Giacchino Rossini
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA

In a Seville square, at dawn.
The Count of Almaviva is fond of Rosina, a rich girl protected by Don Bartolo. He tries to obtain her attention by a serenade. But nobody shows at the balcony, so Almaviva hides under a portico, waiting for a better moment. In the meantime he heards at a distance the voice of Figaro, barber and factotum della citty, well known and appreciated in Seville. He too arrives near Don Bartolo's house, longing to marry Rosina to earn her marriage portion, and he meets the Count, an old friend of his, and promises him to be of help.

Figaro is renowned in Bartolo's home not only as a barber, but also as speziale. This will allow him to introduce the Count to Bartolo without too much suspicions.

In that moment Rosina appears on the balcony: she has a hand-written note she'd like to throw at the singer of the serenade, but Don Bartolo arrives and she is forced to stop. She has to fool Bartolo, telling him that the note contains only the words of the Aria Inutil Precauzione, and she swiftly drops the note. Almaviva takes it promptly. The old Bartolo angrily goes out, locking the balcony door, and goes to prepare his wedding with Rosina. In the meantime Almaviva reads the note, and sings another serenade to Rosina, pretending to be a poor student named Lindoro. He does so because he does not want to conquer Rosina's heart by his noble birth and by his money. At the end of the serenade Figaro proposes to Almaviva a plan to go into Don Bartolo's house. He will disguise himself as a Royal Army soldier, and will commandeer a room in Bartolo's house. Moreover, he will pretend to be drunk, to avoid being considered a rival by the suspicious old man.


In a room of Don Bartolo's house.
Rosina would like to send another note to Lindoro and asks for Figaro's help. The conversation is abruptly truncated by the coming of Bartolo with Rosina's music teacher, Don Basilio. Bartolo and Basilio start a conversation: the old man wants to hurry with the wedding and to send Almaviva out of Seville. Basilio gives his advice: to get rid of the Count by a calumny. Shortly after they go away to write the wedding contract, so Figaro and Rosina can meet again.

The barber tells her that Bartolo wants to marry her on the following day, and that Lindoro wants to meet her. The girl gives her note to Figaro in an envelope...