The Barber of Seville, G. Paisiello | Opera in concert

Description

It seems clear that one of Rossini's most resounding failures was perpetrated by the fans of the Neapolitan composer Giovanni Paisiello. In a time and place (Rome, 1816) where opera was practically a matter of life and death, the premiere of Rossini's The Barber of Seville resulted in a monumental uproar from the audience for daring to challenge Paisiello's opera of the same name, premiered in St. Petersburg 35 years earlier and, at least for its supporters, the definitive and untouchable work.

The young and unorthodox Rossini had learned a great deal from the leader of the so-called Neapolitan School, who would die four months after the booing of the new and insolent Barber. Paisiello passed away with his fame intact. It's true that his gentle, elegant, and sentimental style was already showing its age, but, until that moment, he had been able to maintain the public's attention and the respect of his colleagues, including Mozart himself. Despite its devotees, the Rossini tornado swept away the comic opera model created by Paisiello. So Sevillian and so much a product of Beaumarchais, though less famous today, the original Barber of Seville is much more than a rarity. Lucas Macías, the newly appointed principal conductor of the Granada City Orchestra and recently named principal conductor of the Royal Seville Symphony Orchestra, leads the baton in this world premiere at the Teatro de la Maestranza. A delightful discovery for curious ears.