A light and lively duet between Figaro and the Count, closing with the sprightly melody, “Ah! che d’amore,” leads up to the chamber aria of Rosina, so well known on the concert-stage, “Una voce poco fa,” which is not only very expressive and of great compass, but is remarkably rich in ornamentation.  A short dialogue in recitative then occurs between Bartolo and Basilio, in which they plot to circumvent Rosina by calumny, which gives occasion for the Calumny aria, as it is generally known ("La calunnia"), a very sonorous bass solo, sung by Basilio.  Another dialogue follows between Figaro and Rosina, leading to the florid duet, “E il maestro io faccio.”  A third dialogue follows between Rosina and Bartolo, ending in a bass aria ("Non piu tacete"), very similar in its general style to the Calumny song, but usually omitted in performances.  In the tenth scene the Count arrives disguised as the drunken soldier, and the finale begins.  It is composed of three scenes very ingeniously arranged, and full of glittering dialogue and very melodious passages.

The second act opens with a soliloquy by Bartolo ("Ma redi il mio destino"), in which he gives vent to his suspicions.  It is interrupted at last by a duet with the Count, in which the two characters are strikingly set off by the music.  The music-lesson scene follows, in which the artist personating Rosina is given an opportunity for interpolation.  In the next scene occurs a dialogue quintet, which is followed by a long aria ("Sempre gridi”) by the duenna Bertha, called by the Italians the “Aria de Sorbetto,” because the people used to eat ices while it was sung; reminding one of the great aria from “Tancredi,” “Di tanti palpiti,” which they called the “aria dei rizzi,” because Rossini composed it while cooking his rice.  In the eighth scene, after a long recitative, an instrumental prelude occurs, representing a stormy night, followed by a recitative in which the Count reveals himself, leading up to a florid trio, and this in turn to the elegant terzetto, “Zitti, zitti.”  A bravura and finale of light and graceful melody close the opera.

SEMIRAMIDE

“Semiramide” a lyric tragedy in two acts, words by Gaetano Rossi, the subject taken from Voltaire’s “Semiramis,” was first produced at the Fenice, Venice, Feb. 3, 1823, with the following cast:—­

SEMIRAMIDE         Mme. ROSSINI-COLBRAN. 
ARSACES            Mme. MARIANI. 
IDRENO             Mr. SINCLAIR. 
ASSUR              Sig.  GALLI. 
OROE               Sig.  MARIANI.

On the 9th of July it was produced in French at the Academie, Paris, as “Semiramis,” with Carlotta Marchisio as Semiramide, Barbara, her sister, as Arsaces, and M. Obin as Assur.  At Rossini’s request M. Carafa arranged the recitatives and wrote the ballet music.  “Semiramide” was the last opera Rossini wrote for Italy; and so far did he depart from the conventional Italian style,