Your first lesson should always be the Mandatory Lesson or a review of that lesson. If you have time for only one other lesson, please make that a review of the synopsis (or plot line) of the play. The Barber of Seville is singing theatre. For the history of this art form, go to this link. Many potential lessons are available from this play. If you have time for more than one lesson, or if your students already understand the rules of live theatre, please feel free to choose additional lessons. They are divided roughly by general subject matter, e. g. language arts, social studies, et cetera. This is just a brief list of suggestions.

LANGUAGE ARTS
Critique
Have your students write a column of criticism of the opera. (See the synopsis) Be sure they support their opinion with data from the performance. Be sure to make this assignment before they attend so they can be thinking about it as they watch the performance. Choices could include the music as performed by the orchestra, the music as performed by the vocalists (either in groups or individually), the sets, the staging and the directing. (Suggestions are the beginning of Act II, the scene where they convince Basilio he is sick, and the scene during the thunderstorm. Have your students read several newspaper columns before they attend the performance so they can be familiar with the professional’s manner of critiquing.

Rewrite/revise
Have your students’ revise of rewrite a portion of the opera that they either did not like or that they felt would be strong/funnier/better if written differently. (See the synopsis.) Have the remainder of the class offer opinions on whether they think the revision is an improvement.

Character Study
Compare Count Almaviva to a leading character in a story you have studied in class. Tell how he is the same as that character AND how he is different. Which character is more interesting? Why? Be sure to cite examples to support your opinion. Compare Figaro or Rosina to others in the same way.

Author/Composer Study
You may wish to have your students compare Giovanni Paisiello and Gioachino Rossini, as Paisiello wrote an earlier version of The Barber of Seville. Sterbini is said to have drawn from this earlier version for some of his material.

The other author who is very important to this opera is the man who is known now as Beaumarchais. His 1700’s play, Le Barbier de Séville, is the basis for both Rossini’s and Sterbini’s Barber. (He should be better known in the United States for his work towards the success of the American revolution. (See Humanities below.)

HUMANITIES
The class system
The Count in the opera a member of the nobility. Describe the various levels of class structure in one of the countries you have studied. This play takes play at the end of the eighteenth century. If you have studied that era, use that for your reference. If not, look at modern royalty, e.g. England, Monaco. Part of the British class system is the use of titles. The British Peerage includes an entire list of titles. While these are very nominal today, they were far less so at the time of this play. Have your students examine the peerage titles and investigate what "perks" go with those titles. Is there a class system alive in the United States today? Name some countries and compare and contrast the formal and informal class systems that exist today.

The plot of this opera depends on the characters’ “rank” or social status. The chief male characters are a count, a doctor, a music teacher and a barber. What would have been their place in the society of eighteenth century France. Have you students look at this phenomenon and find comparisons with society today. Be sure that they recognize that in the original play, Beaumarchais may have discomforted the ruling class, but was NOT a supporter of revolution.

Theatre has often been used to poke fun at social problems or to criticize public figures such as the nobility or politicians. Discuss what plays and stories your students know that have a social message included. Look at this opera and help them find the social problems addressed and the “message” of this story. While this story is set in Spain, it is really a thinly disguised portrayal of pre-Revolutionary France. The opera is not very Spanish in flavor.

The original writer, Beaumarchais, a watchmaker by trade, was an important voice in France during the time of the American and French Revolutions. His play writing was considered a hobby. He intervened for the Americans with the King of France and spent a fortune of his own money to aid the Colonies. He waited many years for official recognition and reimbursement. Have your students study his activities. How important was French aid to the revolution in America? How important was the American Revolution to the French Revolution? What was Beaumarchais' role in the French Revolution? Why was his life “at risk”? Have your students support their opinions with evidence.

MUSIC
The Barber of Seville is opera, a form of singing theatre. You should consider an early lesson on singing and the part music plays in our enjoyment of the theatre and other performance venues. This opera has few “songs” but many music forms. Some of the forms include patter songs, similar duets, dissimilar duets, arias and recitatives. It is an opera buffa in the bel canto style. A study of the various voices of singing would be appropriate. Your students will know and recognize many theme songs from movies and some music from opera, such as The Toreador Song from Carmen. Although they may not know the music from The Barber of Seville (The Largo al Factotum is the best known) , they should be able to discuss how music affects us as we watch and listen to various forms of entertainment. Play one of the important songs from the play for your students. (More on some of the songs will be added shortly.)

Have your students take one of the songs from The Barber of Seville and rewrite the lyrics or the music. This is easier if the student is not already familiar with the piece. That should give them a feeling for the difficulty of collaborating to write a song. Have each student decide which is easier for him/her and provide the seasons that it true.

The second half of the song Largo al factotum is a patter song. Have your students study it and get familiar with how that kind of song “works.” Then, have them write a patter song of their own. It can be about this story or any other story or incident that they are familiar with.

Have your students take a song in a foreign language with which they are familiar and translate the words into English. Try to make the new words fit the music. This is much harder than it might seem. Those who write English translations for operas to be sung in English frequently have to change the words and their meaning significantly. Often changes must be made in the music also to maintain the original intentions of the singers. More on this is coming in connection with new material on the songs.

ART
Closely observe the sets for The Barber of Seville. Write a paper describing your opinion of the scenery as presented. Be sure to provide evidence to support your opinion.

As a follow-up activity, have students design one set they would like to see used for this production. Have them tell why they think the set they have designed would improve it. Be sure to write a justification for your design. Remember, things such as budget and size of stage area affect what sets are used. Also, many sets must be portable as companies rent sets and all companies must store their sets for reuse.

Closely observe the costumes for The Barber of Seville Write a paper describing your opinion of the costumes as presented. Be sure to provide evidence to support your opinion.

As a follow-up activity, have students design costumes for one scene they would like to see used for this production. Have them tell why they think the costumes they have designed would improve it. . Be sure to write a justification for the changes you make. Be sure to think of the constraints such as budget and ease of use by the performers. Also, costumes must be reused by different people at other venues (rentals).

Have your students create a playbill to advertise The Barber of Seville. Decide in advance if they should use the performance you are to attend (or have attended) or if they should create one from the time of Rossini, a possible date in the distant future, or other options. Another option would be to create a handbill.

CAREERS
There are many people other than performers involved in this kind of production. There are two articles to help you here. The first, Creating an Opera, will tell your students about creating the performance itself, There are numbers of people who are involved in this process. The second, Unsung Heroes, will provide you with the people who are rarely, if ever, seen. Have your students look at this list and determine an area that interests them. Have them research the opportunities in that area and write a report on it.

Return to The Barber of Seville Home Page

Revised September 2010
Please credit Lyric Opera San Diego when using this material.