Rossini’s Overture to Barber of Seville

By Elinore Foreman, Violinist, Young Musicians Debut Orchestra

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) was an Italian composer well-known for his comedic operas. He grew up immersed in a musical family, with his father being a trumpeter and hornist for miscellaneous bands and orchestras and his mother an opera singer. Gioachino showed an early talent for music and spent his entire childhood in theater, setting him up for a future career in music. At age 14, he composed his first opera at Bologna’s Philharmonic School, then at age 15, he learned to play different instruments like the violin, horn, harpsichord, and eventually became a full-time conductor and composer. 

Throughout his life, Rossini composed more than forty operas, with a focus on comedic operas. His operas broke many traditional forms with embellished melodies and unusual rhythms, among other unique qualities. Rossini’s most popular opera, Barber of Seville, is set in Spain. The opera tells the story of Count Almaviva, who falls in love with the beautiful Rosina. Almaviva must rescue his true love from her guardian, Bartolo, who is plotting to marry Rosina himself, to get her wealth. 

Throughout the opera, the Count orchestrates many chaotic schemes to evade Bartolo and get close to Rosina. Almaviva eventually follows Rosina and Bartolo to Seville disguised as a poor student, but Bartolo soon discovers his disguise and sends him away.

Almaviva asks Figaro, the local barber of Seville, for help because Figaro knows everything about everyone in the city. Figaro helps him with multiple disguises to trick Bartolo. Bartolo thwarts all of Almaviva’s disguises until he disguises himself as a music teacher. Finally, Almaviva tricks everyone and marries Rosina, saving her from a life with Bartolo.

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Works Cited

Caussou, Jean-Louis . “Gioachino Rossini | Italian Composer | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Gioachino-Rossini

“The Barber of Seville | Opera Synopsis & Guide.” English National Opera, www.eno.org/operas/the-barber-of-seville/#:~:text=What%20is%20The%20Barber%20of