The Barbers of Seville, composed by Gioachino Rossini, is an opera in two acts. It is based on a play of the same name by Pierre Beaumarchais. The music was composed by Rossini and the libretto was written by Cesare Sterbini. The opera premiered in Rome in 1816 and has since become one of the most popular operas in the classical repertoire. Rossini was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas, as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs, and some instrumental and piano pieces. He is considered to be one of the greatest composers of the 19th century.