AllMovie

Rossini's frothy comic opera The Barber of Seville is superbly realized in this French-German co-production. The hectic life of Figaro the barber is proffered full-force, with precious few cuts in the original score. But this is no mere filmed stage play: director Ernst Wild brings a fine, fluid cinematic sense to the proceedings. The principal characters are acted and sung by Terese Berganza, Hermann Prey, Luigi Alva, Enzo Dara and Polo Montarsolo. One wishes that all filmed operas were as delightful--and visually stimulating--as the 1973 Barber of Seville.