THE BARBER OF SEVILLE / NEW YEAR’S CONCERT ONLINE

Retransmission on the YouTube channel of the Polish Royal Opera. The recording will be available until 19:00 on the 3^rd of January 2021.

Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) is one of the most famous works of Gioacchino Rossini. Although it was written in only three weeks, it became one of the greatest achievements of opera buffa. The opera is filled with unusual musical themes, masterful arias, and humorous dialogues. The excellent musical score is enhanced by the brilliant libretto by Cesare Sterbini, based on Pierre Beaumarchais’s play.

It’s not widely remembered today, but the world premiere of Rossini’s famous opera was staged with the title Almaviva, ossia L’inutile precauzione (Almaviva, or Unnecessary Caution). The original title was changed in order to win the favour of the Roman public, as it was feared that adapting a text that had already been used by the widely respected Giovanni Paisiello for his own opera might cause an outrage. And indeed- neither the explanations included in the programme of the concert nor the consent of said master managed to appease the public. All attempts to calm down the situation failed miserably, and the premiere staged in Rome’s Teatro Argentina on the 20^th of February 1816 was a complete fiasco.

However, the second show won the audience’s approval. Soon, the opera became famous not only in Italy but also worldwide. It still entertains and delights today, with Rossini’s original literary title Il barbiere di Siviglia .

Marta Dziewanowska-Pachowska

FRAGMENTS PERFORMED

Overture
Cavatina (Figaro) Largo al factotum della città
Duetto All’idea di quel metallo
Cavatina: Rosina Una voce poco fa
Aria (Don Basilio) La calunnia e un venticelo
Duetto Dunque io son…
Aria (Don Bartolo) A un dottor della mia sorte
Duetto Pace e gioia sia con voi
Aria (Rosina) Contro un cor che accende amore
Quintetto Don Basilio!
Aria (Berta) Il vecchiotto cerca moglie
Terzetto Ah! qual colpo inaspettato!
Finaletto Di si felice innesto serbiam memoria eterna?

CAST

COUNT ALMAVIVA  SYLWESTER SMULCZYŃSKI
FIGARO  ROBERT SZPRĘGIEL
ROSINA ANETA ŁUKASZEWICZ 
DON BARTOLO  ROBERT GIERLACH
DON BASILIO  WOJCIECH GIERLACH
BERTA JUSTYNA STĘPIEŃ

THE ORCHESTRA OF THE POLISH ROYAL OPERA

CONDUCTOR DAWID RUNTZ

Duration: 1 h 15 min.