Il Barbiere di Siviglia
ST. PAULMinnesota Opera11/9/19
MINNESOTA OPERA’S PRODUCTION of Il Barbiere di Siviglia had its rompy moments, but on opening night, November 9, the tempos were generally turgid and the pacing glacial, giving extra meaning to the lines about Figaro and friends being turned into statues at the end of Act I. Conductor Joseph Mechavich led sluggishly for most of the evening: by the end of Act I, it already felt like a full evening of Rossini. Though the show clocked in at just under three hours, it wasn't a brisk three hours.
It was a pity, because the production, with costumes and scenery from the 2018 Glimmerglass Festival staging, was charmingly assembled. Francesca Zambello, the Glimmerglass general and artistic director, also led this go-round at the Ordway Music Theatre, and the lightly designed concept travels well, with commedia dell'arte costumes and antics, minimal scenery and two-dimensional props, and literary motifs that put the work into context. The singers, led by Daniela Mack as Rosina and Rodion Pogossov as Figaro, were first-rate, and the orchestral playing was replete with well-articulated color and extravagant dynamics.
Mack was slow to warm to the bel canto task on opening night but was thrillingly sharp in Rosina's aggressively revealing cavatina "Una voce poco fa." Mack's vocal agility and versatility were on full display in the Act II music room scene, where she toggled back and forth from screechy music student to prima donna.
Pogossov was a natural as the cocky, envelope-pushing title character. Figaro sometimes comes across as annoyingly self-satisfied, but not as Pogossov played him, with a dash of humility. He had the volume and Italian flourishes to make his big moments, such as "Largo al factotum," seem like effortless good sport.
Bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi, a frequent presence at the Met, was splendidly pompous as Dr. Bartolo. Tenor Alek Shrader’s Rossinian technique was less impressive, but he was a winning Count Almaviva, especially during the mock-drunk scene in the Act I finale, which was wonderfully structured by Zambello. In that ensemble, it was resident artist Danielle Beckvermit, as Berta, whose voice soared above it all, and her quick brassy aria "Il vecchiotto cerca moglie" was a high point. Bass-baritone Andrew Gilstrap, also a resident artist, was a flamboyant and entertaining Basilio, and an ideal tutor to Bartolo in the "calumny" aria.
There was much to like in this production, if you had the patience to stick with it. John Conklin and Lynly Saunders' scenic design and costumes were clever and simple without being cartoonish, the chorus of clowns was fun, and the self-referential touches such as the Beaumarchais quotes and repeated use of Rossini's mug in the Hogarth-like artwork put a historical frame around the buffoonery. —J. P. Furst