If you are a fan of Bugs Bunny cartoons, then you maybe familiar with the episode titled “The Rabbit of Seville.” However it might surprise you that this episode is based on a very famous opera, Il Barbiere di Siviglia. On Wednesday October 19th, I went to see Il Barbiere di Siviglia performed by the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center. The opera is based on the play The Barber of Seville written by Beaumarchais. Gioachino Rossini composed Il Barbiere di Siviglia in 1816. Although the Metropolitan Opera performance had some good moments, the overall performance was disappointing.
Il Barbiere di Siviglia intends to make the viewer laugh while telling a romantic story. The story is about Count Almaviva (played by Javier Camarena) going to Siviglia to pursue the woman of his dreams, Rosina (played by Isabel Leonard). The only problem is that Rosina lives with Dr. Bartolo, played by Maurizio Muraro, who plans on marrying her. Luckily, the Count gets help from Figaro, played by Rodin Pogossov. Figaro is the city’s barber and one of his customers is Dr. Bartolo. Figaro uses his access to Dr. Bartolo’s house to help the Count and Rosina get married.
The storyline was not the only thing that was great about the performance. One of the other things that really stood out in the performance was the lighting, designed by Christopher Akerlind. The lighting was very powerful and the transitions from nighttime to daytime were seamless and beautiful. This was important to the story because several scenes took place during the transition from night into day.
In addition to the lighting, the performances of Javier Camarena, Maurizio Muraro, and Patta Burchuladze (Don Basilio) were outstanding. Muraro and Burchuladze had powerful voices that could be heard throughout the whole theater. Camarena’s voice was smooth and soulful. Their performances were some of the best that I have seen.
The performance of Rodin Pogossov was very disappointing. One of the most famous moments in this opera is Figaro performing “Largo al Factotum.” The singer is supposed to perform this number with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Mr. Pogossov was lacking energy and enthusiasm in his performance. Fiagro is a very important character in this opera because his energy and enthusiasm help the Count and Rosina end up together. Mr. Pogossov did not do the character justice.
The performance of Isabel Leonard was left something to be desired as well. Her voice did not carry well throughout the theater and it seemed like her performance was monotone. The musical number “Una voce poco fa” is supposed to have a shift of emotion from obedient to rebellious, but Ms. Leonard’s performance was lacking this shift.
Another thing that could have been improved is the set. The set, designed by Michael Yeargan, was made out of about ten wooden doors that were moved around the stage to create different settings. Although this was creative and left more to the imagination of the viewer, it would have been nice to see a set that represented the city of Siviglia. The playbill describes Siviglia as beautiful city with “intricate, winding streets” and “exotic traditions.” It would have been nice to see a set that featured some winding streets and beautiful buildings, but unfortunately this set did not.
One aspect of the production that really took away from its quality is the character Ambrogio, played by Rob Besserer. Ambrogio’s only purpose is to provide comic relief, but the style of the comic relief is very cheap. The only way that Ambrogio provides laughs is by getting hurt. In one scene, the Count slashes a tree and it falls on Ambrogio while in another scene, an explosion occurs off stage that causes Ambrogio to drop on stage with burnt clothes. If you are in elementary school and like cheap comedy then you might find this. However if you are a sophisticated person and like thoughtful comedy, Ambrogio will most likely annoy you rather than give you a good laugh.
Whether you should see this opera depends on your experience with opera. If you are an opera connoisseur, then you should see this production. However, If you are going to the opera for the first time and want to get a great first impression, then you might want to see a different performance. While this performance had its good parts, it will not leave you amazed and begging for more.
