The Barber of Seville (1996)

Scene 1: Outside the house of Doctor Bartolo
The young Count Almaviva has set his sights on an unknown beauty. Figaro, the barber (who prides himself on his ability to manage the affairs of the entire city), tells him that she is Rosina, ward of the elderly curmudgeon Doctor Bartolo, who plans to marry her himself and therefore keeps her locked in his house (the “useless precaution” of the title). However, Figaro promises Almaviva that he shall be outwitted.

Scene 2: Inside the house of Doctor Bartolo
Rosina is equally determined to thwart her guardian’s intentions. She writes a letter to her unknown admirer (whom she knows only as Lindoro), which Figaro promises to deliver. The unscrupulous Basilio passes along to Bartolo the rumor that Almaviva is interested in Rosina, so Bartolo decides to marry her immediately. With Figaro’s help, Almaviva, disguised as a drunken soldier, demands to be billeted in Bartolo’s house. Such a commotion ensues that the militia is called out by the neighbors.

Almaviva is undeterred by the unsuccessful ploy of the morning and arrives in the afternoon disguised as Don Alonso, who will substitute for the “sick” Don Basilio and give Rosina her singing lesson, under the cover of which they plan to elope that night. Basilio himself arrives unexpectedly, and the “music master” is unmasked. Bartolo stuns Rosina with the news that “Lindoro” is in truth an agent of Count Almaviva, who only wants to marry her for her money.

After a thunderstorm, Figaro and Almaviva climb into the house by a ladder and persuade Rosina that “Lindoro” is in fact Almaviva himself. But after a rapturous reunion, they find they are unable to escape because Bartolo has removed the ladder. Basilio arrives with the notary who will marry Rosina to Bartolo, but the Count bribes Basilio to witness his own marriage to Rosina instead. Bartolo is obliged to accept that all his precautions have indeed been useless.