ody
as inexhaustible in inspiration as it was novel in form, a natural
instinct for instrumental colour, and a firm conviction that brevity was
the soul of wit. He leapt into fame with 'Tancredi,' which was produced
in 1813 and established his reputation as a composer of opera seria. In
opera buffa, a field in which his talents shone even more brilliantly,
his earliest success was made with 'L'Italiana in Algeri' (1813), which
was followed in 1815 by the world-famous 'Barbiere di Siviglia.' This
was originally produced in Rome under the name of 'Almaviva,' and
strangely enough, proved an emphatic failure. For this, however, the
music was scarcely responsible. The people of Rome were at that time
devotees of the music of Paisiello, and resented the impertinence of the
upstart Rossini in venturing to borrow a subject which had already been
treated by the older master. 'Il Barbiere' soon recovered from the shock
of its unfriendly reception, and is now one of the very few of Rossini's
works which have survived to the present day. The story is bright and
amusing and the music brilliant and exhilarating, but it is to be feared
that the real explanation of the continued success of the little opera
lies in the opportunity which it offers to the prima donna of
introducing her favourite _cheval de bataille_ in the lesson scene. The
scene of the opera is laid at Seville. Count Almaviva has fallen in
love with Rosina, a fascinating damsel, whose guardian, Bartolo, keeps
her under lock and key, in the hope of persuading her to marry himself.
Figaro, a ubiquitous barber, who is in everybody's confidence, takes the
Count under his protection, and contrives to smuggle him into the house
in the disguise of a drunken soldier. Unfortunately this scheme is
frustrated by the arrival of the guard, who arrest the refractory hero
and carry him off to gaol. In the second act the Count succeeds in
getting into the house as a music-master, but in order to gain the
suspicious Bartolo's confidence he has to show him one of Rosina's
letters to himself, pretending that it was given him by a mistress of
Almaviva. Bartolo is delighted with the news of the Count's infidelity
and hastens to tell the scandal to Rosina, whose jealousy and
disappointment nearly bring Almaviva's deep-laid schemes to destruction.
Happily he finds an opportunity of persuading her of his constancy while
her guardian's back is turned, and induces her to elope before Bartolo
has d