The Barber of Seville

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Synopsis

    Place: Seville, Spain
    Time: 18th century

First part

Act 1
A square in Seville. Accompanied by a few hungry and undisciplined musicians, Count Almaviva serenades under the window of the girl he loves, young Rosina, the ward of doctor Bartolo. Figaro, Bartolo’s barber arrives. The Count recognises his old servant and asks for his help to enable him to draw closer to his beloved. Rosina appears on the balcony and drops a note. In it she encourages her suitor to pursue his quest. Almaviva hastily picks up the note and, assuming the identity of Lindoro, a penniless and love-struck student, he answers with another serenade. Tempted by Almaviva’s largesse, Figaro agrees to help him get into the house of the old doctor. He advises Almaviva to disguise himself as a soldier, and then, furnished with a billeting order, to requisition a room in Bartolo’s house.

A room in the Bartolo household. Rosina declares her determination to break out of the gilded cage in which her guardian holds her prisoner. Meanwhile, Basilio, her music teacher, has just alerted Bartolo that Count Almaviva is in Seville, and that the latter is said to be in love with Rosina. The news is of great concern to Bartolo, who, eager to get his hands on Rosina’s dowry, has set his sights on marrying his charge. Together with Basilio, he looks for a way to discredit Almaviva in the eyes of Rosina, perhaps a campaign of slander…

In keeping with Figaro’s plan, the Count disguises himself as a soldier. Feigning drunkenness, he bursts into the house. Despite the protestations of Bartolo, Almaviva presents the billeting order. A lively dispute breaks out between the two men and the altercation provokes the arrival of the guard. However, the commanding officer, who has been discretely informed as to the true identity of the noble troublemaker, leaves without making an arrest, much to Bartolo’s astonishment.  

 

Second part

Act2
Bartolo’s home. This time Almaviva introduces himself as Basilio’s student. After announcing that the music teacher is ill, he explains that he has been sent as a replacement to give Rosina her singing lesson. He manages to win Bartolo’s trust by offering to help him discredit the Count in the eyes of the young girl. Just then, Figaro arrives to shave Bartolo in order to distract his attention and to facilitate the meeting between Rosina and the bogus music teacher. Basilio arrives unexpectedly to the great surprise of Bartolo who had thought he was ill.

A well-lined purse suffices to convince Basilio that he truly is sick and that he should take to his bed. Meanwhile Bartolo surprises the lovers’ tryst. Furious, he chases the bogus music teacher out of the house and decides to hasten his plans to marry Rosina. He manages to convince her that her suitor is making fun of her on behalf of a third party who seeks to seduce her.

Distraught, the young girl decides to take her revenge by marrying her guardian. Night falls and a storm breaks out. Figaro and the Count discreetly enter the house but Rosina rebuffs the young man. The misunderstanding is quickly resolved and the lovers make up. A notary arrives to sign the wedding contract between Rosina and Bartolo. Figaro turns the situation to their advantage and persuades him to sign the contract between Rosina and Almaviva, with Basilio as a witness. The offer of a precious ring and the threat of a pistol are enough to convince Basilio to betray Bartolo.

The contract is signed. When Bartolo arrives he is intent on stopping Almaviva but it is too late. The marriage is proclaimed and the Count reveals his true identity. The doctor has little choice but to accept. The Count’s promise to leave him the dowry of his ward calms his anger.  

 

CHARACTERS

Count Almaviva: A young Spanish nobleman in love with Rosina
Bartolo: An old greybeard who is Rosina’s guardian
Rosina: Bartolo’s ward
Figaro: Bartolo’s barber, formerly in the service of Count Almaviva
Don Basilio: Rosina’s music teacher
Fiorello: The Count’s servant
Bertha: Bartolo’s old maid

Program and cast

Opera buffa in two acts (1816)

After Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais

 

Creative team

Gioacchino Rossini - Music(1792-1868)

Cesare Sterbini - Libretto

Diego Matheuz - Conductor

Damiano Michieletto - Director

Paolo Fantin - Set design

Silvia Aymonino - Costume design

Fabio Barettin - Lighting design

Alessandro Di Stefano - Chorus master

 

Cast

Isabel Leonard - Rosina(10 > 25 June)

Aigul Akhmetshina - Rosina(June 28 > July 13)

Mattia Olivieri - Figaro

Levy Sekgapane - The Tale of Almaviva

Carlo Lepore - Bartolo

Luca Pisaroni - Basilio

Andres Cascante - Fiorello

Margarita Polonskaya - Berta

Jian-Hong Zhao - An Official

The Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus

 

Language : Italian

Surtitle : French / English

Duration : 3h15 with 1 interval

Opening

First part - 100 minutes

Intermission 30 minutes

Second part - 65 minutes

End

Paris Opera Bastille

RM Europa Ticket GmbH is an officially accredited ticket reseller of/by Opera National de Paris.

 

Agency number: 4848428

 

Opéra Bastille


A great modern theatre


The Opéra Bastille is the work of the Canadian-Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, who was chosen in November 1983 after an international competition that attracted entries from some 1,700 architects. The theatre was inaugurated on July 13th 1989.
Its architecture is marked by transparent façades and by the use of identical materials for both the interiors and the exteriors.
With its 2,700 acoustically consistent seats, its unique stage facilities, its integrated scenery, costume and accessory workshops, as well as its numerous work areas and rehearsal rooms, the Opera Bastille is a great modern theatre.
Stage facilities

Orchestra pit, mobile and adjustable, can be covered; at its largest it can house 130 musicians
Main stage, 45 m high, 30 m wide, 25 m deep, made up of 9 elevators allowing several levels to be created and supported by three main elevators, which bring scenery up from below stage
Clearing zones, 4 storage areas with the same dimensions as the stage
Backstage area, with its scenery turntable
Circulation area, scenery temporarily stored between the stage, workshops and rehearsal stage
Rehearsal stage, the Salle Gounod, with its orchestra pit and dimensions identical to those of the main stage

 

The building

Area at ground level: 22,000 m²
Floor area: 160,000 m²
Total height: 80 m (including 30 m below street level)

 

The auditoriums
The main auditorium

Area: 1,200 m², 5% of the total for the building
Dimensions: 20 m high, 32 m deep, 40 m wide
Number of seats: 2,703
Materials: blue granite from Lannelin in Brittany, pearwood from China, glass ceiling

 

The amphitheatre

Area: 700 m²
Depth : 21.4 m
Number of seats : 450
Materials: white breccia marble from Verona, staff ceiling

 

The Studio

Area: 280 m²
Depth: 19,5 m
Number of seats: 237
Materials: white breccia marble from Verona and pearwood

 

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