Il barbiere di Siviglia

World premiere: 20 February 1816, Teatro Argentina, Rome
Premiere of this production: 26 March 2009, Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg  

Running time 3 hours 25 minutes
The performance has two intervals

SYNOPSIS
Count Almaviva is in love with the beautiful Rosina, and she is prepared to answer his amorous overtones, but she has a guardian – Dr Bartolo, who wishes to marry his ward because of her vast dowry. Mistrustful of Rosina, he hastens on with the wedding.
The Count asks his old friend Figaro, whom he has met by chance near Bartolo’s home and who has told him details of the relationship between Rosina and her guardian, for assistance in gaining access to the doctor’s house in order to see the young girl in secret. Figaro advises the Count to disguise himself as a soldier and pretend to be drunk and demand lodgings from the doctor to sleep it off. Figaro himself comes to the doctor in the guise of a patient.
Meanwhile, Don Basilio, Rosina’s singing teacher, finding out about Count Almaviva’s fervent passions, hurries to warn the doctor and advises him to defame his rival in the eyes of Rosina. The appearance of a drunken soldier (Almaviva in disguise) enrages Bartolo. In the ensuing chaos, the doctor notices that the “soldier” is trying to pass a note to Rosina unobserved. A furious skirmish flares up once again with new energy. Figaro calls for the police, thanks to whose arrival the Count succeeds in escaping from a highly undesirable situation.
Having suffered initial failure, Almaviva takes new measures to meet with Rosina. This time he appears as music teacher Don Alonso, apparently sent instead of Don Basilio who has fallen ill. This time the Count succeeds in declaring his love to Rosina and, despite the fact that because of Dr Bartolo’s schemes Rosina has all but lost faith in the sincerity of the emotions of her ardent admirer, the lovers nonetheless succeed in making peace and agree to flee. Their plans are almost ruined by the appearance of Don Basilio and his notary, who have come to draw up the marriage licence between the doctor and Rosina. But Bartolo is not at home. Seizing the opportunity, Count Almaviva bribes Don Basilio, and he agrees to be a witness to the marriage contract concluded between Count Almaviva and Rosina.
Even the appearance of the indignant Dr Bartolo can no longer ruin the joy of the lovers.