Even before Rossini, Giovanni Paisiello was the first composer of the Libretto for The Barber of Seville. It is lovely to compare both versions, however, this release is unique in that it was the work’s first release on any format, and is still regarded as the best. Legendary Italian baritone Ettore Bastianini stars as Figaro. The rest of the cast is also incredible, making this release even more attractive to opera connoisseurs. The production was recorded at the Piccolo Teatro di Musica in March of 1953.

When opera singers go from their standard repertoire into something new, from the stage to the recording studio or simply from one performance to another, the results may be better or worse, a great achievement or a great disappointment. None of which ever troubled Ettore Bastianini, whose renowned confidence in his own vocal and mental powers would not allow for those all too human failings which other performers may suffer in such circumstances. His authenticity and renown had their origins on stage of course, yet once he had taken that experience into the recording studio, a return to live performance often brought gains in authority and expressive power. The present series of previously unreleased recordings proves this admirably and they are all the more remarkable because they are certainly not the sort of material with which Bastianini felt most at home, (that was always a thoroughly Romantic repertoire, hence dominated by Verdi).