Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) Overture to The Barber of
Seville (1816)
Most people would be astonished at the idea that
Figaro, the Barber of Seville, could have had any political influence away from
the opera house. Equally surprising would be the suggestion that Rossini and
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) were revolutionary in any way other than
musically.
Yet
both Rossini’s opera “The Barber of Seville” and Mozart’s opera “The Marriage
of Figaro” were based on plays of the same name by Pierre de Beaumarchais,
plays which Napoleon called “the revolution in action”—because of their
egalitarian treatment of servant and master.
The
French playwright de Beaumarchais supported the American Revolution and even
personally arranged to ship arms from France for 25,000 American soldiers.
“The
Barber of Seville” was written in less than two weeks, Rossini’s normal time
frame for his productions. The overture does not contain themes from the opera
itself, possibly because Rossini had previously used it for three other operas,
“Elisabetta”, “Aureliano” and “L’Equivicato Stravaganti”. “Barber” also used
arias and ensembles from yet another Rossini work, “La Cambiale de Matrimonio,”
written in 1810.
From
1811 5o 1818, Rossini staged at least three operas a year. By 1829, he had
written at least 39 such works.
Although
opera seems to have been mere business as usual for Rossini, his fellow
musicians greatly admired his work. Schubert in particular was influenced by
Rossini, and Beethoven admired his music.
Rossini
retired at age 37, a wealthy man, at the time of his greatest popularity. He
never wrote another opera and in fact composed very little for the rest of his
life—39 more years—though he continued to be honored throughout the western
world as the grand old man of music.
