The Barber of Seville Composer Gioachino Rossini Librettist Cesare Sterbini Based On the comedic play by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais Company San Francisco Opera Association Location San Francisco, CA Venue War Memorial Opera House Season 1953 Language Italian Creative/Crew Conductor Tullio Serafin Stage Director(s) Carlo Piccinato Chorus Director Kurt Herbert Adler Cast Count Almaviva Cesare Valletti Figaro, the Barber of Seville Frank Guarrera Doctor Bartolo, a physician Salvatore Baccaloni Rosina, his ward Giulietta Simionato Don Basilio, a music master Nicola Rossi-Lemeni Berta, Rosina's governess Janice Moudry Fiorello, servant to the Count Alessio De Paolis Officer Virginio Assandri Ambrogio, Doctor Bartolo's servant Colin Harvey Show Dates Fri, Oct 9 1953, 8pm Time and Place Seventeenth Century; Seville Scenes Act I -- A Street in Seville, Early Morning Act II -- A Room in Doctor Bartolo's House Act III -- The Same Media Image Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Lilian Bauer/San Francisco Opera. Frank Guarrera (Figaro) Credit Lillian Bauer Image Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Paul Tracey/San Francisco Opera. Frank Guarrera (Figaro), Tulio Serafin (Conductor), Giulietta Simionato (Rosina), Salvatore Baccalone (Bartolo), Cesare Valletti (Almaviva), Nicola Rossi-Lemeni (Basilio), Janice Moundry (Berta) Credit Paul Tracey Image Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Robert Lackenbach/San Francisco Opera. Giulietta Simionato (Rosina) Credit Lackenbach Image Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Robert Lackenbach/San Francisco Opera. Giulietta Simionato (Rosina) Credit Lackenbach Image Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Robert Lackenbach/San Francisco Opera. Cesare Valletti (Almaviva), Giulietta Simionato (Rosina), Frank Guarrera (Figaro) Credit Lackenbach Document SFO_PUB_01_SFO_1953_02_compressed.pdf (7.87 MB) Notes To access the full production program, click the PDF link above. --------------------- The Company General Director Gaetano Merola died on August 20th, while conducting Butterfly's "Un bel dì" in San Francisco's Stern Grove. The entire 1953 season was labeled "Gaetano Merola, 1879-1953 -- In Memoriam." In the lesson scene on October 14th, Miss Simionato sings Rossini's original aria.
Image Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Lilian Bauer/San Francisco Opera. Frank Guarrera (Figaro) Credit Lillian Bauer
Image Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Paul Tracey/San Francisco Opera. Frank Guarrera (Figaro), Tulio Serafin (Conductor), Giulietta Simionato (Rosina), Salvatore Baccalone (Bartolo), Cesare Valletti (Almaviva), Nicola Rossi-Lemeni (Basilio), Janice Moundry (Berta) Credit Paul Tracey
Image Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Robert Lackenbach/San Francisco Opera. Giulietta Simionato (Rosina) Credit Lackenbach
Image Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Robert Lackenbach/San Francisco Opera. Giulietta Simionato (Rosina) Credit Lackenbach
Image Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Robert Lackenbach/San Francisco Opera. Cesare Valletti (Almaviva), Giulietta Simionato (Rosina), Frank Guarrera (Figaro) Credit Lackenbach