Overture to "The Barber of Seville"

From Wind Repertory Project
Gioacchino Rossini

Gioacchino Rossini (arr. Wenzel Sedlak, ed. de Rusha)


This work may be found under its title in Italian, Il Barbiere di Siviglia.


General Info

Year: 1816 / 1983
Duration: c. 8:15
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Orchestra
Publisher: Musica Rara
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $98.00


Instrumentation

Full Score
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

It is true that one of the world’s best known overtures was not originally written for the opera that it introduces. Rossini originally staged the opera under a different title in order to avoid confusion with a better known version of the Barber of Seville. During a revival a year later under its current title, Rossini reused the overture from his opera Aurelia in Palmyra for The Barber of Seville. Since Rossini did not use themes from the opera in his overtures, reusing material provided saving of time and effort for Rossini. Nonetheless, the Barber of Seville Overture dramatically sets the mood for an opera that Rossini described as ”the most beautiful opera buffa there is.”

- Program Notes from Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • North Dakota State University (Fargo) Wind Symphony (Warren Olfert, conductor) - 1 May 2021
  • University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) Symphony Band Chamber Winds (JoAnn Wieszczyk, conductor) - 12 February 2021
  • Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Mallory Thompson, conductor) – 22 February 2019
  • University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) Symphony Band (Andrea Brown, conductor) – 26 January 2018
  • Temple University (Philadelphia) Wind Symphony Chamber Winds (Michelle Bell, conductor) – 23 March 2016


Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources

  • Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music. "Giacchino Rossini." Accessed 28 June 2015
  • Rossini, G.; Sedlak, W.; de Rusha, S. (1983). Overture to the Barber of Seville : For 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets in B Flat, 2 Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in B Flat, 2 Bassoons and Contra Bassoon [score]. Nova Music: London.