Il barbiere di Siviglia (2001)

Rossini's popular work - which was first performed in 1816 at the Teatro Argentina in Rome - contains some of opera's most tuneful and recognizable music - from its lively overture to Figaro's Largo al factotum to Rosina's Una voce poco fa. Based on the play of the same title by the French dramatist Beaumarchais (1732-1799), the opera is a delightful rigmarole of riotous situations in a race to win the hand of the young Rosina. Vesselina Kasarovas Rosina made this production of 'Il Barbiere di Siviglia' a memorable event. She captivated the audience with fluent coloraturas, an infinite variety of tone colors and nuances of expression, as well as her phenomenal versatility as an actress.