11-21 Feb. Rossini's Barbiere di Siviglia.

This is a new Davide Livermore production of Rossini's old favourite, on the bicentenary of its first performance on 20 February 1816 at Teatro Argentina in Rome.

Livermore, who was born in Turin, is the artistic director at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia Valencia. The conductor is Donato Renzetti, with two Italian Rossini mezzo sopranos – Chiara Amaru and Teresa Iervolino – in the role of Rosina.

The new season at the Teatro dell' Opera di Roma is one of unusual works and original stagings (see for example Emma Dante's La Cenerentola) so it will be interesting to see where Livermore takes the audience with this much-loved work. Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Piazza Beniamino Gigli 7, www.operadiroma.it.