# Why is the count's last aria in Il Barbiere di Siviglia



## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

I just got the Lopez-Cobos recording of _Barbiere_ and thought WTF when I got towards the end. I have a few recordings prior and none of them had this lengthy aria in it. I've never seen a live performance, but am wondering if anyone has incite into why this aria is almost always omitted.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I must have 18 or 20 recordings of Barber of Seville and that aria comes up in several of them. Sounds like Angelina's aria at the end of La Cenerentola. Not sure, but maybe Rossini revised it out and some conductors like to put it back in.


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

Florestan said:


> I must have 18 or 20 recordings of Barber of Seville and that aria comes up in several of them. Sounds like Angelina's aria at the end of La Cenerentola. Not sure, but maybe Rossini revised it out and some conductors like to put it back in.


It's only showed up in one of mine and Rossini recycled his music A LOT.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

"Cessa di più resistere" is a showcase piece for Almaviva, that also somehow shifts the opera male protagonist from Figaro, to the Count (in fact, the premiere of the opera was given under the title of _Almaviva, ossia L'Inutile Precauzione_). It has three problems: it's long, it's very difficult and also it's not always well received by the audience. These are some of the reasons why it was usually cut. But probably the main reason is how Rossini himself used 'Cessa' as material for _La Cenerentola_.

I think that the first recording with the aria included was Leindorf's, and sung by Valletti. But it was the American tenor Rockwell Blake and also the Italian William Matteuzzi that really rescued the piece, and then, of course, Flórez appeared.

Personally, I do prefer the aria to be included.


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

schigolch said:


> "Cessa di più resistere" is a showcase piece for Almaviva, that also somehow shifts the opera male protagonist from Figaro, to the Count (in fact, the premiere of the opera was given under the title of _Almaviva, ossia L'Inutile Precauzione_). It has three problems: it's long, it's very difficult and also it's not always well received by the audience. These are some of the reasons why it was usually cut. But probably the main reason is how Rossini himself used 'Cessa' as material for _La Cenerentola_.
> 
> I think that the first recording with the aria included was Leindorf's, and sung by Valletti. But it was the American tenor Rockwell Blake and also the Italian William Matteuzzi that really rescued the piece, and then, of course, Flórez appeared.
> 
> Personally, I do prefer the aria to be included.


Thank you so much. Question - was a it a cut made by Rossini after the premiere? I'm just curious as to whether or not Rossini removed the aria himself.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

According to the recently deceased great scholar and huge expert in everything Rossini, Alberto Zedda, "Cessa" was indeed cut in the first performances after the premiere, along with the change in the opera title. However, it's not so clear if this was coming from Rossini, or from the primadonna, Geltrude Righetti, that preferred to sing the aria herself. This was not possible with a big star like the Spanish tenor Manuel García (the Almaviva of the premiere), but certainly feasible with other tenors.

What's certain is that the piece was rarely performed already in the 1820s.


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## Rossiniano (Jul 28, 2017)

What schigolch says is right on the money!

Incidentally I was at the MET performance that was televised and is available on video that includes Rockwell Blake singing the aria which I believe was the first run to include the piece at the MET. It's inclusion surprised many sitting around me and some even complained thinking that he inserted it out of vanity not realizing that it was part of the score as originally conceived where the tenor was really the title role.

One other aside, years ago I attended a one hour condensation of the piece performed at the local library with piano accompaniemrnt and spoken dialogue. They cut Basilio's "La Calunia" but included an abridged version of "Cessa di più resistere"!

Incidentally Giorgi-Righetti, the first Rosina who liked the piece so much, was also the first Cenerentola. That's why Rossini reused the the final section of the aria for her concluding "Non più mesta" in that opera. Regarding the earlier two sections of the aria, they were incorporated into Adelaida's big Act Two aria in _Adelaida di Borgogna _where a different final cabaletta was composed for the final section. The piece was also incorporated with some revisions into the Cantata _Le Nozze di Teti e di Paleo _for soprano Isabella Colbran. Rossini never wasted a good thing!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Rossiniano said:


> ... They cut Basilio's "La Calunia" but included an abridged version of "Cessa di più resistere"!


Terrible to cut that aria. It is one of the highlights of the opera for me, when sung well. Not all do a good job with it though.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Florestan said:


> Terrible to cut that aria. It is one of the highlights of the opera for me, when sung well. Not all do a good job with it though.


Which is probably why it's so often cut. I heard a performance years ago with the Boston Lyric Opera, in which Paul Groves sang a pretty decent Almaviva - until "Cessa di piu resistere" which was pretty much a disaster.


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## Rossiniano (Jul 28, 2017)

wkasimer said:


> Which is probably why it's so often cut. I heard a performance years ago with the Boston Lyric Opera, in which Paul Groves sang a pretty decent Almaviva - until "Cessa di piu resistere" which was pretty much a disaster.


The _tenorino_ on the recording with Marilyn Horne under Chailly has similar difficulties. For me it makes the recording unlistenable. I doubt that he was the first choice for the recording and was the cover for another artist who might have been indisposed. In any event, while he gets through the role, if not with any distinction, when it comes to "Cessa di più resistere" thing fall apart and quite quickly and I can only imagine how many takes that it took to get even the imperfect take that was ultimately approved!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Besides Almaviva's ending aria that is usually cut, there is an additional aria for Rosina that I had never heard of until I watched the DVD below.

Looking in my copy of the Metropolitan Opera libretto for Il Barbiere di Siviglia shows that after Dr. Bartolo shows Rosina the letter she sent Lindoro and convinces her that Lindoro is a scoundrel and she agrees to marry Bartolo, he leaves and Rosina has a single line,

"Is anyone in the world more miserable than me."

Then comes the thunderstorm and the arrival of Coiunt Almaviva with the barber.

However, in the video below, after Bartolo leaves and before the thunderstorm there is an aria for Rosina that lasts about 6.5 minutes where she wonders if perhaps Lindoro is indeed true and simply lost the letter. She goes on with great hope that this is the case, yet is bothered that maybe he is a traitor who will pass her off to the Count.

I have never seen this aria in any other DVD I have watched (about 10) of this opera. Here is what the MusicWeb International review of the video below says about it,



> The singers' task is complicated by additions and deletions to the score. ... regret that he [Almaviva] is deprived of the role's tenor tour de force that concludes the opera and which a certain Diego Florez does so well on the Virgin issue. Is this excision because of* the inclusion of an extra aria for Rosina, written for a later performance elsewhere*...


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

This is probably the additional aria composed by Rossini for the soprano Rosina, "Ah se è ver che in tal momento", written for the soprano Joséphine Fodor-Mainvielle. This is one example:


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

schigolch said:


> This is probably the additional aria composed by Rossini for the soprano Rosina, "Ah se è ver che in tal momento", written for the soprano Joséphine Fodor-Mainvielle. This is one example:


That looks like the one. Not sure if is Sumi or the recording qualtiy, but that video does not make me want to get a Barber of Seville featuring Sumi Jo. Or course, I have not exactly been fond of her anyway.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)




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