Calendar
Sponsorship
Photo by: Darja Štravs Tisu
Photo highlights
Interesting facts
- Rossini was extraordinarily prolific; he is said to have composed The Barber of Seville in less than three weeks. Theatre legend has it that he spent that time shut away at home, dressed only in a dressing gown and not troubling to shave.
- At its premiere in 1816, the opera was not called The Barber of Seville but Almaviva, or The Futile Precaution. Rossini chose this title to avoid offending his older colleague Paisiello, whose own version of the story under the same title was then in theatres.
- Figaro’s aria “Largo al factotum” has become widely recognised beyond the opera house, featuring in memorable comic scenes in classic cartoons such as Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry.
BEPI MORASI
- His work is inseparable from Venice, where he has held key positions at its leading institutions, notably at the Teatro La Fenice as production director and as artistic adviser to the Teatro Stabile del Veneto.
Creators
Cast
Programme
More information
one of the most recognisable symbols of musical-dramatic art for centuries. Its own dramatic history, punctuated by turbulent ownership disputes, has been particularly marked by three devastating fires. The most recent, in 1996, burned the theatre to the ground. The fire was apparently caused by faulty wiring. Even the name of the theatre derives from its “fiery” history, since fenice is the Italian word for phoenix, the mythical bird that rises from its own ashes. Yet La Fenice is more than an architectural icon – it is also home to the bel canto tradition and its four principal exponents: Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti and Giuseppe Verdi. It is Gioachino Rossini’s comic masterpiece The Barber of Seville that the Venetian company is set to bring to Cankarjev Dom in July 2026. The Barber was originally created not for a Venetian audience but for a Roman one, which however initially rejected the work, seeing it as a poor copy of an existing version of the opera by another Italian composer. Yet the story of the young Count Almaviva, who woos the beautiful Rosina with the help of the enterprising barber Figaro, a story interwoven with Rossini’s typically melodious yet sparkling and witty music, soon captured the hearts not only of Italian audiences but of the opera-going public all over the world.
Accessibility for visitors with reduced mobility
Festival Ljubljana is committed to ensuring a welcoming and accessible experience at cultural events for persons with reduced mobility.
Selected venues offer designated wheelchair-accessible spaces as well as seating for accompanying persons. Wheelchair users can inquire about availability and reserve accessible seating by calling +386 (0)1 241 60 28 or emailing blagajna@ljubljanafestival.si.
Free rides on LPP city buses
Ticket holders for events within the 74th Ljubljana Festival are entitled to free rides on LPP city buses within two hours before the start and two hours after the end of each event.
