Il Barbiere di Siviglia is one of the very greatest of all comic operas. Verdi wrote of it: "For the abundance of true musical ideas, for its comic verve and the accuracy of its declamation, it is the most beautiful opera buffa there is." For generations, since the opera's premiere in Rome in 1816, opera lovers have agreed with Verdi's praise, making it one of the most popular and frequently performed and recorded operas ever written. Based on an excellent play by Beaumarchais, The Barber of ...