The then 23-year-old Gioachino Rossini is said to have composed Il barbiere di Siviglia in just three weeks – an opera full of rousing bel canto arias, fast-paced ensembles and dizzying situational comedy.
Director Katharina Thalbach skilfully captures the humour of the original work: She relocates the action to a seaside resort where one morning a theatre wagon arrives, carrying characters from the Commedia dell’Arte.
Tourists become the audience of a spectacle that blurs the lines between large and small stages, offers many surprising twists and turns and, thanks to Guido Maria Kretschmer's costumes, delights the funny bone and the eyes.
Our young Italian conductor, Giovanni Conti, takes to the podium, accompanied by numerous new virtuoso ensemble members.











