To say the fates had thrown down many impediments to the premiere of Gioachino Rossini’s (1792-1868) Barber of Seville at the Teatro Argentina in Rome on 20 February 1816 would be an understatement. Rossini was said to have based the original Overture to The Barber of Seville, appropriately enough, on Spanish themes. That piece, however, was lost in transit somewhere between Bologna and Rome, and Rossini, rather than recreating it or writing another one, simply replaced it with the instrumental overture he had composed for Elisabetta in Naples the year before.
There are well-documented instances of a main character at the premiere tripping over a prop during his entrance and falling flat on his face. Another singer had the misfortune of plummeting through a trap door that had accidentally been left open; a character in the midst of his serenade broke a string on his accompanying instrument; and another poor fellow didn’t find his mark and walked directly into the scenery.
It was also the case that The Barber of Seville had already been set by the senior composer, Giovanni Paisiello. Paisiello and his allies in the audience did their best to disrupt the performance. Also, during one of the opera’s most climactic scenes, a cat strode across the stage, eliciting giggles from the audience and the cast as well. Rossini could bear no more and left the theater before the opera’s curtain calls.
Fortunately for Rossini, the second performance went very smoothly, allowing the audience to recognize the genius of The Barber of Seville. Fearing more disasters Rossini had remained at home worrying about what was happening at the thearer when he heard an uproar in the street. Peering out of his window, he saw a large group of people shouting and carrying torches as they approached his door. He feared they were coming to harm him, until he heard the words, “Viva Rossini” (“Long live Rossini”) all in praise of him and his wonderful opera.
