Bartolo and Daniel Sumegi’s shifty music teacher Basilio to Count Almaviva himself. But despite rising to the challenges of the music, this production has incredible comedic acting.Įveryone is a little bit ridiculous in The Barber of Seville, from Kevin Glavin’s Dr. Presaging the patter songs of Gilbert and Sullivan, even baritones and basses in Rossini’s opera keep up the pace with frenetic energy. (I’ve been crushing on Liverman since Count Ory and can’t wait to see him at Seattle Opera again.)Īnd it’s funny. The main character’s opening aria is arguably the most famous piece of music in the world, performed in this production by barihunks Will Liverman and John Moore. The music is beautiful, immediate and engaging. Everything you need to enjoy The Barber of Seville is sitting right on the surface, easily accessible for everyone. Philip Newton photo c/o Seattle OperaĪll of these things can contribute to one’s understanding and enjoyment of the opera, but none of them are necessary. Both operas were written in Italian based on a series of plays written in French between 1775-1791 that followed the adventures of Figaro, a Spaniard who’s nominally a barber but in practice a jack-of-all trades bordering on con man.Īndrew Owens (Almaviva) and Sofia Fomina (Rosina). Even the history of the opera is convoluted: Rossini composed the Barber of Seville as a prequel to The Marriage of Figaro, an opera written by Mozart 30 years earlier. There is so much going on in the Barber of Seville, it’s hard to keep it all straight. Even though my kids have already been to the opera before, I left determined to come back with them before the production finishes. The only thing that detracted from my enjoyment when I watched it last weekend was that every scene made me think, “I wish I’d brought my kids.” Because every single scene is so delightful, so funny, so beautiful, I hated for them to miss it. I think The Barber of Seville might be my favorite opera. Daniel Sumegi (Basilio)/Kevin Glavin (Bartolo)/Marc Kenison (Ambrogio)/Margaret Gawrysiak (Berta)/Will Liverman (Figaro)/Andrew Owens (Almaviva)/Sofia Fomina (Rosina).
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