The Barber of Seville
Opera Brava's production of Rossini's
The Barber of Seville
SYNOPSIS
In the late eighteenth century Seville, a young girl, Rosina, is kept a virtual prisoner by her guardian, Doctor Bartolo, who hopes to marry her when she is of age and enrich himself from her dowry. The young and ardent Count Almaviva, who wants Rosina to love him for himself and not for his wealth or title, engages the help of Figaro, the local factotum and his former servant, to frustrate Bartolo’s plan and marry Rosina himself.
act i
SCENE 1 OUTSIDE DOCTOR BARTOLO’S HOUSE
Count Alamviva, disguised as a student called Lindoro, is serenading Rosina, but is having little success. Figaro arrives, once the Count’s servant but now the local barber, town fixer and also an employee of the Doctor. Almaviva engages Figaro to help him get access to the house, and Figaro tells the Count to disguise himself as a soldier in search of a billet. He agrees and a later meeting is arranged.
SCENE 2 INSIDE DOCTOR BARTOLO’S HOUSE
Rosina sings of Lindoro whose voice she has heard. When she leaves, Bartolo and Basilio enter. Bartolo is suspicious of “Lindoro”, and the devious Basilio proposes blackening the Count’s name with a little slander. They both leave and Rosina comes back with Figaro, who urges her to write a letter of encouragement to her suitor, - something she has already done. When they go, Almaviva, now disguised as a drunken soldier, comes to the door demanding lodging and frightening the housekeeper, Berta. Bartolo insists that he has exemption form any requirement to billet soldiers, while, in an aside, Almaviva tells Rosina of his true identity and passes her a love letter. Bartolo demands to see the letter and know its contents but she deftly swaps it for a laundry list. The noisy argument attracts the police officer who then attempts to arrest the “soldier”, but relents when Almaviva reveals his name. In the finale to the Act, Bartolo and Basilio are astonished and baffled by the goings on but Figaro and the conspirators are greatly amused.
act ii
SCENE 1 THE MUSIC ROOM IN THE DOCTOR’S HOUSE
The Count returns, this time dressed as a priest and singing tutor, supposedly come to take the place of an ailing Basilio. He eventually allays Bartolo’s suspicions, and begins his “music lesson” with Rosina, under the Doctor’s watchful eye. When Figaro arrives to shave him, Bartolo insists that it be done there in the same room so that Rosina is not left unchaperoned. There is consternation when Basilio arrives, but he is persuaded of his ill health with a purse of money. As he leaves, all agree on his sickly palour.
SCENE 2 OUTSIDE BARTOLO’S HOUSE
Bartolo tells Basilio to arrange for a notary to be ready to witness his marriage to Rosina, explaining how he intends to discredit Almaviva in the girl’s eyes. Basilio leaves and when Rosina enters, Bartolo shows her the letter she wrote and convinces her that her Lindoro is only an agent of the Count, who is toying with her affections. Reluctantly, she accepts the story and agrees to marry Bartolo. Later, Almaviva arrives with Figaro carrying a ladder to get into Rosina’s room. The two lovers are reconciled, and Figaro urges them to leave quickly before they are discovered. When Basilio and the notary approach, the others try to leave but find the ladder has been removed. More consternation, for although Figaro can act as a witness to a marriage between Almaviva and Rosina, Basilio is needed as the necessary second witness. Threatened with a choice between a bribe and a bullet, Basilio agrees and the marriage is solemnized. Too late, Bartolo bursts in with the police officer, but when allowed to keep Rosina’s dowry as consolation, he concedes. All ends happily!