New-York tribune., 1909-07-04

act, the din being incessant from pellIl,s ftio~i
Rossini remained imperturbable; and when ~ Biz
Rlghetti, Garcia and Zanboni fastened 10 ms ms
co1I1d don street attire they found him asleep
The next day he wrote the cavstina LEGO niiScSY
Spanish song, borrowing the air from ms ,SE Swh
"Aureano composed two years perez tii ItiP esrIIer
work. When night came he feigned lllness 81 tis @
% escape the task OF GonduGts' ons ot The music
heard amid loud plaudlts and a IN "eeA 'N7
opera had scored a tremendous success
And now for the dramatic and musical contents
of ''u Barbere." At the very outset Rossini opens
the door for US to take a glimpse at the changes
IA musical manner which were wrought Dy tiine'
He had faulted PaisieIlo's opera because IN parts
Il had become antiquated. for which reason ne
had had new situations introduced to meet the
modern theatrical taste but he lived ftrty years
after I'll BarbIere'' had conquered the world ana
never took the trouble to write an overture for H.
though the originally composed Tor the opel@
had been lost after the first produeton- Inc
overture which leads into the opera nowadays
Is all very we'll in its way and striking example
of how piece OF music may benefit from fortu-
itous circumstances. Persons with fantastic III
aginatons have rhapsodlzed on It's apposNehesS'
and professed to hear in it the whispered pottngs
OF the lovers and the merry raillery CT Koslna'
contrasted with the futile ragings OF her grouty
guardian: but when RossinI composed this piece
OF music it's mission to Introduce an adventure
OF the Emperor Aurelian In Palmyra IN the tIiIU
century OF the Christian era Having served thaI
purpose, It became the prelude TO another opera
which dealt with Queen Elizabeth OF England, a
monarch who reIgned some twelve hundred years
after Aurelian- Again, before the melody no"
known as that Of Alnaviva's cavattna (Which
supplanted Garcias unlucky Spanish sonS) had
burst into the efiorescence which distinguishes
Il, Il came as a chorus from the mouths OF cyrus
and his PersIans In ancient Babylon. Truly, the
verIties OF time and place sat lightly on the Itahan
opera composers OF a hundred years ago But the
Herenade which follows the rising OF the curtain
preserves a custom more general at the time OF
Beaunarchais than now. though II Is not yet
obsolete. DR.. Bartolo, who is guardian Of the
fascinating Rosina, is In love with her. or at least
wishes for not entirely dissociated from
her money bags TO make her his wife, and there
fore keeps her most OF the time behind bolts and
bars The Count Alnaviva. however, has seen her
on visit from his estates TO Seville. becomes en-
ernoured of her and she has felt her heart warmed
toward him. though shs is ignorant OF his rank
and knows him only under the name OF Lndoro
Hoping that il may bring him an opportunity Tor
a glance mayhsp a word with bis inamoTats- Al
nlsviva follows the advice given by Sir Proteus TO
Thurio In, The Two Gentlemen OF Verona: he
visits his ady's chamber window, not at night. but
at early dawn. with a sweet concert" and to tho
Instruments OF F9orello's musicians tunes "a de-
plorins dump" Il is the Cavatina Eco ridente
IN cielo" The musicians. rewarded by Almar1va
beyond expectations. arc profuse and long winded
IN their expression of gratitude and are gotten rid
of with difficulty. The Count has not yet had 3
glimpse OF Rosina who rs in the habit OF breathing
the morning air from the balcony OF her prison
house and is about 10 despair. when Figaro barber
and SevlIIe's factotum, appears trolling song in
which he recltes his accomplishments the univer-
salty Of his employments and tho great demand
for his services. CIargo al factotum delio citta-)
The Count recognizes him, tells OF his vain vigls in
front of Rosinas balcony and. soon as he learns
that Figaro is q sort Of man OF all work 70 Bartoo.
employs him his go-between- Rosina now ap-
pears on tho balcony. Alrnaviva Is about TO en-
her in when BaFtOio
and discovers a bilet-doux which Rosina had in
tended drop into the hand Of her Lindoro- He
demands TO It. but she explains that II is but
q copy OF tho words of an aria from an opera
entitled The Futile Precaution' and drops It from
the balcony, as il by accident. She sends Bartoo
to recover II, but AlmRviva, who had observed the
device secures It, and Bartoo is told by his crafty
ward that tho wind must have carried 1t away.
Growing suspicious. he commands her into the
house and goes away TO hasten the preparations
for his wedding after giving orders that no one
is to be admitted 10 the house save Don Basflo.
Rosina's singing master, and Bartolos messenger
and general mischief maker.
The letter which Roslna had thus sIyly conveyed
70 her unknown lover begged him to contrive means
10 let her know his name. condition and intentions
respecting herself Figaro, taking the IN hand
d once. suggests that AInaviva publish his IL
swer in a ballad This the Count does Csc II rno
nomo saperO, protesting the honesty and ardor
of his passion, but stil concealing his name and
station. He is delighted TO hear his lady-loves
voice bidding him to continue his song. Qt is the
phrase. 'Segui o caro-. deh segui coSi," which
sounded monstrously diverting at the first rep
resentation Of the opera In Rome). After the sec
ond stanza Rosina essays longer response. but IS
interrupted by some OF the inmates Of the house
Figaro now confdes to the Count scheme by
which he is his fair enslaver face to face:
lie IS to assume the role OF & drunken soldier who
has been billeted upon DR.. BartOlo. a plan that IS
favored by the fact that company OF soldiers has
como to Seville that very day which is under the
command OF he Counts cousin. The plan is
promptly put into execution Not long after Rosina
enters DR.. Bartolos library singing the famous
cavatina, Una POGO IA IN which she tells
OF her love for LindOro and procaims her deter
mination to have her way in the matter OF
her heart In spite of all that her tyrauncal guard
ian anybody else do. This cavatina has
been the showpiece Of hundreds Of singers ever
since 1t written. Si6nora Giorgi-Righetti. the
first Rosina, contraltO and sang the music
in the key of E. In which 1t was written. When
st became OF Jenny Linds display airs II
to L ana tricked out with great abun-
dance OF floriturL Adelna Patti In her youth used
SO to overburden IT'S already hOrid measures with
that the story goes that once when she
sang for Rossini the old master dryly remarked:
"A very pretty air; who composed it," Figaro
enters at the conclusion OF Rosinas song. and the
two about to exchange condolences when BAR
tolo enters with Basilio who confides to the old
doctor his suspicion that the unknown lover of
Rosna is the Count Alrnavva, and suggests that
the latters presence in Seville be made irksoe by
few adroitly spread innuendoes against his char
acter. How calumny. ingenlously published, may
grow from a whispered zephyr to crashing, de-
tonatng tempest BasIio describes in the buffo air
La calunnia'-a marvellous example of the de-
vice of crescendo which in this form is one OF
Rossinis inventions Bartolo prefers his own plan
OF compelling his ward to marry him at once. He
goes with Basilio 10 draw up a marriage agree
ment, and Figaro, who has overheard their talk, /
acquaints Rosina with its purport. lie also tells
her that she shall her lover face to face