Bribery, deception and disguise: “The Barber of Seville” tells the story of two young lovers and their quest to be together. Main character Figaro needs all his wiles to help the Count outwit Dr Bartolo and ensure true love wins the day. Originally directed by the great and much-loved Elijah Moshinsky for Opera Australia, this production hails from 1995. This is its fifth revival with the company. Composed by the lively Rossini - the most significant composer of the first half the nineteenth century. Italian Rossini was influenced by the French, and broke traditional forms of opera by using unusual rhythms to bring the orchestra to the fore. “The Barber of Seville” is considered a great comic opera. Count Almaviva is pursuing Rosina, a beautiful young woman he has fallen in love with. He disguises himself as a poor student so she will love him for himself rather than his wealth and position. Almaviva faces fierce opposition from Rosina’s guardian, Dr. Bartolo, who wants Rosina and her substantial dowry for himself. To help him succeed, the love-sick count enlists the help of Figaro, the quick-witted barber who frequently visits Bartolo’s house.
Revived with brio by director Heather Fairbairn this current iteration is charming. The Buster Keaton-esque production has plenty to look at and there is a mountain of precision required in the staging to match the effervescent music. In spite of the fun, it can be a tough sit-through. It’s a long evening of the same comedic territory over and over again. The story is banal and the production deals with the dodgy sexual politics by making it all cartoonish.
The star of the night is the music and under the baton of conductor Daniel Smith who makes his Australian Opera debut. The production begins with a bang – Smith intends to play this opera fast and the overture received an incredible applause. The spirit, joy and love are evident from this brilliant conductor. In an “In Conversation” interview Smith revealed that this was his first operatic experience at the age of 9 and it was in fact this production. So, a bit of a full circle moment for him! This was a wonderful evening of music.
Samuel Dale Johnson impresses as Figaro. He sings with great flourish and completely embodies the physical style required by this production. He is fluid and daring in his slap-stick style. His work is at its best when it feels improvised, and he delivers with pinpoint accuracy. Rosina is sung by Italian Serena Malfi and demonstrates a sparkling bel canto style. John Longmuir as Almaviva is similarly impressive.
Standouts include Andrew Moran as Dr Bartolo who articulates with great dexterity and clarity and understands the power of standing still to convey his authority. David Parkin is ridiculously creepy as Don Basilio and eats the scenery accordingly. Soprano, Jane Ede – the only other woman in the piece - plays Berta. In this production Berta is a nurse who is fond of mixing a cocktail or three. She is quite the scene stealer with her mostly silent role and when she did sing it was off the charts brilliant!
This production has a long season which reflects the opera’s popularity. It is a splendid opportunity to catch Maestro Daniel Smith in action and hope that it won’t be the last time he is engaged by Opera Australia.
Kate Gaul
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