Севильский цирюльник by Rossini, сбт 21 янв. 2023, С (2023/2023), Режиссер Jitka Stokalska, Дирижёр Dawid Runtz, Lilianna Krych, Muzeum Łazienki Królewskie, Варшава, Польша

Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) is one of the most famous works of Gioacchino Rossini. Although it was written in only three weeks, it became one of the greatest achievements of the opera buffa. The opera is filled with unusual musical themes, masterful arias, and humorous dialogues. The wonderful music is enhanced by the great libretto by Cesare Sterbini, based on Pierre Beaumarchais’s play. It’s not widely remembered today, but the world premiere of Rossini’s famous opera was staged under the title Almaviva, ossia L’inutile precauzione (Almaviva, or Unnecessary Caution). The original title was changed in order to win the favour of the Roman public. The creators feared that the use by young Rossini of a fragment on which the respected Giovanni Paisiello based his own opera might meet with negative reception. And that indeed happened. The explanations included in the programme and the consent of the said master brought no result. All attempts to calm down the situation proved in vain, and the premiere staged in Rome’s Teatro Argentina on 20th February 1816 was a complete failure. However, the second show won the audience’s approval. Soon, the opera became famous not only in Italy but also worldwide. It still entertains and marvels today, under Rossini’s original literary title Il barbiere di Siviglia.