Theatre
The Barber of Seville
Le Barbier de Séville
Opening lines
Le Comte
Le jour est moins avancé que je ne croyois. L'heure à laquelle elle a coutume de se montrer derrière sa jalousie est encore éloignée.
The day is less advanced than I thought. The hour at which she usually appears behind her blind is still far off.
Translation by Erostrate
Text quoted from gutenberg.org
Synopsis
In Seville, Count Almaviva, who calls himself Lindor and passes for a student, courts Rosine, the young ward of the old Doctor Bartholo, who keeps her locked up and intends to marry her himself. In the street he meets Figaro, his former valet turned barber, who has access to the house and becomes his accomplice. Disguises and ruses then follow one another to deceive the guardian's watchfulness.
Context
The play, at first conceived as an opéra-comique, ran for several years into the obstacles of censorship. Premiered at the Comédie-Française on 23 February 1775, it disappointed at first, then triumphed once reduced to four acts. Its full title is Le Barbier de Séville ou la Précaution inutile. It opens the so-called Figaro trilogy, continued by Le Mariage de Figaro and La Mère coupable.
Who it is for
A comedy in four acts and in prose, driven at a gallop, requiring no knowledge of classical theatre.
Prizes and reception
It inspired two operas, by Paisiello in 1782 and by Rossini in 1816, the second of which is one of the most famous in the repertoire.
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