Photograph by Karli Cadel
If one sees sufficient operas, as soon as in a blue moon, a staple-repertoire efficiency comes alongside that knocks your socks off, challenges all of your notions of the piece, and, finally, presents new views. Such was the case with San Diego Opera’s tenth manufacturing of Gioachino Rossini’s evergreen The Barber of Seville, which performed at San Diego Civic Theatre for 3 performances solely.
The recognition of this story of a crafty barber who helps a younger Depend woo his bride is unquestionable, and Rossini’s adaptation of Pierre Beaumarchais‘s play – with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini – has been broadly thought to be the best instance of opera buffa. In widespread tradition, the barber’s “Largo al factotum” has been parodied by everybody from Bugs Bunny to Mrs. Doubtfire.
A lot of the success of SDO’s The Barber of Seville was attributed to debuting director Chuck Hudson, whose unorthodox course gave the manufacturing a very effervescent but elegant look, in contrast to the same old slapstick take the opera often receives. A protégé of Marcel Marceau and famend for teaching singers to be higher actors, Hudson integrated a lot of Marceau’s methods right here, and it confirmed. For this revival, Mathew LeFebvre’s colourful costumes have been rented from Minnesota Opera, the place the manufacturing initially premiered, and Hudson labored with SDO’s Tim Wallace and Jason Bieber on scenic and lighting designs.
In an illuminating interview, Hudson recognized “presentationalism,” the artwork of “sharing all the things with the viewers,” as the important thing to his course. “The viewers will get to be ‘in’ on the assorted characters’ plots, which the opposite characters should not conscious of.” By way of particular gestures and facial and hand actions, the singers have been intentionally positioned in each scene to create distinct moods and compelling, picture-worthy storylines. It additionally helped that Hudson had beforehand labored with many individuals within the solid, together with refrain grasp Bruce Stasyna.
One among my favourite moments was the drunken scene in Act 1: Almaviva threatens to hit Don Bartolo because the others tried to cease him, and simply earlier than the soldier bangs on the door, time involves a stand-still. As well as, the troopers’ placement in sharp marching traces, but with bobbing heads, within the prolonged Act 1 finale supplied a extra refreshing interpretation of the textual content (“Mi par d’esser con la testa in un’orrida fucina; dell’incudini sonore l’importuno strepitar” / “My head appears to be in a fiery forge: the sound of the anvils deafens the ear”) than the same old chaotic operating round.
Hudson set the motion in 1820s Seville, a interval when commedia dell’arte was transitioning right into a “nineteenth-century efficiency type.” LeFebvre’s costumes underscored this transition, utilizing kaleidoscopic colours in most characters’ costumes, notably for Almaviva, Don Bartolo, and the troopers, whereas preserving Figaro in earthy colours, as if to represent that he was essentially the most well-rooted particular person within the room. If I’ll nitpick, I felt Rosina’s gown was somewhat too Victorian for my style. Wallace took a easy, nearly minimalist strategy to Physician Bartolo’s home, with a touch of Spanish colonial structure. Sadly, two large black curtains hanging on both facet have been seen to the viewers (no less than to me) and one way or the other cheapened the staging. Nonetheless, the mixture of his units and Bieber’s sepia-toned lighting successfully depicted Seville within the 1820s. In different scenes, Bieber highlighted every character underneath spotlights, by no means dropping sight of who was at the moment singing, making the manufacturing a pleasure to observe with out being overly reliant on subtitles.
A easy large white display screen was used to cowl the stage throughout the set change, and a few scenes have been sung in entrance of it, enabling clean transitions. Notably, the display screen was additionally used throughout the storm scene in Act 2, with the solid strolling backwards and forwards hysterically to supply extra backstory. I used to be notably joyful that the curtains have been fully closed throughout the Overture, permitting the viewers to be absolutely immersed within the well-known tune, a observe that appears to be turning into much less widespread nowadays!
Photograph by Karli Cadel.
On the musical entrance, SDO’s The Barber of Seville supplied a lot to advocate, making it a very memorable evening on the opera. Principal Conductor Yves Abel coaxed superb taking part in from the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, bringing out the joie de vivre in Rossini’s rating. With a swift tempo, readability, and vigor, he delivered a coherent studying that propelled the motion ahead whereas remaining delicate to his singers. It’s little surprise he acquired essentially the most enthusiastic cheers throughout the bows, because the viewers’s response by the top of the well-known Overture had foretold.
Clearly, Abel couldn’t do it alone, and he had a terrific solid to convey out the musical splendor whereas realizing Hudson’s imaginative and prescient. The solid, a mixture of younger rising stars and esteemed veteran singers, a lot of whom have been making debuts, was, high to backside, one of many strongest I’ve heard shortly. Collectively, the solid labored exceptionally nicely collectively, an essential issue for Rossini’s operas, particularly of their finales.
Within the title function, rising American baritone Dean Murphy made a much-heralded return to america (after eight years) to debut one among his signature roles at SDO. A member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin ensemble because the 2021/22 season, Murphy introduced a cool, calculating demeanor to his portrayal of the barber, imbuing the function with an aura of ambiguity. His voice was heat, with a well-supported center register, and he navigated the patter part of “Largo al factotum” with ease. His tackle that well-known aira was notably attention-grabbing: much less of a boastful salesman, extra of a crafty mastermind who knew his value!
Chinese language tenor Minghao Liu assumed the function of Conte Almaviva effortlessly. A real leggero tenor, Liu used his brilliant, lyrical voice to painting a lovesick younger lover, and together with his elegant phrasing, he infused the function with a way of royalty. On Friday, it took him a bit to heat up, however he finally contributed considerably to the opera’s success.
Native favourite Stephanie Doche made a welcome comeback because the shrewd Rosina, Almaviva’s love curiosity. With a darkish, spherical sound and an irresistible stage presence, Doche’s Rosina turned one of many highlights of the evening, and the viewers actually liked her. My solely quibble along with her was that she tended to take essentially the most outrageous gildings, a few of which pushed her high notes into an uncomfortable vary.
SDO was lucky to have acclaimed singers Patrick Carfizzi and Craig Colclough on this manufacturing as Physician Bartolo and Don Basilio; it nearly felt like a humiliation of riches. Not solely have been they each extraordinarily comfy singing the roles, however they’d additionally labored with Hudson previously, enabling them to understand Hudson’s course splendidly. Carfizzi, who additionally sang the function within the firm’s 2021 manufacturing, gave the function a grumpy, ripe-for-the-picking outlook. Then again, the debuting Colclough turned in a depraved, sinister Don Basilio (full with an outrageous wig) that he performed with glee. It was astonishing that each would return to the Met to carry out the restricted (re-)run of The Wonderful Adventures of Kavalier and Clay simply two days after the top of this run!
Tasha Hokuao Koontz accomplished the supporting solid as Berta, Physician Bartolo’s housekeeper. With a robust voice and nice comedian timing, Koontz made her presence felt. This was the primary time I noticed that Berta scaled as much as C6 throughout the grand concertato within the first-act finale! Joseph Calzada, Phil Johnson, and Jeffrey Goldberg contributed handsomely within the comprimario roles of Fiorello, Ambrogio, and an Officer, respectively.
This was a very nice achievement for SDO to current such a enjoyable but thought-provoking present, and the viewers left the corridor feeling exuberant. Subsequent month, SDO will current Carmen with an attention-grabbing double-cast on March 27-29.
Michael Anthonio
Michael Anthonio’s amorous affairs with classical music and opera began in main college, when his mother and father purchased him an organ and he started taking classes. Throughout highschool and faculty, he gave personal organ classes to a few of his mother and father’ associates’ children (for pocket cash) and he was church organist and later, choir conductor. In 1999 he moved to Singapore the place he acquired concerned with the classical music on-line web site “flying inkpot.” His curiosity in opera turned an obsession when he was transferred for work to US in 2008. Along with having fun with world-class opera in SF, he indulges in opera excursions in Europe. His favourite opera composer is Handel; at this level, Michael seen 24 of his operas , with hopefully three extra coming subsequent 12 months.
