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A Sevillan Barber Geneva
Grand Théâtre
03/19/2000 - and 24, 26, 28, 31 March, 2, 4 April 2000
Gioacchino Rossini: Il Barbiere di Seviglia
A production of the Teatro de la Maestranza of Seville
Maria Bayo (Rosina), Giorgia Ellis-Filice (Berta), Dietrich Henschel (Figaro), Bruce Ford (Almaviva), Enzo Dara (Bartolo), Daniel Borowski (Don Basilio), Vanya Abrahams (Fiorello).
José Luis Castro (Director),
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Choir of the Grand Théâtre, Guillaume Tournaire (Conductor and Choir Master)
The curtains open during the overture on a wonderful canvas depicting 18th century Siville illuminated by a sunlight that fades away as night arrives. Then we are invited into a street of Sev
ille and its noble palace and portico. José Luis Castro’s aim is to reproduce the setting and atmosphere of 18th century Seville in a almost archaeological way. The scenery is beautiful and it is enhanced by the lights of Vinicio Cheli that produces through the windows the periods of the day, finishing eventually with the storm and rain that has been so inventively put into music by the composer.
When one says Il Barbieri di Seviglia, one thinks right away opera buffa. Isn’t it, in our minds, the Opera buffa par excellence. Though the director’s second aim is to purify the opera from its caricatural form, and by doing that he limits the dosage of the buffa element in it. Why not, the opera reveals more of the drama behind the buffa that hides it, but the element of laughter is reduced and the Geneva proved that through its economy of laughs. May be it is a
way of dealing with over excitement on stage that does have an effect on the quality of the s
inging and music. Many contemporary productions have, in deed, been over caricatured and over flurried, just to make it supposedly funnier, and have destroyed the true message of the Beaumarchais’ play. In that, the experience is surely new and quite convincing.
The opera’s genealogy is a truly European combination: a story happening in Seville, a play written by a French writer, rewritten in Italian and put into music by an Italian composer. The choice of having a Sevillan production refreshes the work and brings us back to the origins.
The Interpretation is also to be praised. First of all the Spanish diva, Maria Bayo, though a soprano and not a mezzo, still, she is so authentic. Her virtuosity and technique is astonishing. Dietrich Henschel is not totally convincing in his role, its his first time as Figaro. The cavatina needs also more of the rossinian spirit, though the rest of his performance was good. The direction lacked also a bit of spirit, though a good try for Guillaume Tour
naire, the chorus master of the Grand Théâtre, to try out the directors baton.
Zoltan Bécsi
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