In the Opera season of 1933-34, the Royal Opera House in Valletta was in its heyday. One of the operas put up that year was the ever-popular Barbiere di Siviglia. Its first performance in Malta was in 1820, only four years after its premier in Rome in 1816. This year, 2016, we are celebrating 200 years since Gioacchino Rossini gifted us with this work. Malta loved it - and it was put up in almost every season.
In the 1933-34 season, the cast was Italian, with Figaro's role performed by Domenico Malatesta. Looking at the back of the programme, we find that costumes, scenery, furniture and wigs were a combined effort between Malta's Opera House and Milan, whilst printing of posters, programmes, circulars and tickets were all taking place in Malta.
The same small silver and dark blue programme was used, with a different insertion in the centre that included change of opera and cast.
I am providing a link to a historical recording of Tito Gobbi singing the most famous Largo al Factotum in 1946. In November 1949 he was singing the same Largo al Factotum in Malta in the Orpheum Theatre.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r981BmXzhPY
