Il barbiere di Siviglia

It was exactly forty years ago, in 1985, that the then nineteen-year-old Cecilia Bartoli made her operatic debut in Rome as Rosina in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia. For her anniversary, she returns to the stage in this role — and to Lucerne’s Summer Festival. Time seems to have stood still, because “La Bartoli” captivates as ever with her guileless charm, exuberant stage presence, and consummate vocal artistry. Singing Rossini is something she simply enjoys: “He is one of my most loyal friends and a kind of fatherly mentor,” she says. “His music is virtuosic. You can fill it with ever new meaning and different colors.” Especially when, as in her guest appearance in Lucerne, she performs with friends: with her own orchestra Les Musiciens du Prince — Monaco and Gianluca Capuano on the podium, as well as with a fantastic ensemble revolving around the Uruguayan tenor Edgardo Rocha and the Italian baritones Nicola Alaimo and Ildebrando d’Arcangelo — all of them great comedians. And since Rossini’s most famous stage work has a truly witty plot and teems with musical brio, this evening guarantees genuine operatic pleasure!