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With a single wave of my wand,I shall lull vigilance,awaken love,outwit jealousy,baffle intrigue and overcome all obstacles

- Figaro, Le Barbier de Séville, Beaumarchais

A masterpiece of opera buffa, The Barber of Seville still enjoys the same success as it did at its first performance in 1816. Inspired by Beaumarchais’ play of the same name, Rossini remained faithful to the narrative simplicity of the play whilst portraying characters bubbling over to the relentless rhythm of the score. Overture and arias alike rapidly gained in notoriety. Damiano Michieletto’s frenetically vivid production alternates smoothly between picturesque realism and dreamlike fantasy in a single, monumental set making this Barber of Seville a wildly eccentric comedy with a ring of truth.