The Barber of Seville

Every effort was made to maintain the musical integrity of Rossini's score to this overture while producing a good sounding wind band arrangement. The main intention was to make this popular classical masterwork achievable and enjoyable for younger musicians. Much attention was given to range and technique. NOTE: Many composers have produced entertaining and spirit lifting overtures, but hardly any best those of Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) in wit, sly contrasts of mood and boisterous endings. From their use for Italian opera in the early 19th century, they endure as staples of orchestral repertoire and have appeared in movies, television and cartoon high jinks. Rossini composed 34 operas by the time he was 31 and his crowning achievement, the French grand opera William Tell (1829), allowed him to retire at age 37, supported by the French government. The Barber of Seville (1816) is a witty tale of bribery, deception, disguise, and of course, true love. Interestingly, the overture from which this arrangement was made was not composed for the opera and contains no themes from it, but was used in two earlier operas. As with most of Rossini's overtures it begins with a slow introduction, then a fast section that includes memorable themes and a "Rossini crescendo", gradually getting louder as the harmony shifts between tonic and dominant resulting in a big bang ending!