The Barber of Seville * The Marriage of Figaro * The Guilty Mother Eighteenth-century France produced only one truly international theatre star, Beaumarchais, and only one name, Figaro, to put with Don Quixote or D'Artagnan in the ranks of popular myth. But who was Figaro? Not the impertinent valet of the operas of Mozart or Rossini, but both the spirit of resistance to oppression and a bourgeois individualist like his creator. The three plays in which he plots and schemes chronicle the slide of the ancien régime into revolution but also chart the growth of Beaumarchais' humanitarianism. They are also exuberant theatrical entertainments, masterpieces of skill, invention, and social satire which helped shape the direction of French theatre for a hundred years. This lively new translation catches all the zest and energy of the most famous valet in French literature. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Introduction. "Bravo Figaro, Bravo Bravissimo!" -- A Whirlwind of Change -- Early Revivals : Almaviva, Bartolo, and Their Many Ways -- The World of Rosina and the Prima Donna's Playground -- A Return to Rossini -- The Untethered Splendor of Il barbiere di Siviglia.

Rossini was one of the major innovators in the field of opera. Moise et Pharaon is a score which he revised for Paris ten years after it had been composed for Naples; the result shows the evolution of his taste over a decade - from the neoclassical sublime to spectacular Romantic grand opera. Il barbiere di Siviglia has been a favourite with the public since it opened, and Marco Spada analyses how its stylish comedy has been misunderstood. Other essays throw light on the working conditions of the "e;opera industry"e; in Rossini's Italy, on Balzac's delightful novel concerning Moses and on the exceptional challenge of performing this type of music to a high standard.Contents: Rossini: the Serious and the Comic, Philip Gossett; The Composer at Work, John Rosselli; The Roots of a Masterpiece, Marco Spada; A Personal View of Rossini, Ubaldo Gardini; Il barbiere di Siviglia: Libretto by Cesare Sterbini; The Barber of Seville: English version by Edward J. Dent; Balzac, Stendhal and Rossini's 'Moses', Pierluigi Petrobelli; From Sublime to Romantic, Richard Bernas; Moise et Pharaon: Libretto by Victor de Jouy and Louis Balochy; Moses: English translation by John and Nell Moody

This volume is a reference source to literature in the English language throughout the world. It provides a survey of the world-wide literary tradition of this area, and offers explanations of genres, movements, critical terms and literary concepts.