Joyce DiDonato as Rosina, Juan Diego Flórez as Count Almaviva, Pietro Spagnoli as Figaro, Alessandro Corbelli as Doctor Bartolo, Ferruccio Furlanetto as Don Basilio, Jennifer Rhys-Davies as Berta and men of the Royal Opera Chorus in 'Mi par d'esser con la testa' from the Act I finale of Gioachino Rossini's opera Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville). Find out more at The 23-year-old Gioachino Rossini completed his masterpiece Il barbiere di Siviglia incredibly quickly – legend has it in just 13 days – which Rossini attributed to ‘facility and lots of instinct’. He drew on Pierre-Augustin Beaumarchais’ play Le Barbier de Seville – part of a dramatic trilogy that also inspired Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. The opera is characterized by youthful energy and bold wit: qualities brought to the fore in Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier’s colourful production.
Il barbiere di Siviglia has all the ingredients for comic chaos: an imprisoned young woman, her lecherous guardian and a young noble suitor. Skilfully plotting behind the scenes is Figaro – an irrepressible and inventive character in whom many have seen a resemblance to the young Rossini himself. The score fizzes with musical brilliance, from Figaro’s famous entrance aria ‘Largo al factotum’ to the frenzy of the Act I finale, when the five principal voices pile on top of each other. Within a few decades of its 1816 premiere, Il barbiere di Siviglia had been toured round the world, reaching opera houses in New York, Buenos Aires, Trinidad and Ecuador. It has remained one of the most prominent and popular operas in the repertory.
Watch videos with other singers performing Don Basilio!:
FIGARO interrompendo Or che s'aspetta? Questa barba benedetta la facciamo sì o no?
BARTOLO a Figaro Ora vengo! a Basilio E ... ii Curiale?
BASILIO stupito Il Curiale?…
CONTE interrompendo, a Basilio Io gli ho narrato che già tutto è combinato. Non è ver? …
BARTOLO Sì, tutto io so.
BASILIO Ma, Don Bartolo, spiegatevi …
CONTE a Bartolo, interrompendolo Ehi, Dottore, una parola. a Basilio Don Basilio, son da voi. a Bartolo Ascoltate un poco qua. Son da voi, son da voi, ascoltate un poco qua. piano Fate un po' ch'ei vada via, ch'ei ci scopra ho gran timore: della lettera, signore, ci l'affare ancor non sa.
BARTOLO piano al Conte Dite bene, mio signore; or lo mando via di qua.
ROSINA tra sé Io mi sento il cor tremar!
FIGARO piano a Rosina Non vi state a disperar.
BASILIO tra sé Ah, qui certo v' un pasticcio; non l'arrivo a indovinar.
CONTE a Basilio Colla febbre, Don Basilio, che v'insegna a passeggiar?…
Figaro ascoltando con attenzione si prepara asecondare il Conte.
BASILIO stupito Colla febbre?
CONTE E che vi pare? Siete giallo come un morto.
BASILIO stupito Sono giallo come un morto?
FIGARO tastando il polso a Basilio Bagattella! Cospetton! Che tremarella! Questa febbre scarlattina! …
BASILIO Scarlattina?
CONTE Dà a Basilio una borsa di soppiatto. Via, prendete medicina, non vi state a rovinar.
FIGARO Presto, presto, andate a letto …
CONTE Voi paura inver mi fate …
ROSINA Dice bene, andate, a letto …
TUTTI Presto, andate a riposar.
BASILIO stupito, tra sé Una borsa! ... Andate a letto! … Ma che tutti sian d'accordo!
TUTTI Presto a letto.
BASILIO Eh, non son sordo. Non mi faccio più pregar.
FIGARO Che color! …
CONTE Che brutta cera! …
BASILIO Brutta cera?…
CONTE, FIGARO e BARTOLO Oh, brutta assai! …
English Libretto or Translation:
ROSINA Don Basilio!
COUNT (What do I see!)
FIGARO (How unfortunate!)
BARTOLO How come you are here?
BASILIO At your service, one and all.
BARTOLO (What is this new turn of affairs?)
ROSINA
(What will happen to us?)
COUNT and FIGARO (We must act boldly.)
BARTOLO Don Basilio, how are you feeling?
BASILIO How am I feeling?
FIGARO What are you waiting for? That blessed beard of yours, shall I shave it or not?
BARTOLO (to Figaro) In a minute. (to Basilio) And...the notary?
BASILIO The notary...
COUNT I have already told him that everything is arranged. (to Bartolo) Is it not true? "BARTOLO Yes, yes I know it all.
BASILIO But, Don Bartolo, explain to me...
COUNT Doctor, one word... Don Basilio, I'll be with you. (to Bartolo) Listen to me for a moment. (aside to Figaro) Try and get rid of him, or I fear he will expose us.
ROSINA I feel my heart tremble.
FIGARO Don't be alarmed.
COUNT (to Bartolo) Of the letter, sir, he as yet knows nothing.
BASILIO (There is something going on which I certainly cannot fathom.)
COUNT I fear he will expose us; he as yet knows nothing.
BARTOLO You are right, sir. I will immediately send him away.
COUNT With such a fever, Don Basilio,
who told you to go out?
BASILIO What fever?
COUNT What do you think? You are yellow as a corpse.
BASILIO I am yellow as a corpse?
FIGARO Good Heaven, my man, you are all of a tremble! You must have scarlet fever!
BASILIO Scarlet fever!
COUNT (secretly handing Basilio a purse of money) Go take some medicine. Don't stay here and kill yourself.
FIGARO Quickly, quickly, go to bed.
COUNT I am really afraid for you.
ROSINA He is right, go home to bed... "BARTOLO, ROSINA, COUNT and FIGARO
Quickly, go and have some rest.
BASILIO (A purse!...Go to bed! As long as they are all of one mind!)
BARTOLO, ROSINA, COUNT and FIGARO Quickly to bed, quickly to bed...