Transcript Listening and Responding The Barber of Seville (Il Barbiere Di

Listening and Responding
The Barber of Seville (Il Barbiere Di
Saviglia)

Composed by Rossini (1792 – 1868)
Very popular opera composer
- Born in Pesaro, Italy
- Learned music from his parents
- His father played the horn and the
trumpet, and his mother was an opera
singer.
- Rossini learned to play piano and sing
when he was young.
Operas

 He composed his first opera when he was 18.
 His most famous works were ‘The Barber of Seville’
and ‘William Tell’.
 After composing William Tell, he stopped
composing operas altogether.
Summary of ‘The
Barber of Seville’

Century – Bartolo is trying to get Rosina to marry
 18th
him because she has a good dowry.
 Count Almaviva falls in love with Rosina. He does not
want to be recognised, so he disguises himself in public.
He wants Rosina to love him for himself, not because of
who he is.
 Almaviva gets Figaro (The Barber) to help him win
Rosina’s heart.
 There is a race against time for Almaviva to marry
Rosina, before Bartolo gets back. The story has many
comic moments.

The Barber of Seville

• Part 1 (0.00 – 2.00 mins.)
• Describe the opening of the piece.
Use words like: dramatic, loud, soft, crescendo
Part 2 – (2.00 – 3.24)

• Does the music change for this part? If so, how
would you describe it?
Use words like: tempo, crescendo, frantic, call and
answer, ominous.
Part 3 – (3.24 – 4.02
mins.)

 Describe how the music sounds in this section. Is it
different in any way to what has gone before? Does it
sound brighter or more positive?
Part 4 – (4.02 – 4.38
mins.)

 Is there a big difference between the music at 4.02
and 4.38? Describe this.
Part 5 – (4.42 – 5.12)

 Do you recognise this part of the music? Has it been
played before? If so, when was it played: Part 1,2,3 or
4?
Part 6 – (5.12 – 5.50)

 How does the music change here? Does the mood
seem dark or bright? Is it loud or soft? Does the
tempo get faster, slower, or does it stay at a steady
pace?
Part 7 – (5.50 – Finish)

 This is the finale of the whole piece. Describe it using
some of the vocabulary you have learned since the
start of the piece.