For those who might
think opera boring, stuffy and static,
I recommend that they take a look at
this Dario Fo production. From the rise
of the curtain to the curtain calls,
there is never a dull moment. This production
of The Barber of Seville raises
farce to the sublime. Blink and you
will miss something. The stage is in
constant movement. The pace is frenetic.
Right from the start of Rossini’s overture,
a frantic Harlequinade unfolds as the
characters push some of the remaining
scenery into position; the beautifully
detailed, but modular sets are so designed
that they drop down, or are moved easily
into place by the actors so that the
pace of the production is never slackened.
The stage props are frequently hilarious,
often ingenious: the artful pantomime
horse; the large twirling umbrella that
‘gives birth’ to many smaller ones propelled
around the stage as Basilio craftily
suggests that the planned slander of
Count Almaviva will spread on ‘gusts
of wind’. Then there is the transformation
of Doctor Bartolo into a clone of Don
Quixote, bested by Almaviva in his first
impersonation, as a drunken soldier,
to get close to his beloved Rosina.
These are just three visual delights
amongst many. Lighting and sets are
excellent.
As Figaro, chubby-cheeked
baritone, David Malis, may appear too
boyish for some and his singing could
be more expressive. Think of Thomas
Allen, for instance, and how he could
invest so much meaning into each of
those Figaros. Lyric tenor Richard Croft
is an energetic Almaviva, ardent and
enthusiastically prepared to act the
fool. The singing legend, Renato Capecchi,
is an inspired Doctor Bartolo, crafty
and grasping yet vulnerably gullible.
His angry tongue-twisting Act I patter
song is one of the highlights of the
production. But my fullest admiration
is reserved for the impressive range
of the velvety chocolate-toned young
American mezzo-soprano, Jennifer Larmore
as a cheeky and wily Rosina. Simone
Alaimo is suitably grasping and greasy
as Basilio while Leonie Schoon is well
cast as the long-suffering, somewhat
clumsy maid, Berta. Roger Smeets fills
in two contrasting roles as the ebullient
Fiorello and the pompous army officer.
The chorus and the dancers who fill
the stage with so much colour and fun
are very good too. Excellently co-ordinating
it all, and leading a very exuberant
Netherlands Chamber Orchestra is Alberto
Zedda.
An energetic, nay frenetic
production full of fun and colour with
some outstanding singing - unhesitatingly
recommended.
Ian and
Grace Lace
Chorus of the Netherlands Opera 
ARTHAUS
MUSIK 100 412 [154 mins] 