Costume Design
1954 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Oliver Messel (1904-1978) was Britain’s leading theatre designer throughout the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s, mastering every aspect of entertainment - ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue - as well working in interior decoration and textile design. His lavish, painterly and romantic concepts were perfectly in tune with the times and earned him an international reputation. By 1960, however, that style was becoming unfashionable, and Messel gradually abandoned theatre and built a new career designing luxury homes in the Caribbean.
Rossini’s opera The Barber of Seville (1816) is based on a comedy (1775) by Beaumarchais (1732-1799). Count Almaviva is in love with Rosina, Dr. Bartolo’s beautiful ward. With the aid of Figaro, a mischievous and clever barber, he seeks to release Rosina from Dr. Bartolo’s clutches. Messel designed costumes and sets for a Glyndebourne production in 1954, which despite its popularity, was only revived twice.
With the aid of Figaro, Count Almaviva disguises himself as a music teacher and pretends to be the pupil of the real music teacher Don Basilio, in order to gain entrance to Dr. Bartolo’s house, where Rosina is kept under lock and key. Messel dresses Almaviva in clerical clothing and glasses for the role.
Rossini’s opera The Barber of Seville (1816) is based on a comedy (1775) by Beaumarchais (1732-1799). Count Almaviva is in love with Rosina, Dr. Bartolo’s beautiful ward. With the aid of Figaro, a mischievous and clever barber, he seeks to release Rosina from Dr. Bartolo’s clutches. Messel designed costumes and sets for a Glyndebourne production in 1954, which despite its popularity, was only revived twice.
With the aid of Figaro, Count Almaviva disguises himself as a music teacher and pretends to be the pupil of the real music teacher Don Basilio, in order to gain entrance to Dr. Bartolo’s house, where Rosina is kept under lock and key. Messel dresses Almaviva in clerical clothing and glasses for the role.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Charcoal, pencil, gouache, watercolour on paper |
| Brief description | Costume design by Oliver Messel for Count Almaviva disguised as a music teacher in Rossini's opera Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), Glyndebourne 1954. |
| Physical description | A costume design for Count Almaviva disguised as a music teacher in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, 1954. Count Almaviva is depicted in full length facing the viewer, holding a scroll on the right. He is dressed in a black cloak with a black wide brimmed hat, white gloves, black shoes, white collar, and a black neck cloth. He also wears glasses. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Design |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'The Count disguise [sic] / as music teacher' (Pencil inscription on the top right-hand corner on the front of the sheet) |
| Credit line | Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A |
| Object history | Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), an opera (1816) in two acts, was composed by Rossini with libretto by Sterbini after Beaumarchais’s comedy of the same name (1775). Oliver Messel’s production was first performed by the Glyndebourne Festival Opera at Glyndebourne on 10 June, 1954; directed by Carl Ebert, featuring Bruscantini as Figaro and Graziella Sciutti as Rosina. It was revived at the Edinburgh Festival in 1955 and at Glyndebourne in 1961. Roger Pinkham has said of this production that “Messel chose a palette which echoed the contrasted and thus dramatic coloration of Goya’s paintings.” (Pinkham, ed., 1983). Lord Snowdon, Oliver Messel's nephew, inherited Messel's theatre designs and other designs and artefacts. The designs were briefly stored in a disused chapel in Kensington Palace before being housed at the V&A from 1981 on indefinite loan. The V&A Theatre Museum purchased the Oliver Messel collection from Lord Snowdon in 2005. Historical significance: Messel worked for Glyndebourne from 1951 to 1959, when he was at the height of his popularity as a designer for the stage. His work for Glyndebourne in this period is regarded as some of his best designs. |
| Production | Reason For Production: Commission |
| Summary | Oliver Messel (1904-1978) was Britain’s leading theatre designer throughout the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s, mastering every aspect of entertainment - ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue - as well working in interior decoration and textile design. His lavish, painterly and romantic concepts were perfectly in tune with the times and earned him an international reputation. By 1960, however, that style was becoming unfashionable, and Messel gradually abandoned theatre and built a new career designing luxury homes in the Caribbean. Rossini’s opera The Barber of Seville (1816) is based on a comedy (1775) by Beaumarchais (1732-1799). Count Almaviva is in love with Rosina, Dr. Bartolo’s beautiful ward. With the aid of Figaro, a mischievous and clever barber, he seeks to release Rosina from Dr. Bartolo’s clutches. Messel designed costumes and sets for a Glyndebourne production in 1954, which despite its popularity, was only revived twice. With the aid of Figaro, Count Almaviva disguises himself as a music teacher and pretends to be the pupil of the real music teacher Don Basilio, in order to gain entrance to Dr. Bartolo’s house, where Rosina is kept under lock and key. Messel dresses Almaviva in clerical clothing and glasses for the role. |
| Bibliographic reference | Pinkham, Roger (ed.) Oliver Messel: an exhibition held at the Theatre Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, 22 June - 30 September 1983.
London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1983. 200p., ill
ISBN 0905209508) |
| Other number | ROT 224 - TM Rotation Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.41-2006 |
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| Record created | May 8, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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