The San Francisco Opera offers the most wonderful opera: The Barber of Seville. DO NOT MISS IT!  If you have seen this opera which is funny and has delightful and funny music, go again.   Now. If you have never seen it before, consider the tickets your birthday gift to yourself. Maybe for Father’s Day. Labor Day? Christmas is coming! Get tickets while you can. June 20, 2 p.m., and June 21, 2 p.m., are your opportunities to experience fantastic opera. IF you want to buy tickets now, you are of course allowed to leave this post and call or walk or fiddle around on the internet. Otherwise, here is some information which will encourage you to enjoy this opera.

The cast is excellent. There are two casts; I saw it with Joshua Hopkins, Figaro; Maria Kataeva, Rosina; Levy Sekgapane, Count Almaviva; Renato Girolami, Bartolo; Riccardo Fassi, Don Basilio; Catherine Cook, Berta; Oliver Zerouali, Fiorello; Gabiel Natal-Baez, Ambrogio; Thomas Kinch, An Officer; Andrew Truett, Notary.

The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution, was the first of three plays by the French playwright, Pierre Beaumarchais. The plays feature Figaro. Beaumarchais’ Figaro is a significant character for the world, especially France. He is The Common Man, which makes him uncommon. His actions in the plays shook up the society. What does it matter that the plays were produced in 1786? The French Revolution started in 1789. Figaro represented an average guy who believed in democracy. No guillotines for him, but there will be more than enough of that soon. The Marriage of Figaro was composed by Mozart, 1786. That is 30 years before Rossini’s.

The premiere of The Barber of Seville was in February 20, 1816, Teatro Argentina, in Rome. It was a disaster. A large part of the audience for the premiere were friends of one of Rossini’s rival. The second performance had a great, positive response. As I wrote, you had better get those tickets!

Time is going fast. I will post this information and then return with the summary of the plot.

The play opens with a poor student, Lindoro, serenades with musicians. He is not Lindoro, he is Count Almaviva and he wants Rosina to love him. You might keep track of Almaviva’s disguises, there might be four if you include the time when Almaviva goes back, briefly, to being Lindoro. Almaviva gives money to the musicians and is now alone. Rosina is the ward of the grumpy Dr. Bartolo; he is much older than Rosina. He keeps her at  home because he wants to marry her so he will get her large dowry.

Figaro enters singing: “Make way for the factotum of the city.” He used to be a servant of Count Almaviva; now he can help the Count. The Count wants Figaro to help him meet Rosina. Figaro has an idea: the Count stops being Lindoro and disguises himself as a soldier who is a little drunk. The law is that Bartolo has to keep a soldier in his house.

Rosina does not know Almaviva, but she does think of Lindoro. She wants to know him better. She leaves and Bratolo enters with the music teacher, Basilio. Bartolo is suspicious of the Bount. Basilio suggests that Barolo can spread rumors about the Count. Now that Barolo has a plan, he and Basilio exit. Rosina and Figaro enter. Figaro thinks Rosina should write a letter to Lindoro; she has already done that. Bartolo is surprised, but Rosina fools him.

Count Almaviva is now dressed as a soldier and acts like he is drunk. He demands to stay in Bartolo’s house. Bartolo claims he has an exemption that says he does not have to keep soldiers. He searches for the document, but Rosina gives him her laundry. The Count/Solidier argue. Figaro tells him he is disturbing the neighborhood. The Officer of the Watch and his troops crowd the room. Bartolo demands that the drunken soldier will be arrested, but the Count/Soldier know the Officer who leaves with his troops. Basilio and Bartolo are confused. Figaro laughs at Bartolo and Basilio. (Now is the time for my favorite song: “My head seems to be in a fiery forge: the sound of the anvils deafens the ear.”

ACT 2. more to come!