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 19^th, 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.

Anvils, falling trees and lightning strikes in an opera house? Back for the 592^nd time at the Metropolitan Opera, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, also known as The Barber of Seville, did not disappoint its viewers.

The opening scene of Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Dr. Bortolo’s servant and the doctor himself tried to be humorous with a bit of slapstick comedy, which told us to expect more comedic relief later in the opera. But the comedic value took a while to arrive. The beginning of the first act was dry; it was mostly just opera singers singing in Italian, with nothing aesthetically pleasing in the background. I glanced around and saw a few people nodding off. As the first act was coming to an end, the comedic feel kicked in. Chaos ensued when almost every singer and supporting singer was on stage for the scene of Count Almaviva’s arrest. An anvil had appeared out of nowhere and was slowly descending on the stage, ready to crush a cart of pumpkins. Such randomness was a comfortable change from all the strict singing. There were no more sleepy, bored people.

Rodion Pogosov, who sang the role of Figaro, replaced Peter Mattei for the night and let his strong baritone voice win over the crowd. Pogosov put on an unforgettable show, singing Figaro’s aria with such emotion and humor. He used the whole stage and jumped from place to place during his aria, allowing the audience to understand that Figaro has many ladies chasing him. Another memorable singer was Maurizio Muraro, who sang the part of Dr. Bartolo. His booming, deep bass voice carried through the whole auditorium, allowing us to hear every note of anger and annoyance he inputs into the character of Dr. Bartolo. Javier Camerena and Isabel Leonard, singing the roles of Count Almaviva and Rosina, respectively, didn’t do too well. Camerena had one golden moment during the whole opera, which was right after he sang his aria. He received a long cheer from the crowd but that was his only moment. Leonard did not play the part of Rosina too well. The character of Rosina is supposed to be one where she starts off obedient but turns rebellious; Leonard did not quite get that across. Her performance was mediocre compared to the strong male leads.

The orchestral pieces were very pleasing to the ear. Benini, the conductor for Il Barbiere di Siviglia, controlled his musicians well, motioning them to speed up their playing when things were chaotic and then retarding the beat later on as the chaos dies down. Each instrument was displayed nicely; you can clearly hear the clarinets being brought out in some parts while in other parts, the flute is more prominent.

I can see why this opera is still running after 592 times. Even though there are some new singers, they do their role justice and put on a good show for us. Il Barbiere di Siviglia is definitely worth seeing; you will have a good laugh with this tame slapstick comedic opera.

I never thought that I would ever be intrigued by an opera; however, boy was I wrong. On Wednesday October 26^th I had the opportunity to visit the Met Opera’s performance of Rossini’s Il Barbiere de Seviglia at Lincoln Center. Due to the fact that it was my first opera I did not really know what to expect. However, after a little while I was astonished to witness such an amazing thing. I believe that the director, set designer, and singers effortlessly portrayed the true essence of Rossini’s original opera.

The first thing that caught my attention when the performance began was the way the set designer Michael Yeargen made use of the doors to create the setting of each of the scenes. On one hand, I was really intrigued by the manipulation of the doors because I was surprised to see that such a small thing can go a long way. The production team was able to create intricate set designs using such an ordinary thing. They were able to combine the doors in different ways to give each scene and setting a unique shape and appearance. However, on the other hand, I was also slightly disappointed that they used such a simple thing in order to shape the settings of each and every scene. When I first saw the doors I began to think of the fact that they spent so much time and money in creating the opera, and that in the end they were a little cheap when it came to such an important thing as the design of the set. I believe that the I would have been more intrigued if the production team had spent more time and money in the setting and in creating the scenes as Rossini envisioned them (in the streets of Seville).

As the opera progressed, I noticed that many of the props were used to add meaning to the scenes and to insert humor into the opera. One of the props that really stuck out to me was Figaro’s cart and its enormous size. When they brought out the cart I started to laugh a little bit because in my mind I knew that it represented the whole persona of Figaro. Throughout the opera you can truly see Figaro’s pompousness and arrogance. He believes that everyone relies on and that he is one of the most important people in the city. This fact is represented during Figaro’s “Largo al Factotum” aria. He also believes that he is the cause behind many of the good things that come about during the opera. For instance, towards the end of the opera he attributes the marriage of the Count and Rosina towards his doings.

At the end of the second act the audience erupted into laughter as a giant anvil was dropped down and crushed a wagon of pumpkins. During that scene the soldiers stormed Bartolo’s house after he got into a fight with the Count. Even though it added to the humor of the opera, I just did not understand it. I realize that it was symbolic of the fact that the characters were singing that their heads were hurting as if they were hit by an anvil, but I believe that it took away from the seriousness of the opera. In my opinion, the anvil was unnecessary and was a waste of money. It would have been better if the opera went into intermission with a serious tone. However, instead the production team dropped the anvil and took away from the mood of the performance.

Throughout the opera, Maurizio Benini, the conductor, was able to make use of the music to set the mood of each of the scenes. During the end of the second act, when the soldiers stormed Dr. Bartholo’s house, the tone of the music signaled that something dramatic was about to happen and gave you a sense of what to expect. The music foreshadowed that something significant was about to occur and caught your attention during the important scenes of the opera. The singers were also able to make use of the music to add feelings into their characters. For example, Isabel Leonard, who played Rosina, was able to express her emotions through the music. During her aria “Une voce poco fa,” you could truly see her love and affection for the Count, who she believed was a poor student named Lindoro. Through the music they were able to increase the impact the opera had on you.

Overall, I believe that the production team, including the director, singers, and set designer, did an amazing job at displaying Rossini’s original intentions concerning his opera Il Barbiere de Seviglia. Even though I had a couple of concerns regarding certain aspects of the performance, after all is considered I believe that they did a great job at creating a fun and exciting opera. I would encourage everyone to visit this performance, because it has the ability to change the way you look at opera as a whole.

The Metropolitan Opera’s revival of Rossini’s masterpiece “Il Baribiere di Siviglia” is refreshing and features an exciting cast directed with near perfection.

Most notably, Mr. Sher’s production reinterprets the character of Figaro to a new and exciting level. This Figaro wasn’t the happy-go-lucky charmer found in the original libretto. Instead, this was a shrewd businessman thriving in an age of secrets. He made his entrance on an eccentric and elaborate wagon that was curiously drawn by a live mule and surrounded by a platoon of besotted women. The oversized and versatile wagon was aptly symbolic of Figaro’s keen and opportunistic business sense. Rodion Pogossov, who is sharing the role with Peter Mattei delivers the performance in a powerful baritone befitting this version of the barber.

Isabel Leonard’s performance as Rosina was inspired and aroused sympathy for the poor, young girl locked up by her guardian. The softer Rosina was unconvincing as the viper during “Una voce poca fa” but the rest of the opera was served well by this interpretation of the character. Ms. Leonard’s soft, less than powerful voice was perfect for the emotional parts like the aria she sings during her fake music lesson with the Count.

Tenor Javier Camarena was charming and pleasant as Count Almaviva. Mr. Camanera’s Count was no swashbuckling rake seducing innocent Rosina with his smooth confidence. Instead, he was quietly portrayed as a frustrated young man in love. Beaumarchais’ play and the original libretto give the sense that the Count is a suave player. This production’s slightly different interpretation wasn’t disconcerting and in fact complimented Isabel Leonard’s cool and composed presence as Rosina.

The real show stealer however were bass-baritone Maurizio Muraro, who played Dr. Bartolo. His powerful voice projected well and he captured the pompous and ignorant nature of Dr. Bartolo to perfection. Dr. Bartolo and his servant, Abramagio drew the most laughs of the evening. The bass Paata Burchuladze, who played Don Basilio, added just the right touch of slyness to the character. His duet with Muraro’s Dr. Bartolo glorifying slander was one of the better parts of the evening.

The set, designed by Michael Yeargan was mostly composed of an ensemble of intriguing, movable doors that weren’t so innovative in their design as in the way they were utilized. The doors were combined and separated several times to create different impressions – a street one moment or Dr. Bartholo’s house the next. The characters moved around these doors and some potted trees placed strategically to facilitate the plot. The minimalistic design style augmented well the light and tight tone of this revival. Costume Designer Catherine Zuber stayed true to the period in costume design and Christopher Akerlind complimented the set design with his innovative lighting.

The only discordant note in the cast came from Jennifer Check, who played the maid Berta. Ms. Check was too strong a performer to play the role of the relatively unimportant maid and the consequent emphasis placed on Berta as a bow to Ms. Check’s caliber made the character seem contrived. Her aria, “Il vecchiotto cerca moglie,” while brilliantly performed, was disproportionately long and distracted from the otherwise tightly paced plot.

The orchestra took a backseat to the cast as conductor Maurizio Benini’s ensemble failed to add anything to the experience. It became necessary at certain points to consciously remind oneself of the music. The situation wasn’t helped by the added walkway in front of the pit where a lot of action occurred. Especially in these scenes when the actors sang from the area in front of the pit, the music became a nonentity. The lackluster music from the pit seemed to completely disappear at times and if it weren’t for the impressive singing, the production would have fallen flat.

In all, it was an elegant evening of Opera as the cast brought to life a refreshing and polished Barber of Seville.

Bartlett Sher’s production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia will be performed at the Matropolitan Opera through February 18th. For tickets call (212) 362-6000 or visit metopera.org

Know Beaumarchais’ play of The Barber of Seville? Yes? No? Well regardless of your answer, the opera version by Rossini, showing at the Metropolitan Opera, is a must see! A simple and creative set designed by Michael Yeargan, blinding lighting by Christopher Akerlind, smooth on key music conducted by Maurizio Benini, and an explosion of pizzazz by the main cast, as well as supporting characters, brew up a wonderful production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Bartlett Sher.

Yeargan’s cleverly designed set consisted mainly of ten creamy beige colored doors, giving off an antique feel to blend in with the time period in Seville. Easy on the eyes, these doors allowed smooth transformations and transitioning of scenes throughout the opera, from outside Dr. Bartolo’s house to inside his house. To enhance the set, decorative props were brought out fluidly by the supporting cast twirling around the stage with props like the orange trees, which did not hold much significance until they were used to provide comedic relief. An obnoxiously large anvil slowly lowered in the background at the end of Act I was extremely out of place. It was a distraction when the main cast was singing, but gave the audience quite a laugh. Overall, the universal set was intelligently created and did its’ job in creating the different scenarios.

However, this set would not be much without the help of Christopher Akerlind’s lighting. Akerlind did a terrific job with the lighting as it set the mood for the scenes and created a sense of time, such as the dim lights at the beginning when Count Almaviva stands under Rosina’s balcony with a large group. The dim lights and the glowing light from Rosina’s room created a romantic mood and indicated nightfall. The only flaw of Akerlind’s work throughout the opera was the blinding bright light that shone over the whole auditorium as the backdrop rose. It did not seem to have any significance to what was occurring during the opera, besides possibly indicating that the intermission was nearing. Nonetheless in Act Two, the dark gray lighting, with flashes of white to make lightning, perfectly reenacted stormy weather and made up for the blinding light.

Conducting this opera was Benini, who started out his career with Rossini’s Il Signor Bruschino. Debuting with a Rossini opera and having conducted another one of Rossini’s works, Zelmira, Benini has a great sense of Rossini’s style. This would contribute to his wonderful conducting Wednesday evening as the orchestra played smoothly along with the main cast. The music fit the scenarios and mood throughout the opera. The orchestra did a wonderful job playing to support the voices of the singers with dynamics that followed the singers soothingly soft or determinedly loud lyrics.

What had really brought out the whole opera was the main cast. With Javier Camarena playing Count Almaviva, his smooth velvety voice in “Ecco, ridente in cielo” captured me as it conveyed his love for Rosina, played by Isabel Leonard. Rosina’s sweet voice in “Una voce poco fa” displayed the perfect image of young maiden imprisoned in her home, yet was powerful at the right parts to show her strong will to break away from her guardian, Dr. Bartolo. Also, the refreshing flow of Leonard’s voice perfectly suits Rosina who has fallen in love for the first time. On the other hand, Maurizio Muraro’s overpowering voice in  “A un dottor della mia sorta,” suits Dr. Bartolo with an authoritative power as he entraps Rosina in his house and plots to marry her against her will. These three singers formed the love triangle of the opera and did an excellent job singing their roles as they gave the feeling that they were not just characters, but real people in love.

With all these wonderful attributes combined, Il Barbiere di Siviglia was a light airy romantic opera, half filled with comedy. A live donkey on stage, a falling anvil, and a surprising present from Figaro, the opera is captivating and humorous. This opera is a bang for your buck, literally!