“For abundance of ideas, comic verve, and truth of declamation, I cannot help believing that it is the most beautiful opera buffa in existence”. – Richard Osborne

Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia is arguably the most famous comedy in opera. It is so well known that it has transcended popular culture like no other opera, with its overture and arias appearing everywhere from cartoons to TV commercials. Barbiere is the only Rossini opera never to leave the operatic canon since its premiere in 1816.

Thanks to its popularity, some of the greatest singers in history have taken on the opera, helping to make Barbiere one of the most extensively recorded operas in history. However, as this article will demonstrate, it is rare to find a recording without at least one shortcoming or a weak link—be it the Count Almaviva, the traditional cuts, the Rosina or something else. Barbiere relies on multiple elements working together, and it is difficult to ensure that all of these elements function at the same level. Without further ado, here are ten essential recordings of Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, in no particular order… mostly.

Alceo Galliera / Philharmonia Orchestra (EMI/Warner)

We begin this article with one of the most famous Barbiere recordings, from 1957, particularly notable for its lead performer: Maria Callas. Although Rosina is a role written for a mezzo-soprano or contralto, many sopranos throughout history have performed it, and the composer himself authorised some variations for this voice type. La Divina‘s Rosina is full of character and expression; more importantly, her wit shines through from start to finish. Tito Gobbi is the perfect complement. Although he doesn’t have the most conventional voice for the role, his acting ability, interpretation, and chemistry with Callas and the rest of the cast are wonderful. I have never been a fan of Luigi Alva, but in this, his first of many studio recordings as Count Almaviva, he performs well. His high notes sound thin and nasal, his final aria ‘Cessa si più resistere’ is ommtied, but his performance is otherwise nuanced and elegant. In a poor attempt to make their performances more comedic, Fritz Ollendorff as Bartolo and Nicola Zaccaria as Basilio spend the whole recording exaggerating gestures and words. Alceo Galliera conducts the recording nicely, but the conventional cuts diminish what is, all in all, a great performance.

Silvio Varviso / Orchestra Rossini di Napoli (Decca)

One of the earliest attempts, in 1964, to record the opera almost in its entirety yielded a well-conducted version by Silvio Varviso. Although he doesn’t add anything new to the score, he leads it effectively, in a relaxed pace. Manuel Ausensi as Figaro and Ugo Benelli as Almaviva are both competent, but neither is particularly memorable. The main attraction of this version is Teresa Berganza’s Rosina, performed with the utmost intelligence — a little more passive and calculating than Callas’s interpretation, and with the agility to improvise within Rossini’s score. Most importantly, she does so tastefully, which many other Rosinas fail to achieve when they belt out high notes and coloratura passages with no sense of musicality. Fernando Corena is somewhat overwhelming at times as Bartolo, but he sings the role well, while Nicolai Ghiaurov’s Basilio is fantastic — he even sings ‘La calunnia’ in its original key of D. The “Orchestra Rossini di Napoli” is a smaller-scale ensemble made up of musicians from various orchestras, assembled specifically for this recording, and it works well enough.

Claudio Abbado / London Symphony Orchestra (Deutsche Grammophon)

This 1971 version is masterfully conducted by Claudio Abbado, widely regarded as one of the greatest Rossini conductors in recorded history. Although the musical direction is occasionally a little too serious, it is highly effective in highlighting some of the nuances within Rossini’s score, with some of the credit going to the excellent London Symphony Orchestra. The vocal highlight once again is Teresa Berganza, who repeats her legendary Rosina from the Varviso version. The Figaro is better this time, though. Hermann Prey, although somewhat out of place in terms of style, ends up delivering a very commendable Figaro. Almaviva, on the other hand, is poorly portrayed by Luigi Alva, who struggles throughout. Enzo Dara is fantastic as Bartolo: very comic, but never overwhelmingly so as some basses tend to be. Paolo Montarsolo does well enough as Basilio. Special mention must go to Stefania Malagù, who excels as Berta in both this set and the previously discussed Varviso recording.

Nino Sanzogno / Orchestra del Teatro San Carlo di Napoli (Great Opera Performances)

The main reason this live recording from 1968 is included in this article is the fantastic performance of the Count by Alfredo Kraus. With his elegant and aristocratic style, unrivalled beauty of tone and musicality, he clearly stands out from the rest. It’s a real shame that ‘Cessa di più resistere’ is missing from this performance, as it would have been wonderful to hear him sing it. Among his colleagues, Piero Cappuccilli’s Figaro is excellent, while the rest perform well overall, though not particularly memorably. Unfortunately, Sanzogno conducts the work in a very conventional way, adopting most of the standard cuts.

Riccardo Chailly / Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala (Sony Classical)

This version, the first digital recording in Barbiere‘s history from 1981, features Riccardo Chailly attempting to follow in the footsteps of Claudio Abbado, though he does not quite succeed. While his conducting is effective, it feels superficial throughout. Vocal performances are undoubtedly led by Marilyn Horne as Rosina. It might have been better if she had recorded the role earlier in her career, as her voice sounds slightly tired and lacks brightness. However, the energy, technique, comedy and musicality of her portrayal are still very much present. Leo Nucci was the leading Figaro in the ’80s and ’90s, and here he demonstrates why: he is direct, witty and comic, and above all, he sings well. However, tenor Paolo Barbacini brings down the main trio, as he evidently struggles with the role — to the extent that, for once, I would have preferred ‘Cessa di più resistere’ to be cut. As in Abbado’s recording, Enzo Dara is the definitive Bartolo, while Samuel Ramey delivers one of the best Basilios on record.

Giuseppe Patanè / Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna (Decca)

In an attempt to take a step back from critical editions and musicological efforts to restore Rossini’s original intentions for the work, this 1988 version, conducted by Giuseppe Patanè, aims to return to the ‘tradition’ of allowing singers to improvise more freely throughout the performance. While I personally abhor that ‘tradition’ and am often irritated by the unnecessary high notes, this is, all in all, a very fun recording. It’s clear that Patanè was enjoying himself while conducting, and that energy is evident throughout the performance. It may not be the Barbiere to turn to if you want to analyse every nuance of the score, but it’s a great option for casual listening, whether you’re driving to work, taking a walk or heading to the gym. In terms of vocals, Leo Nucci reprises his excellent Figaro from the Chailly version and Paata Burchuladze is one of the best Basilios ever recorded. Bartoli’s vocal agility is fun, but she falls short in almost every other aspect of the role of Rosina. Enrico Fissore’s Bartolo is technically correct, but nothing more. William Matteuzzi sounds strained in his upper register as Count Almaviva, but performs reasonably well otherwise, even though ‘Cessa di più resistere’ is surprisingly cut. Overall, this is an enjoyable version, especially as one of Patanè’s final recorded gifts to the art, before he passed away a year later while conducting this very opera in Munich.

Vittorio Gui / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (EMI/Warner)

In this 1962 recording, Spanish soprano Victoria de los Ángeles takes on the role of Rosina. Very much in the Callas mould, she gives a tremendously successful performance, offering a more graceful, warm and tender portrayal of the character. Sesto Bruscantini is a marvellous Figaro, combining a rich, powerful voice perfectly with the comedic antics that define the role. He is arguably the best Figaro in the entire discography. Luigi Alva lowers the level of the main trio, delivering a somewhat commendable Count Almaviva at best, with a portrayal weaker than in the Galliera version but marginally better than in the Abbado recording. Ian Wallace and Carlo Cava complete the cast as Bartolo and Basilio, respectively. Vittorio Gui conducts the performance appropriately, taking some liberties with the instrumentation and, as was often the case at the time, unfortunately making many cuts.

Erich Leinsdorf / Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (RCA)

Of all the recordings discussed previously, Count Almaviva has consistently been the weakest link—except in the live Sanzogno version with Alfredo Kraus. This 1958 recording is a clear exception, as Cesare Valletti is arguably one of the two or three greatest Almavivas in recorded history. He is virtuosic and passionate yet also elegant and graceful, and he always sings with great taste and musicality. Not only is this the first important recording to restore ‘Cessa di più resistere’, sung masterfully by Valletti, it is also the first attempt to capture the full opera on record — a commendable and well-executed effort. The underrated Erich Leinsdorf conducts the work soberly and sharply, supporting his singers as best he can. Robert Merrill sings Figaro fantastically, although he lacks a little comedic timing. Corena and Tozzi, while not exceptional, perform well in the roles of Bartolo and Basilio. If the Count isn’t the weak link here, then who is? Roberta Peters as Rosina: although she is a good singer, she seems unfocused, unmusical and her embellishments are overly exaggerated.

Jesús López Cobos / Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne (Teldec)

I saved the next two recordings for last for two main reasons. Firstly, the orchestra is a smaller ensemble, which I think works fantastically for this opera as it adapts well to the inherent lightness of The Barber of Seville and the singers’ comedic timing. This version, from 1992, is conducted by Jesús López Cobos, whose swift and carefree approach makes it a joy to listen to. The second reason is that there are no weak links in the cast. Håkan Hagegård’s Figaro—vocally on the lighter side—is agile, witty, likeable and wonderfully sung. Meanwhile, Jennifer Larmore is almost flawless musically and her characterisation is vivid and authentic. The highly underrated Raúl Giménez delivers an elegant and aristocratic Count, often masterfully using his head voice to create a very unique and nuanced version of Almaviva. Corbelli follows in Dara’s footsteps as a highly comic Bartolo, despite his lower register not being as strong. Samuel Ramey, meanwhile, delivers a brilliant Basilio once again. Barbara Frittoli also does very well as Berta.

Sir Neville Marriner / Academy of St Martin in the Fields (Phillips)

Sir Neville Marriner’s 1982 performance of the work is conducted almost to perfection, successfully uniting all the elements of the opera that are so challenging to bring together in a single production. It is careful and considered, yet still retains the charm and lightness that make Barbiere a comic masterpiece. Add to that the fantastically competent chamber ensemble, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and the result is absolute success. Sir Thomas Allen’s Figaro is wonderfully sung: he has a rich voice and is very charming. Agnes Baltsa is a Rosina full of fire and mischief, yet enamoured and sweet, in what is probably her best recording. Along with Cesare Valletti, Francisco Araiza is the best Count Almaviva in the entire discography — agile and powerfully voiced, yet nuanced and refined. I have yet to hear a better ‘Cessa di più resistere’. Domenico Trimarchi (Bartolo) and Robert Lloyd (Basilio) complete a cast that is not only vocally excellent, but also shows great chemistry and clearly enjoys performing together. The audio quality of this set is outstanding, too. If you had to buy only one version of Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, I would unreservedly recommend this one.

Bonus

The main attraction of this live video performance of Il barbiere di Siviglia in German at the Bayerische Staatsoper is undoubtedly Fritz Wunderlich as Count Almaviva. I have always believed that, alongside Pavarotti, Wunderlich possessed the most naturally beautiful tenor voice, a quality which is very evident in this performance. Every moment he is on stage is a delight — his singing is full of elegance, exquisite precision, and passion. His solo moments and his Act I duet with Hermann Prey — who seems more at ease here than in the Abbado version, probably because of the language — are not to be missed. Joseph Keilberth conducts well, but the rest of the cast is less memorable.