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Opera Glasses the Barber of Seville a Resource for Teachers Opera Glasses The Barber of Seville A resource for teachers Bringing opera into the classroom KS2 & KS3 Opera Glasses is supported by The Gibbs Charitable Trust The Barber of Seville A resource for teachers Welsh National Opera 2 Contents Opera Glasses: Bringing opera into the classroom aims to bring opera into the classroom through free Chapter One dress rehearsal tickets, workshops for pupils and The Barber of Seville this teachers’ resource. This resource contains some preparatory information to explore The Barber of Seville 1 Key characters with your pupils before you come to see the dress 2 A quick overview rehearsal. You will find creative activities to get your pupils listening and appraising, links to English and 3 Detailed synopsis Maths, and handy lesson plans that you can use to 4 The libretto work through the opera with your pupils. All activities reflect the key objectives of the Key Stage 2 & 3 5 The music National Curriculum for Music. You can find the extracts of music suggested on internet based free to play sites such as spotify, grooveshark, last fm etc. Chapter Two Making an opera The Barber of Seville will be performed in English with surtitles in English and Welsh. 1 How to make an opera (photocopiable sheet) 2 Tips to help follow an opera The running time is approximately 2 hours 50 minutes including one interval. Chapter Three Storytelling 1 Link to English, key themes 2 KS2 Lesson Plan / KS3 Lesson Plan Teachers’ Pack written by Sarah ap Ian-Evans The Barber of Seville A resource for teachers Welsh National Opera 3 Chapter One Key characters Count Almaviva Figaro Rosina Dr Bartolo Tenor / A young Spanish Baritone / A barber and Mezzo soprano / A young girl Bass / Rosina’s Guardian nobleman matchmaker Other characters Fiorello Bass / Servant to Count Almaviva Ambrogio Tenor / Servant to Dr Bartolo Officer Bass Notary Tenor Don Basilio Berta Bass / Singing teacher Soprano / Housekeeper to Dr Bartolo A quick overview The opera takes place in 18th century Seville, Spain. Don Alonso, a music teacher, substituting in place of The young and beautiful Rosina is under guardianship of the ‘ill’ Don Basilio. However, Basilio appears, and so Dr Bartolo. Count Almaviva, disguised as a poor student, Figaro bribes him to feign illness, and he leaves. is smitten with Rosina, but is frustrated by Dr Bartolo, But, Bartolo is suspicious and the plan fails. Basilio, who keeps her secluded. Dr Bartolo plans to marry along with Dr Bartolo’s notary, arrives to perform the Rosina in order to secure her dowry. The Count meets wedding between Bartolo and Rosina. At the point of Figaro: a barber and matchmaker. Figaro hatches a a gun, the notary is forced to substitute the Count’s plan for the Count to enter Dr Bartolo’s house and meet name on the marriage contract: Rosina and the Count Rosina. The Count, disguised as a soldier, arrives are married. Although seething at his loss, Dr Bartolo at Bartolo’s house looking for a bed for the night. is content that he does not have to give a dowry. He is turned away. The next day disguises himself as The Barber of Seville A resource for teachers Welsh National Opera 4 Detailed synopsis Act I Act II The plaza in front of Dr Bartolo’s house, just before Dr Bartolo’s house the next day. Dr Bartolo has a visit dawn. Count Almaviva, (disguised as poor student, from Don Alonso, pupil of Basilio (Almaviva in disguise Lindoro) attempts to serenade Rosina with the help again!). He has come to give Rosina her music lesson of Fiorello, the servant, and a group of musicians. in substitute for the ‘ill’ Basilio. However, Rosina is locked away in Dr Bartolo’s house and does not appear. In fact he is grooming her into the Figaro arrives to shave Bartolo, (and to steal Bartolo’s perfect bride and plans to marry her that very day. The keys). Then Basilio himself enters – in perfect health! cacophony of musicians wake up the neighbour, Figaro Figaro persuades him that he has a fever and that he – barber and matchmaker. Count Almaviva recognises should go off to bed at once. At last Dr Bartolo can be Figaro and quickly confides in him his love for Rosina shaved, but the two lovers can be overheard plotting and asks for Figaro’s help. Figaro puts together a plan; their elopement. Dr Bartolo and Basilio realise that the Count must dress up as a soldier so that he can Don Alonso was none other than the Count. When get into Dr Bartolo’s house. Figaro sets about his task Dr Bartolo shows Rosina the letter she had written to and gives Rosina a few more details about Lindoro (the Lindoro, (who must have passed it to Count Almaviva), disguised Count Almaviva) and suggests that she writes she is overwhelmed by the betrayal and agrees to him a letter. However, Dr Bartolo does not miss a trick marry Dr Bartolo. and suspiciously asks: why is there ink on her finger and where has all the paper gone? A knock at the door There is a thunderstorm, after which Figaro and the announces the arrival of a drunken soldier after a bed Count enter the house by the balcony window. Rosina for the night. Dr Bartolo tries to turn the disguised Count wants them to leave, but when they explain to her that away and a frenzy of mayhem breaks out, in the midst Lindoro and Count Almaviva are the same person the of which the Count attempts to slip Rosina a letter. Basilio lovers are reunited and bid to escape…but the ladder and Figaro try to prevent the outburst but the law are has gone from the balcony. All seems lost when Basilio called and the Count is forced to reveal his true rank. arrives with the notary. But ingenuity triumphs and the notary is quickly pressed into service, with Basilio as a well-paid witness. Dr Bartolo returns too late, but he accepts the marriage when he hears he won’t have to give a dowry! The Barber of Seville A resource for teachers Welsh National Opera 5 The libretto and music The libretto The libretto of the opera is written by Cesare Sterbini but is based on a story with the same title by Pierre Beaumarchais. It is part of a trilogy of literary works, Le Barbier de Séville, ou La Précaution Inutile (The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution) (1775), Le Marriage de Figaro, ou La folle Journée (The Marriage of Figaro, or the Day of Craziness) (1784) and La Mère Coupable (The Guilty Mother) (1784). The story of The Barber of Seville reflected the 18th century growing dissatisfaction with the ruling class and nobility in the years preceding the French Revolution. It centres on the colourful Figaro, a barber and jack-of-all-trades, whose ingenuity serves as the symbol of class revolt against the aristocracy. The music Gioachino Rossini, 1792 – 1868, was the most important Italian opera composer of his time, composing the operas Cinderella and The Barber of Seville. He was born in Italy in 1792 and by the age of 30 had written over 30 operas. Rossini did not fit into the conventional picture of the starving composer and few composers in their lifetimes ever enjoyed such phenomenal success as he did. His 39th and last opera, Guillaume Tell (William Tell) (with its overture made famous as the theme for The Lone Ranger), was written when he was 37. The Barber of Seville is a comic opera – light and humourous with a happy ending. Quirky fact: Rossini used to boast “Give me a laundry list and I will set it to music”. The Barber of Seville A resource for teachers Welsh National Opera 6 Chapter Two How to make an opera Which opera would you like to perform? Have a listen Who is going to Read the libretto & music score come and see my wonderful opera? I need a creative team to What do I want it to look like? create an original production Find a director Find a designer Find a conductor Who will perform the opera? Share a vision Auditions Create a model box of the set design Cast of singers 20 female 20 male Orchestra choristers choristers Costume design drawings & buy fabric How will they learn the music? Make the costumes Make the props Build the set Rehearsals for cast, chorus and orchestra Sitzprobe - a ‘sitting rehearsal’of singers, chorus & orchestra How will they know how to act? Better do some marketing Set built in a rehearsal room Set carpenter Director runs production rehearsals Set painter Design posters & leaflets Set moved to stage Distribute posters Tell the press, & leaflets Opera company rehearse on the stage Sell tickets newspapers, tv, radio & web Dress rehearsals Opening night Tour – lets show the rest of the country what we’ve done! The Barber of Seville A resource for teachers Welsh National Opera 7 Tips to help follow an opera Bringing your pupils to see a dress rehearsal How to help your pupils follow the opera Let your class know that coming to see the dress By working through the lesson plan at the end of rehearsal of an opera is like any other trip to the this pack, we hope that your pupils will have an theatre. Please bear in mind… understanding of the key characters and plot of the opera. It is helpful to give your pupils useful signposts • That they must stay seated throughout the to each scene, so that they know where they are in the performance.
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