As a fan of Il Barbiere Di Siviglia and as someone who has liked/loved a lot of the Met Live in HD broadcasts, this production was a slight disappointment and for me the weakest of the 9th season so far(Macbeth was very good, Le Nozze Di Figaro was fantastic and Carmen had a tentative start but quickly got stronger) but there was much that was really enjoyable.
The sets are often very bare and antique-like, the most inspired they got was the raised white backdrop. To be perfectly honest, the costumes(much more appealing on the eye) gave me a much better clue as to where and when the production is set but the costumes and sets felt very stylistically different. The staging is inconsistent, a fair few parts shine with glowing charm(Una Voce Poco Fa, Dunque Io Son) and are rich in laughs but other scenes are unimaginatively done. The end of Act 1 has always been a problematic scene to stage and often the Achilles heel when staging Il Barbiere Di Siviglia and this production is no different, though whereas a fair few productions have the scene too cluttered here it had the opposite effect in that it was somewhat too static. The traditional period costumes however were gorgeous and rich in colour and detail in the way that the sets weren't, Rosina's were to die for.
Musically, the production is very good and most of the time great. If there was anything to criticise it was that the orchestra and singers weren't always in sync and that is more down to conductor Michele Mariotti than anything else. Mostly Mariotti's conducting is very stylish and controlled, the Overture is very lively, but some recitatives and starts of arias do sound unsure and in a way that Mariotti was taken by surprise by what the singers wanted. The orchestra play beautifully and confidently apart from some occasional muffled brass, the strings shimmer and have good energy and the woodwind are even better. The HD is splendid and the sound allows you to enjoy the music, Deborah Voigt is also an involving host. The production boasts a good deal of talent and it is talent that comes over very well.
If there was anything that was truly wonderful and the best thing about the production, it was Isabel Leonard's Rosina. Her voice is both richly warm and flexible with velvety but never forced chest notes and an easy-sounding top, she manages every run, ornament and bit of colouratura as if it isn't a problem for her(considering how difficult Rossini is to sing). As an actress she really captivates, being immensely charming, touching, feisty and playful. Maurizio Muraro delights also as Bartolo, his voice is robust and his diction always clear(even in the patter), there's also a lot of character in his singing while not so much that tonal beauty is sacrificed. He is a great actor and provides a vast majority of the laughs without being too much of a buffoon or too wicked.
Christopher Maltman is a charismatic and dapper Figaro with a hearty baritone voice that is mostly flexible, his chemistry with Leonard is just adorable in Dunque Io Son. Patter doesn't always come easy to him but he can't be blamed for that because it takes a lot of training(true of bel-canto in general) and is something a lot of people can't do. Lawrence Brownlee's voice is as warm as gold and with enviously perfect colouratura, as Almaviva he is also at his most amorous and most comfortable. Paata Burchuladze is not in the best vocal shape, a bit woolly and he sometimes barks, but a lot of the voice is still quite powerful and slyly expressed and he portrays a funny and menacing Basilio. Claudia Waite is a surprising joy as Berta, surprising in that Berta is not always an interesting character, and Rob Besserer is so hilariously senile even when silent that he manages to make a forgettable character a scene-stealer.
On the whole, an enjoyable production that just about makes the cut(referring to Figaro's occupation) thanks to, to name what stood out, Muraro and especially Leonard, but let down by the sets and some of the staging. 7/10 Bethany Cox
The sets are often very bare and antique-like, the most inspired they got was the raised white backdrop. To be perfectly honest, the costumes(much more appealing on the eye) gave me a much better clue as to where and when the production is set but the costumes and sets felt very stylistically different. The staging is inconsistent, a fair few parts shine with glowing charm(Una Voce Poco Fa, Dunque Io Son) and are rich in laughs but other scenes are unimaginatively done. The end of Act 1 has always been a problematic scene to stage and often the Achilles heel when staging Il Barbiere Di Siviglia and this production is no different, though whereas a fair few productions have the scene too cluttered here it had the opposite effect in that it was somewhat too static. The traditional period costumes however were gorgeous and rich in colour and detail in the way that the sets weren't, Rosina's were to die for.
Musically, the production is very good and most of the time great. If there was anything to criticise it was that the orchestra and singers weren't always in sync and that is more down to conductor Michele Mariotti than anything else. Mostly Mariotti's conducting is very stylish and controlled, the Overture is very lively, but some recitatives and starts of arias do sound unsure and in a way that Mariotti was taken by surprise by what the singers wanted. The orchestra play beautifully and confidently apart from some occasional muffled brass, the strings shimmer and have good energy and the woodwind are even better. The HD is splendid and the sound allows you to enjoy the music, Deborah Voigt is also an involving host. The production boasts a good deal of talent and it is talent that comes over very well.
If there was anything that was truly wonderful and the best thing about the production, it was Isabel Leonard's Rosina. Her voice is both richly warm and flexible with velvety but never forced chest notes and an easy-sounding top, she manages every run, ornament and bit of colouratura as if it isn't a problem for her(considering how difficult Rossini is to sing). As an actress she really captivates, being immensely charming, touching, feisty and playful. Maurizio Muraro delights also as Bartolo, his voice is robust and his diction always clear(even in the patter), there's also a lot of character in his singing while not so much that tonal beauty is sacrificed. He is a great actor and provides a vast majority of the laughs without being too much of a buffoon or too wicked.
Christopher Maltman is a charismatic and dapper Figaro with a hearty baritone voice that is mostly flexible, his chemistry with Leonard is just adorable in Dunque Io Son. Patter doesn't always come easy to him but he can't be blamed for that because it takes a lot of training(true of bel-canto in general) and is something a lot of people can't do. Lawrence Brownlee's voice is as warm as gold and with enviously perfect colouratura, as Almaviva he is also at his most amorous and most comfortable. Paata Burchuladze is not in the best vocal shape, a bit woolly and he sometimes barks, but a lot of the voice is still quite powerful and slyly expressed and he portrays a funny and menacing Basilio. Claudia Waite is a surprising joy as Berta, surprising in that Berta is not always an interesting character, and Rob Besserer is so hilariously senile even when silent that he manages to make a forgettable character a scene-stealer.
On the whole, an enjoyable production that just about makes the cut(referring to Figaro's occupation) thanks to, to name what stood out, Muraro and especially Leonard, but let down by the sets and some of the staging. 7/10 Bethany Cox
