Being the first time I attended an opera, The Barber of Seville was one to impress. IT was shown in the Metropolitan Opera on October 19, 2011. Coming with the impression that operas were boring; my opinion changed after watching the performance. Many aspects caught my attention. The orchestra was conducted by Maurizio Benini and was extremely good; they played very well and set the mood and atmosphere for many scenes. The props on the stage were also very interesting, especially the moveable doors. The singers also performed with gusto and grace. The main singers were Javier Camarena, Isabel Leonard, Peter Mettei, and Maurizio Muraro, Count Almaviva, Rosina, Figaro, and Bartholo respectively.

Maurizio Benini conducted the orchestra with charismatic feeling. The orchestra provided the “feel” of every scene. Therefore, a good orchestra is necessary for the enjoyment of the opera. In many scenes, especially where Figaro is cutting Barthalo’s hair, the music made the scene a light hearted and joyous occasion. Benini conducted this particular part with a lot of staccato beats that set an easygoing mood. The orchestra accompanied this scene very well with the happy music to give an overall sense of happiness.

The props can be considered one of the most important things in an opera. Michael Yeargen was the set designer who is credited with creating this amazing set. In this particular one, the props on stage could be moved around to accompany many scenes. The doors may have been one of the props that caught the most attention. They could be moved around to create different settings. Also, they were actual functioning doors, so the singers could interact with them. The doors are a very thoughtful addition to this particular opera. It created a changeable setting that could be adjusted for all the scenes.

The use of trees also caused a comedic response. The trees were used to conceal the singers even though they were clearly not completely concealed by the tree. However, the people not behind the tree were unable to see them even though they were clearly not hidden. This caused a little laughter among the audience. This type of prop added a positive feeling to the scene and kept the viewers more interested.

Another thing the orchestra has to do well in is the accompanying the voices of the singers. Both the music and the singing need to be synchronized in order for optimal enjoyment. There was a scene where Figaro, played by Peter Mettei, sang his part with my pauses. The orchestra highlighted these parts and put more emphasis by pausing the music as well. This makes his singing and overall atmosphere more powerful due to the synchronization.

The voices of the singers are also something that should be noted. The female lead sang by Isabel Leonard, had quite an astonishing performance. Being the only female voice in the opera, her voice had to be distinctive and powerful. She achieved this and definitely gave off the impression that her presence was known. Being the only female, she had to set herself apart from all the other singers. With her flamboyant performance, I appreciated her fantastic voice. Her voice was softer than the men but in a way just as dominating. You knew that her character, Rosina, was proud to be a woman among the other men. Overall, Leonard’s performance really helped the opera achieve its apex.

With many male roles, each male character had to distinguish himself from the others. Figaro, Mattei, can be seen as the funny character. When he is present, the scene usually involves him doing something humorous. Figaro’s acting also contributes greatly to how well he is received by the audience. Count Almaviva’s, Javier Camarena, performance is displayed through his acting. He shows how he loves Rosina in many ways throughout the opera. His performance is reinforced by his voice. He had a solo singing part where he had to hold a note for a long time. This distinguished him from everybody else. Bartholo, sang by Maurizio Muraro, has a dictating walk that shows he is in charge. His conquering presence distinguishes him from everybody else. I can tell with his deeper and prouder stride that Muraro’s character is very serious.

My overall experience with the The Barber of Seville was phenomenal. I greatly enjoyed this particular performance with the singing, set, and music. It changed my perspective of what an opera is. In the future, I will be more likely to attend one due to the positive results of this one. I think the collaborative effort of the orchestra and the singers created an ideal experience. I think that the props also contributed a great deal to the success and helped captivate the audience.