success of The Barber of Seville eclipsed all the composer's previous triumphs. The new opera began its victorious march through many European cities: a year after the premiere it was performed in Barcelona, in 1818 in London, then in Paris and Vienna, and in 1822 it was staged in St. Petersburg.
The opera takes place in Seville. The young Count Almaviva became infatuated with the lovely young Rosina and is ready to marry her. But her guardian, old Doctor Bartolo, himself intends to conclude a marriage contract with his pupil. The smart, inexhaustible barber Figaro comes to the aid of the count. Thanks to his entrepreneurial spirit, young lovers achieve their happiness. The opera opens with a magnificent overture, full of fiery brilliance and energy. This overture was composed for the unsuccessful opera Aurelian in Palmyra, then the composer transferred it to Elizabeth, Queen of England. At that time overtures were not associated musical material with operas, and Rossini decided to use the old overture, which in its character turned out to be close to the comedic and exciting intrigue of The Barber of Seville.
The main character of the opera is Figaro, an undoubted “descendant” of the smart, resourceful servants of Italian folk comedy. His first appearance on stage with an incendiary cavatina, bright, temperamental, close to the impetuous folk dance tarantella, captivates and captivates. Musical characteristics Figaro does not change throughout the action. Figaro is dexterous, energetic, mocking, and sometimes even worldly thoughtful - this is how he is in duets with the Count, Rosina or in scenes with Bartolo. True, Figaro’s energy is not directed towards any lofty goals. The barber in the opera is not endowed with deep human qualities as a hero of a comedy, there is neither bitterness of disappointment nor doubt in him, and if in Beaumarchais he is a typical native of the lower classes, striving by all means to get to a higher rung of the social ladder, then in Rossini Figaro is more unambiguous, he confidently looks forward and lives every moment of the present.
|
|
Rosina - R.G. Gorskaya.
Don Basilio - P.M. Zhuravlenko.
Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater named after S.M. Kirov.
Count Almaviva is different from the one in Beaumarchais's comedy. It is revealed in lyrically- this is an ardent lover (canzone of Act I), although as the action progresses, the Count transforms into a drunken soldier, then into a music teacher, and then his melody from smooth and plastic becomes either “rough” or “piously-humble.”
Renaissance
The graceful, flirtatious Rosina (aria of Act II) is charming, but her graceful cantilena also has decisive intonations - she is persistent and knows how to fight for her happiness. The role of Rosina, written for contralto, is virtuosic and difficult to perform. It was her image that was exposed at the premiere most criticized: they noted that he does not have the “naivety and modesty” of a young girl. Subsequently, the role of Rosina began to be performed by coloratura sopranos.
The least changes, compared to the comedy, were in the opera's images of Doctor Bartolo and Don Basilio - the old monk, a skilled intriguer. The guardian is presented throughout in a comedic sense - in the form of a greedy old man who serves as a target for the antics and witticisms of Figaro and the Count. It brings to mind images of the old grumps of the commedia dell'arte being fooled by the servants.
Don Basilio is superbly outlined - the embodiment of meanness and corruption; his musical characterization is close to Beaumarchais's character. The entire appearance of Basilio and the famous aria “Slander” expose the falsity of the morality of the privileged classes. The role of Don Basilio was performed with great skill by the outstanding Russian singer F. I. Chaliapin, who managed to reveal the acute grotesqueness of this image.
In The Barber of Seville, Rossini especially emphasized all the comedic aspects of the plot, which caused the inclusion of additional scenes and episodes that brightly highlight the lyrical numbers. At the beginning of the opera, he introduced a connection with the musicians, which not only gave Almaviva the opportunity to sing a wonderful serenade, but also unfold a comedic episode of reckoning with the musicians and their “noisy” gratitude. The second scene includes the scene of Almaviva appearing as a drunken soldier, and all the chaos. associated with this results in an expanded ending. The scene from the third film is wittily written: the Count, dressed as a bachelor, greets Doctor Bartolo. This insignificant episode of comedy grew into a large comic number, one of the best in the opera - the monotonous nasal voice of the bachelor and the answers of the irritated Bartolo are interrupted by an amusing patter. And if the libretto contained the journalistic moments of Beaumarchais’s comedy, Rossini made up for them with vitality. the realism of typical Italian images, creating a brilliant national opera buffa.
But the most amazing thing about The Barber of Seville remains the ensembles - the centers of the musical and stage action, especially the finale of the first act. It combines diverse, rapidly changing episodes; the music sensitively conveys unexpected turns actions, behavior of characters, shades of mood. Rossini's operas are especially characterized by his famous crescendos - grandiose increases in sonority in ensembles. They literally hypnotized listeners. It is interesting to note that in the finale of the second act, Rossini used the melody of the Russian folk dance song “Oh, why fence the garden.”
Scene from the play.
Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater named after S.M. Kirov
Rossini's vocal style is distinguished by integrity and richness, melodic pomp, and bright ornamentation. Rossini was a master of bel canto, that wonderful art of singing. in his words, “one of the most beautiful gifts of the Italians!”
“The Barber of Seville” was admired by music lovers and professional musicians: “... Rossini is an artist who creates under the impulse of true inspiration, imbued with an idea and who has found an expressive, elegant and charming form for this idea,” wrote the Russian musical critic G. A. Laroche.
“The Barber of Seville” is the name of the most famous opera, at least one melody from which is familiar even to those not most knowledgeable in opera art people... more precisely, under this name it is staged in theaters now, but the author himself gave it a different name - “Almaviva, or Vain Precaution.” The young composer showed respect for his famous older contemporary in this way.
The choice of plot for the new opera turned out to be almost accidental. In 1816, the composer received an order from the Argentino Theater in Rome to create an opera for the carnival. He proposed plot after plot - but the censors did not like all of them. And time passed - of course, I always knew how to work quickly, but still there is a limit! Finally, a plot that did not raise objections from the censor was found - it was the comedy by P. O. Beaumarchais “The Barber of Seville, or a Vain Precaution.” But several operas had already been written on the basis of this play - it was addressed by L. Benda in 1782, I. Schulz in 1786, N. Izouard in 1797. But it was especially loved by the public opera of the same name G. Paisiello, first staged in 1782 in St. Petersburg. Therefore, before taking on the opera based on the comedy of P. O. Beaumarchais, he asked permission from the famous composer. He agreed without hesitation - G. Paisiello was not afraid of rivalry, sincerely believing that the young composer could not be a worthy competitor to him, that his opera would certainly fail... he was not destined to see how wrong he was.
The libretto of the opera Almaviva, later called The Barber of Seville, was written by Cesare Sterbini. He had not yet completed work on the text when the composer began to create music. The time spent on creating the work seemed incredible even for thirteen days.
The well-known overture - cheerful, sparkling - so remarkably corresponds to the spirit of the comedy of P. O. Beaumarchais that today it is difficult to believe that it was originally connected with a completely different plot, and at the premiere of “The Barber of Seville” the audience listened to a completely different overture. Paying tribute to the scene, he created a kind of medley on the themes of dance folk melodies of Spain - but that overture disappeared after the premiere under unclear circumstances. The composer did not write it again, but replaced it with an overture to one of his previous operas, “A Strange Case.” Nowadays it is forgotten, and the overture fits perfectly into The Barber of Seville.
Almaviva, after whom the opera was originally named - traditional lyrical hero, suitable for a tenor - is by no means the most bright character operas. Figaro looks like the true protagonist. “That I must have a very spoiled taste, since this Figaro seems to me much more attractive than Mozart’s,” admitted G. Hegel. The philosopher lamented in vain: one of the best baritone singers of the twentieth century, who certainly cannot be suspected of lacking musical taste, also liked Rossini’s Figaro more than Mozart’s. And, of course, one cannot help but love his famous Cavatina. In this extremely energetic aria, six themes replace each other without obeying any traditional scheme. Figaro's entrance is made even more effective by the forty bars of introduction that precedes the cavatina.
Baritones love to perform Cavatina Figaro in concerts no less than sopranos love Rosina's aria... meanwhile, he intended this part for another voice - a coloratura mezzo-soprano. This did not really please his contemporaries, who reproached him for making a “baby boy” out of the tender young heroine. However, Rosina does not look like a very well-bred prude. In the famous aria, she discusses how submissive a wife she will be to her chosen one - unless, of course, he contradicts her... it’s not hard to believe this, listening to her decisive coloraturas!
No less vividly depicted in the opera are negative characters- the grumpy Doctor Bartolo, the hypocrite and prude Don Basilio. His aria about slander is another most popular page of the opera: at first insinuating, it gradually acquires a menacing sound, however, this menace remains comic.
The opera “The Barber of Seville” is so loved today by both the public and performers, who adore not only presenting it in the theater, but also singing arias from it in concerts, that it is difficult to believe that such a wonderful work could fail. However, this happened at the premiere, held in February 2016. It was not the fault of the performers or the composer who conducted that evening - the fact is that renaming “The Barber of Seville” to “Almaviva” did not save G. Paisiello’s fans from dissatisfaction, and they made noise in the hall, which did not contribute to a successful performance. At subsequent performances, the audience accepted the opera much better, and yet the trace of the failed premiere reflected on the fate of the opera for a long time. But time has put everything in its place: “The Barber of Seville” has become one of the most repertoire operas. The creation of the same name by G. Paisiello is now forgotten, and the composer himself, a little more than three months after the premiere of Rossini's masterpiece, did not see the triumph of this opera, which continues to this day.
Musical Seasons
At first the opera was called “Almaviva, or Vain Precaution” (“Almaviva, ossia l’inutile precauzione”). Rossini gave his work this name because the opera “The Barber of Seville, or a Useless Precaution” had already been written - its author was Giovanni Paisiello, and it had long been popular on the opera stage. In addition to Paisiello, by that time L. Benda (1782), I. Schultz (1786), N. Izouar (1797) and others had written operas based on the plot of “The Barber of Seville”.
Rossini in 1816 undertook to write a new opera for the Teatro Argentino in Rome for the Carnival. However, censorship prohibited all librettos that were proposed by the composer. There was very little time left before the carnival, and then it was decided to use a censored theme. This is how the idea of “The Barber of Seville” arose. Rossini turned to Paisiello for permission, and he responded with kind consent, without doubting the failure of the young composer’s opera. The new libretto was written by C. Sterbini. Rossini composed quickly. But the speed with which The Barber of Seville was written (the composer used many of his previous works) is amazing. Composition and instrumentation took 13 days.
Action 1
Scene 1.Musicians gathered on the streets of Seville to accompany the young Count Almaviva as he serenaded his beloved, Rosina. This is a charming flowery cavatina (“Ecso ridente in cielo” - “Soon the east will shine brightly with golden dawn”). But all efforts are fruitless. The musicians fail to call Rosina: she is strictly looked after by the old doctor Bartolo. The irritated count and his servant Fiorello send the musicians away.
Figaro. Sculpture by Jean Amy
And now we hear a joyful baritone behind the stage. This is Figaro, the barber, humming for his own joy and telling us how necessary he is to everyone in the city. This boast is the wonderful cavatina “Largo al factotum” (“Place! Spread wider, people!”). It quickly becomes clear that Figaro has known the Count for a long time (there are not many people in the city whom Figaro does not know). The Count - with the amount of money in his hands - enlists Figaro to help him arrange his marriage to Rosina, and they begin to develop a plan of action. But their discussion is interrupted by Dr. Bartolo coming out of the house, he mutters that he himself intends to marry Rosina today. The Count and Figaro hear this.
Now both conspirators decide to act quickly. Taking advantage of Bartolo's absence, Almaviva starts the serenade again and this time introduces himself as Lindor (the melody of this canzona belongs to Vincenzo Bellini). Rosina answers him favorably from the balcony and suddenly quickly leaves, hearing someone’s steps in her apartment. The inventive Figaro immediately figures out what to do: Almaviva will dress up as a soldier and, as if drunk, enter the house with the words that his regiment is stationed in the city and he will live here. The count likes this idea, and the scene ends with a cheerful duet in which the loving count expresses his joy at the prospect of success of the whole undertaking, and the barber rejoices at the success of the project, which is already generating income.
M. Karakash as Figaro (1913)
Scene 2. Now events are unfolding quickly and violently. They take place in the house of Dr. Bartolo. Rosina sings her famous coloratura aria “Una voce poco fa” (“In the silence of midnight”). In it, Rosina for the first time confesses her love for the unknown serenader Lindor, then vows to belong to him forever, despite the guardian who is disgusted with her, with whom she will be able to cope. She continues to talk about what a wonderfully submissive wife she will be if she is not contradicted. Otherwise, she intends to become a true devil, a vixen. (Usually in modern productions this part is sung by a coloratura soprano. However, Rossini wrote it differently. He intended it for a coloratura mezzo-soprano, quite rare in the 20th century.) After the aria, she has a short but cordial conversation with Figaro, the barber, and less cordially - with Dr. Bartolo.
Productions in Russia
The first production in Russia took place in 1821 in Odessa, the performance was in Italian.
For the first time in Russian (translated by R. Zotov), the opera was staged on November 27, 1822 in St. Petersburg with the participation of Grigory Klimovsky (Almaviva), Ivan Gulyaev (Bartolo), Vasily Shemaev (Figaro), Nymphodora Semyonova (Rosina) and Alexei Efremov (Don Basilio ).
After a break, the opera was resumed on the St. Petersburg stage in 1831. O. Petrov - Figaro, N. Dur - Bartolo, A. Efremov - Basilio, S. Borkina (Karatygina) - Rosina. In subsequent performances, the roles were performed by: L. Leonov - Almaviva, E. Lebedeva, M. Stepanova - Rosina.
In addition, the opera was constantly included in the repertoire of the Italian opera troupe In Petersburg. In particular, in 1843 Pauline Viardot performed as Rosina.
Subsequently, “The Barber of Seville” was repeatedly staged by opera houses in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The first clavier with Russian text was published in Moscow by Peter Jurgenson in 1897. Subsequently, the clavier was published several times by the Moscow publishing house "Muzgiz" (for example, in 1932, 1956 and 1982).
Performances at the Mariinsky Theater
On October 13, 1882, the premiere of “The Barber” took place at the Mariinsky Theater, conducted by E. F. Napravnik. The parts were performed by: Count Almaviva - P. A. Lodiy, Rosina - M. A. Slavina, Figaro - I. P. Pryanishnikov, Bartolo - F. I. Stravinsky, Don Basilio - M. M. Koryakin.
On March 6, 1918, at the now former Mariinsky Theater in Petrograd, the a new version performance (conductor Pokhitonov, director Tartakov, artist Konstantin Korovin) The performance included: Count Almaviva - Rostovsky, Rosina - Volevach, Figaro - Karakash, Don Basilio - Serebryakov, Bartolo - Losev, Fiorello - Denisov, Berta - Stepanova.
Performances at the Bolshoi Theater
Performers of the main roles on the day of the premiere at the Bolshoi Theater (1913)
IN Soviet time The opera was staged at the Bolshoi Theater several times. In 1935 - new production created by conductor Steinberg, director L. V. Baratov, artist Makarov. Count Almaviva - Sergei Lemeshev, Rosina - Valeria Barsova, Figaro - Alexander Golovin, Don Basilio - Alexander Pirogov.
During the Great Patriotic War Some changes were made to the performance “to suit the needs of the day.” According to the memoirs of tenor Anatoly Orfenov:
In “The Barber of Seville,” which was shown quite often and with my participation, when the knock of the soldiers who came to Bartolo’s house was heard, Basilio asked: “Alarm?”, to which Bartolo, after the second knock, answered: “No, it’s lights out” (that is, cancellation air raid). Warriors in auditorium They greeted this element of relaxation, some temporary fun they needed, with enthusiastic applause, after which they returned to the front again.
During the evacuation Bolshoi Theater in Kuibyshev, The Barber of Seville was one of the first operas to be restored by the theater. The production of The Barber, along with Aida and other foreign operas, “to the detriment of domestic works", gave rise to criticism of the management and personnel changes at the Bolshoi Theater.
However, already in 1944, the opera was staged once again on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater (conductor Nebolsin, director Zakharov, artist Makarov). Another production appears in 1953. During this period, The Barber of Seville featured: Almaviva - Ivan Kozlovsky, Bartolo - Vladimir Malyshev, Rosina - Vera Firsova, Figaro - Ivan Burlak, Don Basilio - Mark Reisen. In 1952, with this composition and the All-Union Radio Orchestra, conductor Samuil Samosud made a recording that is still available to listeners today.
Performances in other theaters
On the pre-revolutionary stage, “The Barber of Seville” was staged in New Opera(Moscow) - conductor V. Suk; Count Almaviva - I. S. Tomars, Figaro - O. I. Kamionsky, Don Basilio - A. P. Antonovsky, Bartolo - O. R. Fuhrer.
1933 - Opera theatre named after Stanislavsky, Moscow (translated by P. Antokolsky, trio of the 2nd act taken from the opera “The Barber of Seville” by Paisiello; production by K. S. Stanislavsky, directors Alekseev, V. Vinogradov and Stepanova, conductor Khaikin, artist Nivinsky, choirmaster K. Vinogradov; Count Almaviva - Smirnov, Rosina - Vozdvizhenskaya, Figaro - Mokeev, Don Basilio - Panchekhin, Bartolo - Stepanov). Renewed in 1944.
Some performers
| Characters | Some performers abroad | Some performers in Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Count Almaviva | Giuseppe Di Stefano (Italy), Luigi Alva (Peru), Alfredo Kraus (Spain), Fritz Wunderlich (Germany), Nikolai Gedda (Sweden), Rockwell Blake (USA), Francisco Araiza (Spain), Juan Diego Flores (Peru) | Vasiliev 3rd, Alexander Dodonov, Andrey Labinsky, Lev Leonov, Pyotr Lodiy, Mikhail Mikhailov, Joseph Tomars, Dmitry Usatov, Grigory Bolshakov, Ivan Kozlovsky, Sergey Lemeshev, Vladimir Nardov, Anatoly Orfenov, Pyotr Slovtsov, Solomon Khromchenko, Sergey Yudin , Denis Korolev |
| Figaro | Camillo Everardi (Italy), Mattia Battistini (Italy), Hermann Prey (Germany), Arthur Rinne, Tito Gobbi (Italy), Titta Ruffo (Italy), Charles Edward Horne (Great Britain), Thomas Hampson (USA), Bastianini, Ettore ( Italy) | Oscar Kamionsky, Grigory Klimovsky, Ippolit Pryanishnikov, Ivan Burlak, Yuri Vedeneev, Yuri Gulyaev, Pavel Zhuravlenko, Alexander Inashvili, Nikolai Kondratyuk, Yuri Mazurok, Panteleimon Nortsov, Lev Obraztsov, Andrey Baturkin, Dmitry Hvorostovsky |
| Rosina | Josephine Fodor-Mainviel (France), Pauline Viardot (France), Teresa Berganza (Spain), Anaïs Castel (France), Maria Malibran (Spain), Nellie Melba (Australia), Lily Pons (France-USA), Maria Callas (USA ), Maria Hanfstaengl (Germany), Elina Garanca (Latvia), Anna Kasyan (France), Cecilia Bartoli (Italy) | Nadezhda van der Brandt, Maria Leonova, Elena Karaikina-Lebedeva, Evgenia Mravina, Antonina Nezhdanova, Nadezhda Salina, Maria Slavina, Natalia Aktseri, Goar Gasparyan, Irina Zhurina, Maria Zvezdina, Elena Katulskaya, Maria Kurenko, Evgenia Miroshnichenko, Vera Firsova, Irina Maslennikova, Lyudmila Erofeeva, Olga Kondina, Aisulu Khasanova |
| Bartolo | Salvatore Baccaloni (Italy), Fritz Ollendorff (Germany), Enzo Dara (Italy) | Ivan Gulyaev, Nikolai Dur, Otto Fuhrer, Vladimir Lossky |
| Basilio | Jose van Dam (Belgium), Laszlo Polgar (Hungary), Ruggero Raimondi (Italy), Ferruccio Furlanetto (Italy) | Alexander Antonovsky, Alexey Efremov, Filimon Koridze, Fyodor Stravinsky, Fyodor Chaliapin, Matvey Goryainov, Alexey Krivchenya, Vladimir Lossky, Ivan Matchinsky, Alexander Ognivtsev, Ivan Petrov, Boris Shtokolov |
Musical numbers
| Overture | Sinfonia |
|
Act one Atto primo |
|
|
Scene one Parte prima |
|
| 1. Introduction (“Quietly, without speaking...”) | 1. Introduzione (“Piano, pianissimo…”) |
| Almaviva's Cavatina ("Soon the East...") | Cavatina d'Almaviva ("Ecco ridente in cielo...") |
| Continuation and ending of the introduction (“Hey, Fiorello?..”) | Seguito e Stretta dell’Introduzione (“Ehi, Fiorello?..”) |
| Recitative (“What scoundrels!..”) | Recitativo (“Gente indiscreta!..”) |
| 2. Cavatina Figaro (“Place! Open up wider, people!..”) | 2. Cavatina di Figaro (“Largo al factotum della città…”) |
| Recitative (“Oh, yes! Not life, but a miracle!..”) | Recitativo (“Ah, ah! che bella vita!..”) |
| Recitative (“Today he wants to marry Rosina...”) | Recitativo (“Dentr’oggi le sue nozze con Rosina!..”) |
| 3. Canzona by Almaviva (“If you want to fuck, dear friend...”) | 3. Canzone d’Almaviva (“Se il mio nome saper voi bramate…”) |
| Recitative (“Oh, heaven!..”) | Recitativo (“Oh cielo!..”) |
| 4. Duet of Figaro and Almaviva (“One thought - to extract metal...”) | 4. Duetto di Figaro e d’Almaviva (“All’idea di quel metallo...”) |
| Recitative (“Long live my master!..”) | Recitativo (“Evviva il mio padrone!..”) |
|
Scene two Parte seconda |
|
| 5. Cavatina Rosina (“In the Silence of Midnight…”) | 5. Cavatina di Rosina (“Una voce poco fa...”) |
| Recitative (“Yes, yes, I won’t give in!..”) | Recitativo (“Sì, sì, la vincerò!..”) |
| Recitative (“Ah! Wait, vile barber...”) | Recitativo (“Ah! Barbiere d’inferno...”) |
| 6. Basilio’s Aria (“Slander is sweet at first…”) | 6. Aria di Basilio (“La calunnia è un venticello…”) |
| Recitative (“Well, what do you say?..”) | Recitativo (“Ah! che ne dite?..”) |
| Recitative (“Excellent, my sir!..”) | Recitativo (“Ma bravi! ma benone!..”) |
| 7. Duet of Rosina and Figaro (“Is it me? Oh, that’s lovely!..”) | 7. Duetto di Rosina e di Figaro (“Dunque io son… tu non m’inganni?..”) |
| Recitative (“Now I can breathe…”) | Recitativo (“Ora mi sento meglio…”) |
| 8. Aria Bartolo (“It’s not for nothing that I am a keen-sighted doctor...”) | 8. Aria di Bartolo (“A un Dottor della mia sorte…”) |
| Recitative (“Be angry, scold as much as you want…”) | Recitativo ("Brontola quanto vuoi...") |
| 9. Finale one (“Hey, a permanent apartment...”) | 9. Finale primo (“Ehi di casa…buona gente…”) |
|
Act two Atto secondo |
|
|
Scene one Parte prima |
|
| Recitative (“This is an unpleasant incident!..”) | Recitativo (“Ma vedi il mio destino!..”) |
| 10. Duet of Almaviva and Bartolo (“May peace and joy be upon you!..”) | 10. Duetto d’Almaviva e di Bartolo (“Pace e gioia sia con voi…”) |
| Recitative (“Tell me, my lord...”) | Recitativo (“Insomma, mio signore...”) |
| Recitative (“Come in, signorina...”) | Recitativo (“Venite, Signorina…”) |
| 11. Rosina’s Aria (“If the heart fell in love...”) | 11. Aria di Rosina (“Contro un cor che accende amore...”) |
| Recitative (“Wonderful voice!..”) | Recitativo (“Bella voce!..”) |
| 12. Arietta Bartolo (“When you sit sometimes...”) | 12. Arietta di Battolo (“Quando mi sei vicina…”) |
| Recitative (“Ah, Mr. Barber…”) | Recitativo (“Bravo, signor Barbiere…”) |
| 13. Quintet (“Don Basilio! What do I see!..”) | 13. Quintetto (“Don Basilio! Cosa veggo!..”) |
| Recitative (“Ah, what a misfortune has happened!..”) | Recitativo (“Ah! disgraziato me!..”) |
| Recitative (“And the old man doesn’t believe me!..”) | Recitativo (“Che vecchio sospettoso!..”) |
| 14. Bertha’s Aria (“The old man decided to get married...”) | 14. Aria di Berta (“II vecchiotto cerca moglie...”) |
|
Scene two Parte seconda |
|
| Recitative (“So, with this Don Alosho...”) | Recitativo ("Dunque voi, Don Alonso...") |
| 15. Storm | 15. Temporale |
| Recitative (“Well, we finally got in…”) | Recitativo (“Alfine eccoci qua!..”) |
| 16. Terzetto by Rosina, Almaviva and Figaro (“Ah! I’m glad...”) | 16. Terzetto di Rosina, d’Almaviva e di Figaro (“Ah! qual colpo…”) |
| Recitative (“Ah, what a misfortune!..”) | Recitativo (“Ah, disgraziati noi…”) |
| 17. Almaviva’s recitative and aria (“Why should I hide before you…”) | 17. Recitativo ed Aria d’Almaviva (“Cessa di più resistere…”) |
| Recitative (“It turns out that I was fooled…”) | Recitativo (“Insomma, io ho tutti i torti!..”) |
| 18. Second finale (“Cares and worries…”) | 18. Finale secondo (“Di sì felice innesto...”) |
- Rosina's Cavatina is performed by Frosya Burlakova in the Soviet film Come Tomorrow.
Famous audio recordings
- - conductor Samuil Samosud, choir and orchestra of the All-Union Radio (USSR)
- - conductor Alceo Galliera, London Philharmonic Orchestra (Italy)
- - conductor Vittorio Gui, Glyndebourne Opera Festival Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (UK)
- - conductor Neville Marriner, Ambrosian Opera Chorus, orchestra of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (UK)
- - conductor Bruno Campanella, orchestra and choir Royal Theater in Turin, Nuova Era (Italy)
- - conductor Claudio Abbado, choir of the La Fenice theater (Venice), Chamber orchestra Europe (Italy)