Gioacchino Rossini

Il Barbiere Di Siviglia

The new reduction of Il barbiere di Siviglia is based on the critical edition of the full score by Alberto Zedda that, republished in 2009, appeared in turn as a fully revised edition - in the light of new sources and updated philological criteria - of the historic and pioneering critical edition of 1969. The 1969 Barbiere di Siviglia was based on the autograph and on manuscript and printed sources still considered primary: the copies from Giovanni Battista Cencetti (now kept at the New York Public Library, at the Bibliomediateca of Santa Cecilia Academy in Rome, at the Biblioteca Palatina in Parma and at the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris); the copies from Naples, Florence, the main score and vocal scores of the time, the first printed libretto, many manuscript copies of Aureliano in Palmira, work in which Zedda recognized the source of the Symphony of Il Barbiere di Siviglia. To these in 2009 were added all the materials found and transcribed by Zedda after the publication of the volume of 1969.

In the Appendices of this edition are published for the first time in vocal score all the new materials added between 1969 and 2009, among them: the aria added for Rosina 'Ah se è ver' (Appendix II), an alternative aria for Rosina for the lesson scene 'La mia pace, la mia calma' (Appendix III), an alternative aria for Bartolo 'Manca un foglio' (Appendix IV) and the vocal autograph variants for NN. 5, 7, 16 (Appendix I). In addition to the musical texts there are - both in Italian and in English - an historical Introduction (in the first volume) and a Critical Commentary to the musical text (in the second volume).