Gioacchino Rossini
Il Barbiere di siviglia The Washington Opera’s Student Guide to the Student Matinee Set near Seville, Spain, in the late eighteenth century
ct I Count Almaviva has hired a band to sweetly serenade Rosina under her balcony. When she remains inside her room, the Count, is offended and kicks the musicians out of the square. While in the square, the Count bumps into his servant Figaro. Figaro explains that he has a hand in managing Dr. Bartolo’s household and that Rosina is Dr. Bartolo’s ward, not daughter, like the Count thought. After a brief discussion Figaro agrees to help the Count win Rosina, as long as he is well paid for the job. While they are chatting, Rosina walks out onto her balcony with a note for the Count. She realizes that her guardian, Dr. Bartolo, is following her and drops the note to the ground for the Count to find. Dr. Bartolo brings her back into the house and the Count gets the note. He reads that Rosina is definitely interested, but
she wants to know more about him. While he and Figaro are trying to decide what to do, Bartolo runs out of the house shouting that he is going to marry Rosina. Acting fast, Figaro throws the Count his guitar and tells him to sing to Rosina, saying that he is a poor student named Lindoro and is Figaro’s cousin. The Count wants Rosina to love him for him, not his money and title. The plan works and Rosina is swept away. Meanwhile, Figaro thinks the Count can get into Dr. Bartolo’s house if he acts like a drunken soldier who needs a room. Scene Two opens with Rosina alone in the courtyard, trying to figure out a way to get rid of Dr. Bartolo. Helpful Figaro comes wandering up, followed by Bartolo, who is complaining because Figaro’s “cold remedies” have made his staff sick. Don Basilio, the music teacher and marriage broker, drops in to tell Bartolo that Count Almaviva, whose love for Rosina is well known to everyone, is in town. Dr. Bartolo is upset and tells Basilio that he needs to get married as soon as possible. Basilio agrees, as long as he gets more money. Figaro eavesdrops on Basilio and Dr. Bartolo then tells Rosina everything the two men said. He also makes Rosina give him a letter he can give to “his cousin,” aka Count Almaviva, so he knows she is still interested. Figaro leaves and Dr. Bartolo enters and gives