Tag Archives: Met opera reviews

What’s Up Rossini? Idiots at the Opera: Il Barbiere di Siviglia

Idiots at the Opera, , ,

For those of us of a certain age, for whom the nanny was a television set, Il Barbiere di Siviglia will always be linked with Bugs Bunny’s infamous Rabbit of Seville – which features its own special brand of buffa set to the tune of Rossini’s overture. As soon as the orchestra began my brain was already in Looney Tunes mode and I could see Bugs in drag, hear his lyrics, “Can’t you see that I’m much sweeta? I’m your little senor-it-a”

Bugs and Figaro have a lot in common. Both are tricksters out for their own survival but mostly on the side of good.

For those of you unfamiliar, here’s the elevator version of the story: Figaro is a barber – also a “jack of all trades, fixer, veterinarian, health care provider (enemas might be a speciality). He runs into his former patron, Count Almavina, who is wooing Rosina although Rosina doesn’t know the Count’s true identity. Rosina’s lecherous guardian, Dr. Bartolo is hoping to marry her. Figaro helps the Count in his pursuit and plan to get Rosina away from the not so good doctor.

The staging of this version, by Bartlett Sher, seems to be going for the antic, but I didn’t find it quite antic enough. I’m not sure what was missing, but some energy or cohesion seemed to be lacking, so despite a few fine performances it moved a bit slow. The first acts end with a literal anvil dropping down and I wasn’t sure what that was even about. It was abstract and meta – a comment on the cartoon like aspect of this form of comic opera, maybe? But for me, the joke didn’t land, and what should have been lively first act finale lagged.

In the second act, there was a more subtle Easter Egg for Looney Tunes fan, unless I’m reading too much into it. Sometimes a carrot, is just a carrot.

Yunpeng Wang, a young artist new to the Met, was in the small role of Almaviva’s servant, Fiorello. He has a large voice and presence. It would not be surprising to see him graduate to larger roles soon. Isabel Leonard was outstanding as both a singer and an actor as Rosina. She was a delight. There’s an aria in the first act that would be almost a throwaway, Una Voce Poco Fa, had she not so completely nailed it. Film buffs may recognize the song. It was the one Susan Alexander sings to Charles Foster Kane on the night that they meet. Christopher Maltman making his role debut was very good – if not great as Figaro. Given the tenors who’ve played the part, those are some big boots to fill, and he didn’t seem quite there yet. Lawrence Brownlee as the Count lacked power in the first act, though he picked up a bit in the second and had the audience cheering him on. Maurizio Muraro as Dr. Bartolo was exceptionally comfortable in the role.

It’s a strange feeling seeing the prequel second. Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro features many of the same characters some years later. Almaviva and Rosina are so wonderfully and operatically in love in Il Barbiere, yet we know that in a few years the Count will be lusting after Figaro’s fiancée, and Rosina will have her own boy toy.

Overall this was an entertaining, but not an outstanding production. It may be worth going for Isabel Leonard alone although I doubt this will be her last outing in the role. It’s entirely possible to stage classic buffa and still have it appear fresh. Last year’s production of Falstaff was as example. For whatever reasons, this version of Il Barbiere falls short.

Taking you out, here is the full version of the Rabbit of Seville:

(If you enjoyed this or any post even a little bit, you might maybe want to check out Marion’s literary work or even just click on any of “my picks” above and then Jeff Bezo’s will give Marion some pocket change with which she will purchase heating oil this winter. Thank you very much.)

Idiots at the Opera — Die Frau Ohne Schatten

Idiots at the Opera, ,

Neither of us had heard of Strauss’ fairytale opera, Die Frau Ohne Schatten before, but Opera Teen called it “the most hotly anticipated event of the season” so we figured, can’t go wrong with that.

Christine Goerke, as the Dyer’s Wife, is a particular standout in a very strong cast of singers, and as Barak, her husband, Johan Reuter brought great humanity and presence. The sets and lighting have received a lot of press. The lighting was amazing. The red feather costume of the falcon glowed like embers. And the emperor’s transformation from stone back to flesh was nothing short of a miracle. However, the set with its large panels which at times were mirrored and at times black, reminded me of Tron. It was showy, but didn’t always draw us into the story. The transformation from the half-spirit world of the Emperor and Empress to the drab home of Barak the Dyer was accomplished via elevating the spirit-world set to reveal the Dyer’s home. The Empress and her nurse descended a spiral staircase down to the Dyer’s. I had some trouble with this, partly because I’d seen that staircase employed in various ways in different productions, and in this case I had to do too much mental work around the “invisible” stairs in the middle of the house. The story of the half-spirit Empress trying to obtain a shadow doesn’t have the heft of myth or the charm of fairytale. Fairytales are for children, but this one seems geared for adults. The darkness of the messenger would probably frighten small children, and the message is not just the shadow as a metaphor for the human soul, but that the ability to reproduce is the true purpose of humanity. It’s all a bit heavy-handed, and silly even for opera.

Musically, the score is brilliant and the orchestra and conductor were up to it. But we didn’t find ourselves emotionally connected. At times the music became epic and melodramatic while there was no singing and little stage action. Some of this may just be characteristic of German opera or maybe of Strauss. We’re idiots; this was our first Strauss and our first opera with a German libretto. So what do we know?

If you want young children to experience enchantment with a classical score, you’d do better to take them to The Nutcracker or maybe Tales of Hoffman. If you’re on the fence about opera, this isn’t the one to start with – you won’t leave humming. However, if you are familiar with the music, and thrilled that it’s being performed, overall it’s a fine production with some great performances, and you won’t be disappointed.

As of this writing, only one performance left — Tuesday, November 26th. Still some decent seats left, including full view family circle, and of course rush tickets is always an option. For more on last minute and cheap tix, you can check out this post.

(Find this helpful? Marion is too proud to accept donations, but you could check out her fiction, including this little novella which has a bit of a fantasy element as well.)