by Mike Hoban
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE – Music by Gioacchino Rossini; Libretto by Cesare Sterbini; Sung in Italian with English surtitles; Conductor David Angus; Stage Director Rosetta Cucchi; Set Designer Julia Noulin-Mérat; Costume Designer Gianluca Falaschi; Lighting Designer DM Wood. Presented by the Boston Lyric Opera at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theater, 219 Tremont St., Boston through October 21
As I have stated in my previous reviews of opera, the extent of my experience with the form until this past spring has been limited to viewings of the Warner Bros. classic, “What’s Opera Doc”. And while that may disqualify me from having an informed opinion on the operatic qualities of the Boston Lyric Opera’s production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, I can say unequivocally that from a pure entertainment standpoint, Barber is a blast. From the opening strains of the overture (which should be instantly recognizable to anyone who has ever listened to classical music or, quite frankly, ever watched television in the previous century) to the joyful marriage of Rosina and Count Almaviva where EVERYBODY wins – even the ‘bad” guys – BLO’s ‘Barber’ is a comic and musical joy.
Like a Shakespearian play, the plot is anything but simple. Lindoro, a poor student with lofty ambitions, has become smitten with Rosina (an electrifying Daniela Mack), the ward of Dr. Bartolo, an older, portly physician who would take her hand in marriage as well as her fortune when she comes of age. Unawares, Lindoro hires a band of musicians (amusingly dressed in costumes that resemble images from a deck of playing cards) to accompany him as he serenades his beloved with lyrics that the great Smokey Robinson would envy:
“Arise, my sweetest love. Oh come, my treasured one. Soften the pain, oh God, of the dart which pierces me. Oh joy! Do I now see that dearest vision? Has she taken pity on this soul in love!”
What teenage girl of 1775 (when the play by Pierre Beaumarchais on which the libretto was based was written) could resist? She falls for him, not knowing that Lidoro is really Count Almaviva (Jesus Garcia), who hopes to make the young beauty love him only for himself, rather than his title and riches. The Count does not know that she is equally smitten with him, and he despairs. Enter Figaro, the swaggering, handsome title character (a comically charged Matthew Worth), singing the signature aria “Largo al factotum della città”; (“Make way for the factotum of the city) – a song whose braggadocio would make Trump blush, if such a thing was possible. Figaro offers (for a fee, of course) to help his friend capture the heart of the beautiful Rosina, and disguising him first a drunken soldier and later as an eccentric music teacher, gets him into the secure house to let love take its logical course.
What makes this production so much fun, is that this is a true comedy – and a broad one at that. Coupled with the colorful costuming that stands out so starkly in contrast to Julia Noulin-Mérat’s black-and-white M. C. Escher-inspired sets, there’s a kind of cartoonish look and feel to the performance, with absurd comic bits thrown in – such as Dr. Bartolo rocking out in headphones while the Count (disguised as the music teacher) canoodles with Rosina under the pretense of tutoring her.
As Rosina, Daniela Mack is a marvel, shining in her first solo number, the cavatina, “Una voce poco fa” (“A voice a little while ago”) and later bringing down the house with the stunning aria in Act II, “Contro un cor”. She also has a real gift for comedy, as she masterfully combines an innocent sexuality with an expressive face as she defies her oppressive and lecherous ward. Other musical standouts include Steven Condy as Bartolo, David Crawford as the hideously ghoulish (real) music teacher Basilio, and Michelle Trainor (who appeared as Mrs. Peachum in Threepenny Opera last spring) as Berta. Overall, the cast was very solid, without a weak link.
This is a great introduction to the legitimate world of opera for those who have toyed with the idea of going, as it is truly accessible for all. And if you don’t speak Italian, don’t worry, translations are posted to the left and the right of the stage and are easy to read. The Barber of Seville is the first of four works that the company will present this season. Others include a new edition of the “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Rape of Lucretia” and the world premiere of “Schoenberg in Hollywood, which is up next in November. For tickets and information, go to: https://blo.org
