Moments to Listen For
Christopher Franklin
MN Opera Principal Conductor
NOTE: The following was originally written by MN Opera Principal Conductor Christopher Franklin as a quote to Rob Hubbard for a story that ran in the Minnesota Star Tribune on April 30, 2025.
When preparing a production of Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia, I’m always amazed at the fact that he wrote this piece in just a few weeks! Rossini was a famously prolific and facile composer, who oftentimes even refashioned some of his own music to fulfil upcoming commissions (like most composers in those days). In fact, he had actually composed the famous overture for Barbiere di Siviglia as the overture to an earlier opera, Aureliano in Palmira, which he then conveniently also reused for Elisabetta regina d’Inghilterra—both premiered before Barbiere. There wasn’t YouTube or Spotify back then, so you could steal from anyone, especially yourself. So, even though the sharp wit and sprightly nature of this overture perfectly embody the character of the Barber himself, its composition was interestingly several years earlier.
The two pieces which stand out in my mind, in a score full of memorable musical moments, are the Act 1 Finale, and the Quintet in the second act. The Act 1 Finale starts when the tenor, Count Almaviva—disguised as a drunken soldier—has finally finagled his way into Rosina’s home, and all the madcap adventures that follow. The stunning, whirlwind concertato finale “Mi par d’esser con la testa”—literally, “my head is spinning”—is a classic example of the “Rossini crescendo,” meaning a subtle, continuous repetition of a musical idea in various tonalities which builds towards an explosive conclusion to end the act.
The quintet in the second act is when Count Almaviva, this time disguised as Don Alonso (the guy doesn’t give up…you gotta give him credit), is standing in for a supposedly indisposed Don Basilio and has, once again, infiltrated the home of Rosina. The opening chords of the quintet represent Don Basilio’s unexpected appearance! Once again mass mayhem ensues as everyone tries to cover their tracks and keep the façade going—they even insinuate that poor Don Basilio has scarlet fever and must return to bed! This is also the musical number where Don Bartolo (Rosina’s protector and unwanted suitor) has his famous shaving scene, complete with foam and razor. Bartolo discovers the young lovers plotting behind his back and explodes in fury, driving the end of this quintet to an exhilarating finish, where the singers are stretched to the limits of their vocal technique with quick pitter-patter phrases.
There is one other magical musical number in this opera, which is the “Temporale,” or “Storm” movement. There are several other examples of music like this in the early 19th century, the most famous of which is the storm movement in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 “Pastorale.” The placement of this piece is dramaturgically quite poignant, as it comes just after Rosina has been led to believe that her lover Lindoro has been wooing her for a different man, the Count Almaviva (Lindoro is actually the Count in disguise). The rain in this storm has been described as Rosina’s tears and frustration, which are all resolved in the end when the truth is revealed. The storm itself starts out slow with strings at the tip of the bow imitating the first few raindrops, then building into a raging tempest, complete with full orchestral outbursts and added thunder in the bass drum.
Happy listening.
