[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/57ccf60c_e58d_4794_991e_cb7983bbb438.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Poster art for the 2023 Opera San José version]]

->''Welcome to my shop\\
Lemme cut your mop\\
Lemme shave your crop\\
Daintily\\
Daintily...''
-->-- [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Bugs Bunny]]'s improvised English lyrics, ''WesternAnimation/RabbitOfSeville''

Or, in the original Italian, ''Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione'': "The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution." It is a RomanticComedy drawing upon the CommediaDellArte tradition.

The {{Opera}} we're talking about is the version composed by Music/GioachinoRossini, and it isn't the only work by this name. Pierre Caron de Beaumarchais wrote a play, ''Le Barbier de Seville'', which was first performed in 1775; it has been adapted a good four times, but Rossini's work gets the AdaptationDisplacement Award by virtue of popularity. Its "sequel," ''Theatre/TheMarriageOfFigaro'', was actually written some 30 years earlier by some Austrian kid named Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart. The third play in the Beaumarchais's trilogy, ''La Mère coupable'' ("The Guilty Mother"), was also adapted into opera, but today is basically forgotten by history, possibly due to its GenreShift to DarkerAndEdgier drama.

''The Barber of Seville'' revolves around a noble, Count Almaviva, who has a serious case of LoveAtFirstSight with a girl named Rosina, currently living as a ward to Dr. Bartolo. The Count, who wants Rosina to love ''him'', not his title or money, has been disguising himself as a music student named Lindoro, but the two have not even had an occasion to speak yet. Help enters in the form of Figaro, the Count's former servant and the titular Barber of Seville, who has Dr. Bartolo's trust and offers his services to the Count -- for a fee, of course. This being a comedy, HilarityEnsues.

The main opposition is the aforementioned Dr. Bartolo, a physician who wants to marry Rosina himself. Rosina's music teacher, Don Basilio, is in league with him in this quest. There is also a character named Berta, also known as Marcellina, who was probably thrown in as a ContinuityNod (or ChekhovsGunman) to Mozart's opus; she is TheGhost in Beaumarchais' play, and her role in ''Barber'' amounts to little more than a [[TheCameo cameo]].

You've probably heard of this opera, and that's because ''The Barber of Seville'' is one of the most popular productions of the genre(not to mention all the cartoons and other works that have used the song "Largo Al Factorum" as a representation of Opera as a whole). As observed by characters in the {{manga}} ''Manga/EmmaAVictorianRomance'', nobody dies in this show; it also offers a lot of opportunities for humor which even modern audiences would get. And we can hardly forget the WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes homage stuff ("WesternAnimation/RabbitOfSeville", anyone?). And WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker's "WesternAnimation/TheBarberOfSeville" take on it as well.
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!!''The Barber of Seville'' provides examples of the following tropes:
* AlmightyJanitor. Figaro fits the type, despite being a barber.
* BribingYourWayToVictory: Count Almaviva first hires Figaro to help him, later he bribes Basilio twice -- first to go along with Figaro's "diagnosis" that he has scarlet fever, then to stand as a witness at the improvised wedding -- and finally he gets Bartolo to accept his defeat by letting him keep Rosina's dowry.
* BreadEggsMilkSquick: In "Largo al factotum," Figaro explains that the tools of his trade include scissors, razors, combs, and ''leeches for bleeding''. [[note]]TruthInTelevision, actually, as at the time barbers also often doubled as surgeons. Before modern medical science, all you really needed in a surgeon was someone who knew how to handle a razor well.[[/note]]
* CopycatMockery: Bartolo catches Figaro doing this to him when he comes to Bartolo's house to shave him; Figaro tries to pass it off as "son debolezze" ("a moment of weakness"). Fortunately for Figaro, Bartolo is too preoccupied with trying to win Rosina's attention to pay him much notice.
* CommediaDellArte: Rosina and Count Almaviva as the ''innamorati'' (OfficialCouple); Figaro as the Arlecchino ''and'' a much-less-violent version of the Brighella; Dr. Bartolo as (get this) Il Dottore.
* CorruptChurch: Don Basilio, a Jesuit, proves to be very susceptible to bribing in the course of the opera.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Bartolo and Basilio, although it's more antagonistic than actually "evil."
* ExtremelyShortTimespan: The entire opera takes place over about 18 hours.
* GossipEvolution: The essence of Don Basilio's aria "La calunnia è un venticello" is that you don't even need to slander a lot, just start a small trickle of rumor and maybe give it a vague nudge or two a bit later, and the chain reaction of gossip will do the rest, elevating into huge explosion, making it easier for the victim just to lay down and die.
* IAmSong: ''Largo al factotum'', of course.
* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: Dr. Bartolo's overall plan is to keep Rosina locked up until she agrees to marry him.
* JackOfAllTrades: Figaro bills himself this way, despite being professionally a barber; "Largo al factotum" loosely translates to "Make way for the Jack-of-all-trades!" His aria explains that in addition to offering [[BreadEggsMilkSquick shaves, haircuts, and minor surgery]], his services as a matchmaker are especially in demand.
* MaliciousMisnaming: While pretending to be a drunken officer, the Count repeatedly mangles Bartolo's name, including "Balordo" (idiot), "Bertoldo" (blockhead) and "Barbaro" (barbarian).
* MarryForLove: This is what Count Almaviva wants to do with the fair Rosina, but which he also wants her to do. Which is why for much of the play he pretends to her to be just plain Lindoro instead of the rich and powerful Count Almaviva.
* MotorMouth: Bartolo, with his aria "a un dottor della mia sorte."
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmTcmBn56Jk "Largo al factotum"]] by Figaro is also pretty fast. And another version [[https://youtu.be/Dq_0wPYFp9A with English subtitles]].
* PlayingDrunk: The Count pretends to be drunk in order to disarm suspicion.
* PlayWithinAPlay: Bizarrely subverted - Rosina has the sheet music from an aria of an opera called The Useless Precaution, and sings it in the music lesson scene. The actual opera - The Barber of Seville - is subtitled The Useless Precaution.
* RecycledSoundtrack: The overture was not written for the opera, but for Rossini's ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aureliano_in_Palmira Aureliano in Palmira]]''. He then used it for an opera about Queen UsefulNotes/ElizabethI of England before it found a permanent home in ''The Barber of Seville''.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Count Almaviva, not surprisingly, being a noble, is friends with the commanding officer of the troops stationed in Seville, which stands him in good stead when Bartolo calls in a patrol to have him arrested.
* SecondaryCharacterTitle: Almaviva is the protagonist, although Figaro's role is far from minor.
** At the premiere in 1816, in order to appease the fans of Giovanni Paisiello and his opera ''Il barbiere di Seviglia'' (1782), Rossini entitled his opera ''[[ProtagonistTitle Almaviva]], ossia L'inutile precauzione''. Which proved a useless precaution in itself, as said fans still did their best to disrupt the performance.
* SerenadeYourLover: The opera opens with Almaviva doing this outside Rosina's window--with paid musicians backing him up, no less.
* SignatureLine: Though they may not always get it right, the famous rapid-fire "Figaro figarofigarofigaro" bit from Figaro's cavatina "Largo al factotum" is one of the more well-known opera clichés.
* StandardSnippet: "Largo al factotum" and the ouverture. The latter was e. g. used for the closing credits of ''Film/{{Help}}''.
* TenorBoy: Almaviva, who, it has been assumed, is in his twenties.
* TitleDrop: Of the secondary title. At the very end of the opera comments about Bartolo's "useless precaution". This is actually the second title drop (see "Play Within a Play").
* TheTrickster: Figaro.
* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: Bartolo.
* TheVoiceless: The Notary has an important function in the plot (he makes sure the marriage license is properly signed), but no singing lines.
* VillainousAdviceSong: Don Basilio's bravura aria "La calunnia è un venticello", in which he advises Bartolo to frustrate Almaviva's designs on Rosina by disseminating slanderous rumours against him.
* WifeHusbandry: A classic example of the trope, as Bartolo wants to marry his ward, Rosina.
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