20th Pafos Aphrodite Festival

One of the most astounding events in celebration of the musical and theatrical arts in the island, and in fact the largest annual event in Cyprus, is back this year ready to captivate the mind and soul of any one lucky enough to be present in Pafos for the 31st of August, 1st and 2nd of September.

The 20th Pafos Aphrodite Festival is back this summer with another spectacular ode to operatic music, introducing Gioachino Rossini’s masterpiece: Il barbiere di Siviglia—The barber of Seville.

Gioachino Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia (The barber of Seville) is an opera buffa in two acts with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's homonymous theatrical trilogy, Le Barbier de Séville (1775).

The première of Rossini’s opera (under the title Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L’ inutile precauzione – The barber of Seville or The useless precaution) took place on 20 February 1816 at the Teatro Argentina, in Rome. It constitutes a masterpiece of the operatic repertoire with a joyful mood, bursting with lovely melodies and arias, vividness and musical improvisations. Rossini completed the composition and orchestration of the
opera as well in just 24 days, which is considered record time even for that era.

The plot of the opera unfolds in 17th century Seville. The resourceful Figaro, the barber of Seville, agrees to help Count Almaviva win the heart of Rosina. Doctor Bartolo, the
guardian of Rosina, plans to marry Rosina himself and hence tries to prevent the couple
from falling in love with each other using various tricks. In the end, however, Count Almaviva manages to trick doctor Bartolo and marry his beloved Rosina.