The Barber of Seville: Brno National Theater

Over het evenement

Indulge yourself with a night of classic (and funny!) opera in the opulent Mahen theatre.

Nearly everyone today knows the character of the sharp‐witted barber, Figaro, thanks to Gioachino Rossini who in December 1815 promised the impresario of the Teatro di Torre Argentina in Rome that he would produce a comic opera for the carnival season. It is said that after receiving the libretto he wrote the score for The Barber of Seville in just over a fortnight. The libretto written by Cesare Sterbini was based on the French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville (1775). Giovanni Paisiello had already composed an opera based on the same play, and with his permission, Sterbini and Rossini set about rewriting their own version of the opera.

The first performance of The Barber of Seville was on 20th February 1816 however it was a disaster due to several on‐stage incidents and the hissing of supporters of Rossini’s rival, Paisiello. Nevertheless, the second performance was a success and from that performance on and two centuries later, The Barber of Seville is one of the most popular and most performed pieces in the whole operatic repertoire. The composer’s masterpiece, written in the opera buffa style, remains as tuneful, ironic and uproariously funny as ever.

Ondrej Olos, conductor