Der Barbier von Sevilla

Black Dog Opera Library

by Oper in 2 Acten

Excerpt from Der Barbier von Sevilla

Fiorillo kommt mit einer brennenden Laterne und einer Guitarre von-links. Zwölf Musikanten, mit ihren Instrumenten versehen, schleichen von links herbei. Einige Diener mit brennenden Laternen folgen.

Genres: Music, Plays, Classics, Fiction, Italian Literature, Italy

224 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 1816

Reviews

[moi, k.y.a.]

kitabı keşfetmem o kadar alakasız bir şekilde oldu ki.. en gereksiz dersimin geçen haftalardaki konularından biri operaydı, onun üzerine çalışırken de öylesine Spotify’da Opera 100: Spotify Picks listesini açtım. Orada karşıma çıkan ilk şarkı da işte bu operadan bir kısımdı (bkn).

Çok hoşuma gidince araştırma ihtiyacı duydum, google amcayla takılırken de ki o sıra sözüm ona ödev yapıyorum, kendimi operanın YouTube videolarında falan buldum. En son da bir baktım ki kitabı varmış ve ben kopyasını bulmuşum.. yetmemiş üstün körü bakarken bazı yerleri anladığımı fark etmişim ve evvelsi gün, nasıl bi’ yürek yedimse artık, İtalyanca olan şu gördüğünüz operayı baştan okumaya başlamışım.

Hayır, İtalyanca ve Fransızca’nın aynı kökenden gelmesi (bkn: Latin dilleri) nedeniyle öğrenmek istersem çok zorlanmayacağımı hâli hazırda biliyordum ama genel olarak okuduğumu anlayacak düzeyde bir şey beklemiyordum kesinlikle. Ama bu deneyimden çok keyif aldım. Önceden İtalyanca’ya karşı çok bir şey hissetmezdim ama bunun üstüne içime bir öğrenme şevki geldi ve bugünden itibaren İtalyanca icraata başladım.

Öhöm, evet, artık İtalyanca öğreniyorum!

Perché sono pazzo!

Vallahi canım sıkıldıkça yeni bir dili öğrenmeye heves ediyorum, bunun farkındayım ama bu İtalyanca bayağı piyangodan çıkma oldu. Ben başka dilleri şeetcektim ama neyse artık.. başlamış bulunduk. 😅

Tabii bu demek oluyor kiii yakında daha çok italyanca kitap göreceksiniz!

[Danilo De rossi]

Leggere il libretto un’aria d’opera senza vederne la messa in scena è sempre un’operazione incompleta perché, di fatto, testi del genere nascono per essere rappresentati prima ancora che per essere letti. Ad ogni modo è un’aria classica nel senso più letterale del termine, anche nella sua struttura. È un’opera divertente, veloce, che si basa sull’inganno e sull’equivoco e che ha nel rapporto tra Figaro e il Conte d’Almaviva il vero punto di forza. Figaro mi ha richiamato alla mente il Leporello mozartiano, personaggio che amo molto. Forse Leporello ha una lingua più tagliente, Figaro invece una maggiore scaltrezza.

[Recensioni in tre parole]

Brillante. Energico. Buffo.

[Andrey]

didn't really enjoy this when i saw it, felt a little too boring in a way lol

[Danielle]

My favorite opera buffa. Hilarious with great music. I also really liked the black dog series.

[aaaabbbbbb aaaabbbbbb]

It's the first libretto I've ever read despite having a decent exposure to opera. In fact, I just saw Les Contes d'Hoffmann in Beijing's NCPA just last week, and I picked this up looking to get a little bit more of an opera fix.

It's kind of bizarre reading a libretto, for those who've never done it. You can very much sense the musicality of the language (my edition had Italian and English in two columns on each page) yet without the notation it's hard to imagine the meter, kind of like quasi free-verse.

The only reason this isn't five stars is because the use of the letter (the Count 'accidentally' giving it to Bartolo) in the plot seemed a bit convenient for such an otherwise grand and famous story - that is to say, if it was something written today, I would cringe just a bit at it.

Other than that, an absolutely charming story that could easily be translated into a grand production.

[Ødegård Solveig]

3.5 stars

[Susan Molloy]

I remember studying this in grade school, and although I really liked it then, I need to re-read it.

🎞 Filmstrip version.
📖 Read book version.

[Agnese Nespoli]

Dopo aver visto l’opera, io avrei scelto Figaro. He has the rizz!!

[Robert]

Komplett überdrehte Geschichte :)

[Ryan]

quite funny!

[Paco]

A gesture of goodwill to society, from Rossini. Forever grateful - still trying to reciprocate.

[Sarah]

I absolutely love this opera, it is classic funny and entertaining the whole way through, not to mention the complexity of the musical notation. This opera is great in my perspective because it makes good use of showing each character for who they are in a short period of time in a distinct manner. Reading operas is fascinating because it is the basis for theatrical productions and some of the comedies that we watch in our current time, and it is cool to witness the way that theatrical productions were created in the 1800's and compare them to what they are now. There are a lot of similarities and differences in the styles of writing and characterization of each character. Even though the time isn't modern you can choose to read it in a modern way, or you can read it in a way where you really get an essence for what comedy was like in the 1800's. My favorite part about this opera is the extravagance and ridiculousness of some of the characters. My two favorite being Don Bartolo and Figaro. They have some of the best lines and most ridiculous characteristics. Don Bartolo is always thinking that he is so much more attractive and clever than he really is in the opera which in itself is hilarious to read because everybody else in the opera lives to give him a hard time about it. Figaro is the Barber and he thinks he is the greatest thing, he is also the "mathcmaker" he brings together the two main characters that eventually get married by the end. I enjoy Figaro's character because he is clever and funny in the opera, which is a good thing for any opera to have because it keeps things interesting and makes people want to stay engaged in what is happening. There are many other smaller characters that create this comical opera such as Berta and Ambrogio the housekeepers who have hysterical characters Berta is always complaining about how insane Bartolos household is and Ambrogio is always falling asleep, i think these roles are small but important for an opera like this to have because it just puts in perspective how truly insane some of the people in the opera are.

[Two Readers in Love]

The following is not a review; I like to record the production information when I re-read the libretto and the Goodreads notes section does not have sufficient room..

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Watched encore Met in HD performance in the movie theater 10 July 2019, and then had a chance to re-watch this excellent production during the metopera.org pandemic stream on 20Oct2020: " A week of operatic comedies kicks off with Rossini’s ever-popular Il Barbiere di Siviglia. The 2007 Live in HD transmission stars baritone Peter Mattei as Figaro, mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato as Rosina, tenor Juan Diego Flórez as Count Almaviva, bass-baritone John Del Carlo as Dr. Bartolo, and bass-baritone John Relyea as Don Basilio. Maurizio Benini conducts Bartlett Sher’s riotous staging, available tonight, October 19, beginning at 7:30PM ET until tomorrow, October 20, at 6:30PM ET."

24Dec2020 - MetOpera.org stream of the Saturday, November 22, 2014 production. "A perfect comic trio join forces in Rossini’s ever-popular Il Barbiere di Siviglia. The 2014 Live in HD transmission stars baritone Christopher Maltman as Figaro, the barber of Seville, and mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard and tenor Lawrence Brownlee as the lovers Rosina and Count Almaviva. Michele Mariotti conducts Bartlett Sher’s exuberant staging, which also features bass-baritone Maurizio Muraro as Dr. Bartolo and bass Paata Burchuladze as Don Basilio. The full opera is available tonight, December 23, starting at 7:30PM ET until tomorrow, December 24, at 6:30PM ET."

[Bernardo Henríquez]

El estilo de esta ópera al principio me pareció muy clásico. Y no es sorpresa, esta ópera se estrenó unas décadas después de The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflote) in Full Score con Fidelio de Beethoven ensanduchado entre la última de Mozart y esta de Rossini.

Esta ópera bufa contiene muchas partes ágiles tanto en sílabas como en melismas, qué hacen alarde de las habilidades de los cantantes. La obertura es de esas obras sinfónicas que de vez en cuando "borran" las barlines y crean líneas melódicas muy lindas dentro de un ritmo ambiguo. Una de las arias contiene el famoso "Fígaro, Fígaro, Fígaro (bis.)"

Twas nice to finally finish it for once after only "reading the overture".

[Suni]

L'opera è un capolavoro, ma la musica ha un ruolo fondamentale, di conseguenza il libretto da solo si fa leggere (nonostante il linguaggio per forza di cose un po' ostico), è utile (senza non avrei capito bene tutto il meccanismo dello scambio dei biglietti), ma non può bastare e non gli do più di 3 stelline.

[Javier Fernandez]

After watching the searing double feature Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci yesterday, The Barber of Seville was just the nice soothing balm of comic relief that I needed today. The human Swiss army knife Figaro steals the show with the charm that is his hilarious aria "Largo al factotum". Could there be wedding bells in his future?

[Erik]

A fun little introduction to The Barber of Seville. Not only does the book include two CDs with the full opera (and a good recording to boot), but it also has the entire libretto and 20 page history of the opera. This is a good dip-your-toes-in-the-water type of book.

[Miriam]

I'm a relative newbie to opera, but I found The Barber of Seville super fun. I love Figaro's antics, as well as the lengths to which the Conte is willing to go in order to see his Rosina. Lots of slapstick, lots of farce - so many opportunities to laugh along to this opera.

[Ellee]

Would love to see this performed! I bet it's very entertaining. :)