The Barber of Seville Program 2021

BARBER SEVILLE THE

OF

FEATURING WEST AUSTRALIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

ROSSINI

WESF1486 9/2019

BARBER SEVILLE THE

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A CO-PRODUCTION BETWEEN OPERA QUEENSLAND, SEATTLE OPERA AND NEW ZEALAND OPERA. THIS PRODUCTION FIRST PREMIERED ON 9TH JULY 2016 IN BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA. Composer Gioachino Rossini Librettist Cesare Sterbini Conductor Burhan Güner Director Lindy Hume Revival Director Jason Barry-Smith Rehearsal Choreographer Margrete Helgeby Chaney Set and Costume Designer Tracy Grant Lord Lighting Designer Matthew Marshall Rosina Brigitte Heuser Count Almaviva Michael Petruccelli Figaro James Clayton Doctor Bartolo Warwick Fyfe Don Basilio Robert Hofmann Berta Naomi Johns Fiorello Lachlann Lawton Officer Lachlann Lawton Ambrogio Brendan Hanson Notary Mark Alderson Featuring West Australian Opera Chorus Featuring West Australian Symphony Orchestra Repetiteur & Fortepiano Tommaso Pollio Onstage Guitar Jonathan Brain Production Manager Mandy Farmer Stage Manager Karen Farmer Assistant Stage Manager Erryn Hanson Assistant Stage Manager Rose Liggins Head of Wardrobe Sue Kerr Wardrobe Assistant Nora Stelter Dresser Meg McKay Dresser Jemma Eton Dresser/Maintenance Amy Webb Dresser Brooklyn Rowcroft Dresser Sacha Mahboub OAM Head of Hair/Wigs Virginia Hawdon Wigs Assistant Christopher Lyons Wig Assistant Delia Stanley Head of Make Up Sharon Kyrwood Surtitles by Narelle French Surtitle Operator Allison Fyfe Stunt Coordinator Nigel Harbach West Australian Opera dedicates The Barber of Seville to TARYN FIEBIG (1972-2021)

Photo by Stephen Henry, courtesy of Opera Queensland.

Conductor’s Notes

Gioachino Rossini’s sparkling comedy The Barber of Seville is as entertaining today as when it was first premiered in Rome’s Teatro Argentina in 1816. Based on Beaumarchais’s famous play of the same name, the opera fully captures the playwright’s convoluted and ridiculous plotlines, imbroglios, endless wordplay and intrigue.

Rossini’s musical style is perfectly suited to the dramaturgy of the opera. His consistent use of driving rhythmic energy, copious repetition, allied with a sensitive ear to word-setting, helps propel the action of the opera into increasingly farcical situations.

His famous cliché, the Rossini crescendo, whereby the music starts softly and then gradually builds with increasing volume and excitement, is heard first in the overture and subsequently throughout the opera at moments of excitement or tension. More than just a visceral thrill the Rossini crescendo reinforces the drama of the moment laughter, anger, or in the case of Don Basilio’s aria, La Calunnia, the spreading of malicious gossip.

Central to any Rossini opera is bel canto singing, the vocal style renown for both its agility and beauty of tone. Rossini’s hallmark coloratura passages were inspired by the mellifluous singing of the castrati singers he had heard in his youth. Barber is replete with boundless arabesques, passages which serve both as a means for singers to display their virtuosity and as a vehicle to express the innermost feelings of the character. Such music requires singers of exceptional talent, stamina and technical virtuosity, all of which this cast has in abundance.

It has been a pleasure to collaborate with the dynamic creative team, cast and crew, who have striven to make Lindy Hume’s colourful production come to life. I trust that you will enjoy tonight’s performance.

Burhan Güner Conductor

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Vice Regal Patron’s Message

Executive Director’s Message

As Vice Regal Patron of West Australian Opera I am delighted to see the state opera company presenting performances on stage in His Majesty’s Theatre after months of COVID closures. It is an absolute privilege for West Australian Opera to be the host of the first full capacity audience at His Majesty’s Theatre since the state of emergency was declared in March 2020.

The glorious music and wit of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville will fill His Majesty’s Theatre with humour, hope and joy. We are thrilled to be the first company to present live performance at His Majesty’s Theatre under the return to 100% capacity.

What a great celebration for us to have Rossini’s comic masterpiece The Barber of Seville in a production collaboration between Seattle Opera, New Zealand Opera and Opera Queensland. This comic opera combines a terrific blend of humour, charm, and intelligence performed by some of Australia’s best singers.

As the state opera company, West Australian Opera continues to contribute to the arts in Western Australia by presenting world-class opera at His Majesty’s Theatre, offering education and community programs, school workshops, regional touring and developing young artists through the Wesfarmers Arts Young Artist Program.

I join the company in acknowledging the generous support of both State and Federal governments, Principal Partner Wesfarmers Arts and private donors and corporate supporters.

The Honourable Kim Beazley AC Governor of Western Australia Vice Regal Patron West Australian Opera

Under the baton of conductor Burhan Güner we are proud to present Australian-based artists Brigitte Heuser, Michael Petruccelli, James Clayton, Warwick Fyfe, Robert Hofmann and Naomi Johns accompanied by the West Australian Opera Chorus and West Australian Symphony Orchestra. This production, originally created by Lindy Hume, Tracy Grant Lord and Matthew Marshall as a co-production between Seattle Opera, New Zealand Opera and Opera Queensland, has been bought to the stage by Jason Barry-Smith with choreography by Margrete Helgeby Chaney.

Thank you for supporting West Australian Opera as we continue to work in this new world with colourful optimism. We are proud to share the joy of music with you through opera and the powerful stories opera tells.

Carolyn Chard AM Executive Director West Australian Opera

Chairman’s Message

As Chairman of West Australian Opera I am proud that we are able to co-present Rossini’s The Barber of Seville with Seattle Opera, New Zealand Opera and Opera Queensland.

We are grateful for the continued support of the Federal Government through the Australia Council and the State Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.

We welcome and thank the cast, creative team, the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and West Australian Opera Chorus.

Thanks to all of our donors, patrons and subscribers. We acknowledge your invaluable support as it plays an important role in the life of West Australian Opera and its ecology within the arts and cultural landscape of Western Australia.

We recognise Principal Partner Wesfarmers Arts for their longstanding support and we thank major partners Lotterywest, Healthway, the Minderoo Foundation and our Civic Partner the City of Perth for their valued contributions.

We thank the Bendat Family Foundation for their additional support this year.

Andrew Pascoe Chairman West Australian Opera

Burhan Güner Conductor

A former West Australian Opera Young Artist and Chorus Master, Burhan makes his WA Opera mainstage conducting debut in 2021 with The Barber of Seville.

Burhan was an Assistant Conductor for Opera Holland Park’s (UK) production of Jonathan Dove’s contemporary opera Flight and has been Hospitant at the Komsiche Oper Berlin. He has conducted several operas at the West Australian Academy of the Performing Arts, most recently Die Fledermaus in 2019, and will be returning to conduct Pirates of Penzance in 2021.

Burhan is the recipient of the 2014 Berlin New Music Opera Award and the 2010 Brian Stacey Award and is an active freelance conductor in the Western Australian musical community.

Born in Perth, Western Australia of Dutch and Turkish parents, Burhan completed a B.Mus (Hons) at the University of WA and a Masters in Conducting at the University of Melbourne with John Hopkins (OBE).

Lindy Hume

Jason Barry-Smith

Artistic Director of the Ten Days on the Island Festival, Tasmania, and the Four Winds Festival, Bermagui, Lindy Hume is also the former artistic director of Opera Queensland, Sydney Festival, Perth International Arts Festival, West Australian Opera, Victoria State Opera and OzOpera.

Jason Barry-Smith’s study in Brisbane, Munich, London and Rome led him to a career as a singer who’s equally in demand as a singing teacher, conductor, arranger, and director.

Director

International productions include Rigoletto, The Barber of Seville and Comte Ory for Seattle Opera; Carmen, Cenerentola and Don Pasquale for Oper Leipzig; La Bohème for Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin; Radamisto for Handel Festspiele in Halle; A Streetcar Named Desire and Norma for Opera Theatre St Gallen, Switzerland; Albert Herring and Phaedra for Aldeburgh Festival as well as The Barber of Seville, Rigoletto and Die Fledermaus for Houston Grand Opera.

Her production of Cenerentola has been presented by New Zealand Opera, San Diego Opera and the Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm.

Lindy directed The Barber of Seville and Carmen for New Zealand Opera, and will return for a new production of The Marriage of Figaro this year, Carmen for West Australian Opera, Don Giovanni and Ruddigore for Opera Queensland, Iphigenie en Tauride and Handel’s Theodora and Athalia for Pinchgut Opera.

Revival Director

With 39 opera and music theatre roles in his repertoire, Jason’s performed premieres of operas, musicals, and concert works with the QSO, SSO, MSO, TSO, and NZSO, and operas in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and Japan.

In 2001 Jason directed a production of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas which won the Perform/4MBS Award for Best Opera Production; he co-wrote and directed two of OQ’s most popular touring shows, The Food of Love and Waltzing our Matilda; from 2014 to 2016 he was cocreative director of Blue Roo Theatre Company’s diversity embracing collaborations with OQ; and as assistant director of La bohème in 2014, and The Barber of Seville in 2016 for Opera Queensland, Jason also took on the role of creative director of the industry-acclaimed Project Puccini and Project Rossini – an initiative in which regional Queensland performers were trained as the chorus for full-scale professional touring productions.

Margrete Helgeby Chaney Rehearsal Choreographer

Current Chair, and a founding board member of Co3 Australia, West Australia’s contemporary dance company, Margrete enjoyed a long career as a dancer in companies within Australia and abroad, including Rambert Dance, WA Ballet and the Chrissie Parrott Dance Company, and as an independent artist. She is a graduate of WAAPA. Throughout her career she also held teaching positions at WAAPA, founded the dance project ‘loaded’ with Stefan Karlsson which gained national acclaim, and expanded into administration, advocacy, and project management within the Arts sector. She holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees and has recently completed her MBA at UWA; graduating this December. In 2005, she was awarded “Most Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer” by the Australian Dance Awards.

Her previous engagements with opera have included roles as Assistant Director at Opera Queensland, State Opera of South Australia and West Australian Opera and Director at West Australian Opera.

Tracy Grant Lord

Matthew Marshall

Based in Auckland and working with the region’s major performance companies, Tracy made her North American debut in 2017 with this production of The Barber of Seville for Seattle Opera. In 2019, she premiered two new full-length ballet works: Liam Scarlett’s Dangerous Liaisons for Queensland and Texas ballet cpmpanies and Ma Cong’s Tchaikovsky: The Man Behind the Music for Tulsa Ballet, also both The Turn of the Screw for New Zealand Opera and proudly their Semele in 2020.

Matt has been nominated for his work twice by The Helpmann Awards for Best Lighting Design (2012, 2017) and has received nominations for Best Lighting Design from the Australian Production Design Guild. With 20 years of design experience Matt has worked for all the major performing arts companies and festivals in Australia.

Set and Costume Designer

Underway for 2021 are The Marriage of Figaro and Orpheus and Eurydice for NZ Opera, The Nutcracker for Tulsa Ballet and The Firebird for Royal New Zealand Ballet. Tracy’s work has met critical success in the United Kingdom, China and South East Asia in particular Liam Scarlett’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Christopher Hampson’s Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet, the latter receiving an Olivier Award Nomination for Best New Dance Production in the UK. Tracy has received two Helpmann Award Nominations, is a Winston Churchill Fellow, has a Bachelor of Spatial Design and her work has been shown at both the Prague Quadrennial and World Stage Design exhibitions.

Lighting Designer

Recent designs include City of Lights (Perth Festival), James Galea’s Best Trick Ever (Sydney Opera House), As One: Ballet at the Quarry (West Australian Ballet), the other place starring Kate Walsh (Fremantle Theatre Company), Tim Minchin’s The Absence Of You music video, Cinderella (Seattle Opera), The Turn of the Screw (New Zealand Opera), a new full length ballet Tchaikovsky (Tulsa Ballet), La bohème the outdoor Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (Opera Australia), American Idiot Australian National Tour (Shake & Stir/QPAC), Athalia (Pinchgut Opera), Askungen (Royal Swedish Opera), Carmen (Oper Leipzig), Club Swizzle (Roundhouse London), La Cenerentola (Oper Leipzig, San Diego Opera).

Michael Petruccelli

James Clayton

New Zealand born mezzosoprano, Brigitte Heuser began her classical vocal studies at the New Zealand School of Music and furthered her operatic training at the Australian Opera Studio before gaining a Master of Arts in Performance Voice at the Wales International Academy of Voice. Brigitte was an emerging artist for New Zealand Opera where she was awarded the Circle 100 prize.

Renowned for his ‘pure, glowing tenor’, Michael Petruccelli is one of Australia’s emerging operatic stars.

Praised for his vocal phrasing and colour, James is one the most versatile singers to emerge from Australia in recent years.

Brigitte has performed opera, concert, and cabaret across Europe and Australasia. She has sung with New Zealand Opera, Opernloft Hamburg, Wanderlust Theatre NZ, the International Foundation for Arts and Culture in Japan, and at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London. She was a founding member of the operatic ensemble The Cast performing in theatres across Europe.

Brigitte’s operatic repertoire includes Hänsel, Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck); Dorabella, Cosi fan Tutte, Cherubino, Le Nozze di Figaro; Annio, La Clemenza di Tito; Idamante, Idomeneo (Mozart); Maddalena, Rigoletto (Verdi); Aloes, L’Etoile (Chabrier); Jenny Diver, Threepenny Opera (Weill); Olga, Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky) and Katisha, The Mikado (Gilbert and Sullivan).

On the concert platform, Michael has taken the tenor solos in Schubert’s Missa Brevis in G Major, Mozart’s Missa Brevis in D Major and Coronation Mass, Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël, Haydn’s Missa Sancti Nicolai and Bach’s Magnificat and St. Matthew Passion.

Brigitte Heuser Rosina

Count Almaviva

Recent Australian appearances have included Stephen Goldring (The Eighth Wonder) for Opera Australia and Arturo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Beppe (Pagliacci) and The Minister (The Princess and the Pea) for Victorian Opera.

Formerly a Melba Opera Trust Scholar, he was a winner of both the Richard Bonynge Study Scholarship and the RJ and AF Hamer Opera Scholarship.

In 2018, Michael Petruccelli returned to Opera Australia as Goro in their touring production of Madama Butterfly before taking up a full-time contract with Oper Frankfurt. 2019 roles included Basilio/Don Curzio in Le nozze di Figaro for Oper Frankfurt, Pedro (Two Weddings, One Bride) for Opera Australia and Aquillo (Farnace) for Pinchgut Opera.

Figaro

His 2018/2019 performances included Marcello (La bohème), Escamillo (Carmen), Leporello (Don Giovanni), The Forrester (The Cunning Little Vixen), Germont (La traviata), Judge Turpin (Sweeney Todd) and the title role in Macbeth in West Australian Opera, The Forrester in Adelaide and Peter (Hansel and Gretel) in Melbourne.

James made his Opera Australia debut as Baron Douphol in La traviata – in Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour – and his Japanese debut as Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte for Biwako Hall.

He has also enjoyed considerable success on the concert platform with performances of Handel’s Messiah and Le damnation du Faust (New Zealand Symphony Orchestra), Haydn’s Mass in Time of War and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria (Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra), Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Verdi’s Requiem (West Australian Symphony Orchestra) and Orff’s Carmina Burana (Orchestra Wellington).

Warwick Fyfe

Robert Hofmann

Warwick Fyfe is a Helpmann Award-winning singer and is considered one of Australia’s finest baritones.

Recent appearances include Beckmesser (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Alberich (Der Ring des Nibelungen), Sancho Panza (Don Quichotte), Amonasro (Aida), Geronio (Il turco in Italia) and Klingsor (Parsifal) for Opera Australia, Alberich (Das Rheingold) for the Japan Philharmonic and Tianjin Symphony Orchestras and Peter (Hansel and Gretel) in Singapore.

Robert has sung over 20 roles with the West Australian Opera including Koko in The Mikado, Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, Falke in Die Fledermaus, John Styx in Orpheus in the Underworld and Hobson in Peter Grimes and toured with the Opera in Education program.

He has also performed with Opera Australia in Sydney.

Doctor Bartolo

2019 performances included Athanaël (Thaïs) and Amonasro for Finnish National Opera, Barone di Trombonok (Il viaggio a Reims) for Opera Australia and Bartolo (Il barbiere di Siviglia) for Victorian Opera; in 2020, Warwick sang Wotan (Die Walküre) in Singapore, Pizarro (Fidelio) in Melbourne and Perth and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 for the Melbourne Symphony. Other roles have included: Rigoletto, Falstaff, The Dutchman, Mandryka, Scarpia, Wolfram and Germont.

Warwick was the recipient of a Helpmann Award for his 2013 performance as Alberich in the Melbourne Ring Cycle; he became a Churchill Fellow in 2015.

Don Basilio

An award-winning cabaret performer, Robert has appeared with critical acclaim at Perth Writers’ Festival, Downstairs at the Maj, Perth Fringe World, Edinburgh Fringe, and off-off Broadway in New York City.

He is also a frequent guest performer with DivaLicious.

For Freeze Frame Opera he was the Sacristan in Tosca and the Father The Little Mermaid (Rusalka) for Perth Festival 2021.

As a concert soloist his repertoire includes Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, the Bach’s Passions and Mass in B minor with the St Georges Cathedral Consort under the direction of Dr Joseph Nolan as well as appearances with UWA Choral Society, Perth Symphonic Chorus and Perth Symphony Orchestra.

Naomi Johns Berta

Naomi studied music theatre at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and opera at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

She has been a finalist of many national competitions on numerous occasions such as the Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship, Opera Foundation Australia’s German Award and Lady Fairfax Award and The IFAC Australian Singing Competition.

In 2013 Naomi won the Bel Canto Award from the Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Opera Foundation which enabled her to continue private studies in New York, Cardiff and London and attend many international summer schools where most notably she debuted the role of Mimì in Puccini’s La Bohème for Opera on the Avalon in Canada before being called home to Perth.

Since returning to Australia, Naomi has been a regular performer with Freeze Frame Opera and a featured artist at West Australian Opera joining them last year for their Opera in the Valley of the Giants and Opera at the Mill concerts.

Last year she joined Opera Australia as a principal artist to cover Madama Cortese in Rossinis Il Viaggio a Reims for their award-winning Melbourne and Sydney season and most recently she joined the West Australian Symphony Orchestra as a principal soloist for their Last night of the Proms Concerts. Naomi is delighted to be making her main stage debut with WA Opera in 2021.

Lachlann Lawton Fiorello/Officer

Lachlann Lawton is a Western Australian Baritone and is a 2021 Wesfarmers Young Artist with the West Australian Opera.

In 2020 Lachlann performed the role of Ben in West Australian Opera’s digital performance of (The Telephone) by Menotti, and covered the role of Guglielmo (Cosi fan Tutte).

Lachlann completed a Masters of Music at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England and studied with esteemed baritone Quentin Hayes. At the RNCM Lachlann performed the roles of The Pilgrim (The Pilgrims Progress), Marco and cover Gianni Schicchi (Gianni Schicchi), Peter (Hansel and Gretel) and Escamillo (Carmen).

Lachlann completed a Bachelor of Music in Classical Performance and a Graduate Diploma of Music at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) under the teaching of both Patricia Price and Michael Lewis. Whilst at WAAPA, he performed the roles of Giorgio (La serva e l’ussero), Professor Bhear (Little Women), Peter (Hansel and Gretel), Demetrius (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and Sid (Albert Herring).

Brendan Hanson Ambrogio

Brendan is a creative nomad. He is an actor, singer, director, writer and lecturer. As a performer Brendan’s recent credits include, The Cherry Orchard, Assassins, I Am My Own Wife, Clinton, Next to Normal, Midsummer (a play with songs) and Arcadia, all for Black Swan State Theatre Company.

The Telephone for Lost and Found Opera, Into the Shimmer Heat for Nova Ensemble. He performed in Strut Dance’s Sunset for Perth Festival. For Brainbox productions he performed in Lebensraum, The Last Five Years and Grande Revue.

He performed in Les Miserables for Cameron Mackintosh, Grease for Gordon Frost and Singin’ in the Rain for David Atkins Enterprises.

He is the brains, breath and body behind the cabaret enigma Petit Mort and has appeared regularly on the Perth cabaret scene and played Ringmaster for La Soirée.

He has sung for WA Opera in Tosca, The Tales of Hoffmann, The Magic Flute, Orpheus in the Underworld and Carmen.

He has directed opera, musicals, cabaret and plays and is a lecturer at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. His directorial credits include The Cloak and Dagger for fringeworld, Actéon for Lost and Found Opera, The 50th Anniversary Opera in the Park for WA Opera and the company’s ongoing schools opera programmes.

Photo by Stephen Henry, courtesy of Opera Queensland.

WEST AUSTRALIAN OPERA CHORUS SOPRANOS

Alexandra Bak

Chelsea Burns

Claire Condipodero

Celebrating over 10 years with WAO chorus

Emma Pettemerides

Lucy Mervik

Prudence Sanders

Celebrating over 10 years WAO chorus

MEZZO SOPRANOS

Ruth Burke

Morgan Halket

Sophie Herbert

Anne Millar

Courtney Pitman

Celebrating 35 years with WAO chorus

Celebrating over 15 years with WAO chorus

TENORS

Jonathan Brain

Tom Buckmaster

David Jones

Ry Charleson

Matthew Lester BASSES

Mark Alderson Celebrating over 25 years with WAO chorus

Jason Kroll

Celebrating over 15 years with WAO chorus

Celebrating over 10 years with WAO chorus

Joshua Mitting

Celebrating over 20 years with WAO chorus

Kristin Bowtell

Lachlann Lawton

Callen Dellar

Mark Hurst

Celebrating over 20 years with WAO chorus

Celebrating over 20 years with WAO chorus

David Penco Celebrating over 10 years with WAO chorus

Steve Sherwood

Theodore Murphy-Jelley

ACT ONE In a square in Seville, Count Almaviva disguised as the student Lindoro, serenades Rosina, the young girl whose beauty has captured his heart.

Figaro, who used to be employed by the Count Almaviva but is now a self-made man (he is Seville’s most famous barber) explains that Rosina is confined to the house of her guardian Doctor Bartolo, who wants to marry Rosina himself. Figaro, seeing an opportunity to earn some money from his former boss, devises a plan to help Almaviva gain access to Rosina by pretending to be a drunken soldier with orders to be quartered at Bartolo’s house. Almaviva promises to reward Figaro generously.

Rosina is smitten with ‘Lindoro’s’ song. Resolved to meet the man who has been serenading her, she writes him a letter and plans to escape.

Meanwhile Don Basilio, Rosina’s music tutor, warns Doctor Bartolo that Count Almaviva has arrived in town and is interested in Rosina. Bartolo resolves to marry Rosina the next day. Figaro overhears this, warns Rosina, and promises to help the young lovers. Bartolo suspects Rosina is up to something, but the quick-witted Rosina stays one step ahead.

A knock at the door heralds the arrival of ‘the drunken soldier’ – Count Almaviva in disguise. He secretly passes Rosina his own note. Bartolo claims an official exemption from billeting soldiers, and a fight breaks out between the doctor and the ‘soldier’. Figaro warns that the neighbourhood has been woken by the noise of the fighting. The civil guard bursts in to arrest Almaviva, who quietly reveals his true identity to the Officer and is instantly released. Everyone is taken aback by this turn of events – except Figaro.

Photos by Stephen Henry, courtesy of Opera Queensland.

ACT TWO Count Almaviva returns to Bartolo’s house, this time disguised as Don Alonso, a music teacher. He claims that Don Basilio is ill, and that he is here to give Rosina a music lesson in Basilio’s stead. Bartolo is suspicious, and Almaviva improvises an alibi. He convinces Bartolo that Don Alonso is his ally, and Rosina’s “music lesson” proceeds until Basilio shows up looking perfectly healthy. After ‘Alonso’ bribes Basilio to agree that he is sick and to leave, Figaro gives Bartolo his scheduled shave, surreptitiously pocketing a key to Rosina’s quarters, allowing the lovers some time alone to plot their elopement that night. Bartolo overhears them, and realises he has been tricked. In the midst of the commotion, Bartolo’s servant Berta laments, with some envy, that they are all crazy except her. Bartolo orders Basilio to bring a notary to marry him and Rosina that night. Bartolo shows Rosina her letter which convinces her that she has been deceived. Heartbroken, she agrees to marry Bartolo.

During a thunderstorm, Figaro and Count Almaviva let themselves in with the key that Figaro procured earlier. Rosina confronts ‘Lindoro’, who finally confesses his true identity as the Count Almaviva, and his true love for her.

Rosina forgives him and, together with Figaro they try to escape. Basilio turns up with the Notary. Basilio accepts a bribe for the Notary to marry Rosina to Almaviva instead of Bartolo. Bartolo arrives with soldiers – but he is too late. He accepts that he is beaten, and Figaro and the happy couple rejoice.

Photo by Stephen Henry, courtesy of Opera Queensland.

WEST AUSTRALIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA VIOLIN

Laurence Jackson Concertmaster Riley Skevington Assoc Concertmaster Semra Lee-Smith Assistant Concertmaster Zak Rowntree Principal 2nd Violin Akiko Miyazawa A/Assoc Principal 2nd Violin Beth Hebert Alexandra Isted Sunmi Jung Christina Katsimbardis Ellie Lawrence Melanie Pearn Jolanta Schenk Jane Serrangeli Cerys Tooby David Yeh

VIOLA

Daniel Schmitt Alison Hall Rachael Kirk Allan McLean Helen Tuckey

CELLO

Rod McGrath Shigeru Komatsu Olive McAslan Fotis Skordas Tim South

DOUBLE BASS Andrew Sinclair John Keene Louise Elaerts Mark Tooby

FLUTE

Andrew Nicholson

PICCOLO

HORN

David Evans Julia Brooke

Michael Waye

TRUMPET

OBOE

Peter Miller

Liz Chee A/Principal Oboe Annabelle Farid

CLARINET Allan Meyer Lorna Cook

Brent Grapes

PERCUSSION

Brian Maloney Francois Combemorel Assoc Principal Percussion & Timpani

BASSOON

Jane Kircher-Lindner Adam Mikulicz Principal Associate Principal Assistant Principal Contract Musician° Guest Musician^

Rossini’s protagonist, the barber, sets the comic and dramatic pace throughout the opera. He manipulates and cajoles whilst plying his trade: Curling Rosina’s hair; shaving Dr Bartolo; conniving with Don Basilio; plotting with Almaviva to rescue Rosina; outwitting Dr Bartolo; and finally facilitating a hastily arranged marriage and outwitting both Dr Bartolo and Don Basilio.

ROSSINI’S COMIC MASTERPIECE The Barber of Seville is a timeless comic masterpiece, written in great haste for Rome’s 1816 season. On December 15, 1815, Rossini signed a contract with Rome’s Teatro Argentina to compose an opera to be staged the following February. He recycled an earlier overture and decided to set to music a popular play, Beaumarchais’ The Barber of Seville, even though it had already been successfully composed by Paisiello thirty years previously.

To avoid confusion, and perhaps confrontation, he entitled his opera Almaviva or The Useless Precaution. It was premiered at Rome’s Teatro Argentina on February 26, 1816.

Unfortunately this was a ‘useless precaution’ as Paisiello’s fans were determined to mar opening night by whistling and jeering throughout the performance. Unintentional comic elements did not help: Almavira (posing as the student Lindoro) broke a string on his guitar as he serenaded Rosina, the beautiful ward of Dr Bartolo; Don Basilio tripped over an open trapdoor, cut his nose and tried to staunch the blood as he sang his bravura ‘La Calumnia’. In the finale to Act Two a cat (not part of the cast) kept making unexpected appearances. Rossini was devastated. Fortunately the second night’s audience came to listen and applaud. However, Rossini was not there to enjoy this success as he refused to conduct from the keyboard his next two contracted performances.

‘Bel canto’, literally meaning fine singing, is a term that stylistically encompasses Rossini’s timeless masterpiece: Almaviva’s opening romanza ‘Ecco ridente in cielo’ wooing Rosina; Figaro’s bravura entrance Largo al factotum and Rosina’s coloratura ‘Una voce poco fa’ are familiar arias that are still stand -alone pieces as concert solos today.

Rossini meticulously notated his coloratura passages, however some singers used Rosina’s arias to showcase their bel canto prowess. Adelina Patti distorted Una voce poco fa so drastically that Rossini ironically claimed not to recognise it and asked who the composer was? In the music lesson aria both Dame Nellie Melba and Patti turned this scene into a show-stopping performance with many arias: Melba concluding with Home Sweet Home! Rossini’s Barber has continued to entrance audiences worldwide, and is now gracing Perth’s stage with its comic wit and humour. Enjoy!

ENDNOTE: Come to West Australian Opera’s production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro at His Majesty’s Theatre 23 - 30 October to follow the ongoing saga of Figaro, Count Almaviva and Countess Rosina.

Annie Patrick April 2021

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UWA CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC Proud Tertiary Education Partner of the West Australian Opera As one of Australia’s leading music programs, in one of the world’s leading universities, we create the future leaders of the Arts community. music.uwa.edu.au CRICOS Provider Code: 00126G DCS 659809900

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS LEADERSHIP CIRCLE ($10,000+) Dr Robert Larbalestier Anonymous (1) PRINCIPAL PATRON ($5,000+) Dr Jack Bendat AM CitWA Charmaine Cameron Catherine Ferrari David Glance Dr Dennis Hayward Warwick Hemsley The Robert Kimpton Family Annie & Neil Patrick Dr Peter Simpson OAM Richard Tarala & Lyn Beazley AO Joyce Westrip OAM Anonymous (1) BENEFACTOR ($2,500+) Neil Archibald & Alan R. Dodge AM Dr Fiona Bettenay Eleanor John Francis Landels Patrick Lilburne Dr Bryant Macfie Lisa Stewart Tessa Tieleman Michael & Helen Tuite Joyce Young SUPPORTER ($1,000+) Gaysie Atkinson Betty Barker Dr Peter & Mrs Rae Breidahl Joan Carney Helen Carroll Frank Cooper AO Peter and Christene Dalla Riva Lorraine Ellard T & E Gerner Kathryn Hogan and Graham Droppert Ulrich & Gloria Kunzmann Simon Landers Ross and Fran Ledger Karen Parfitt Bill Reid Kerry Sanderson Glenice Shephard Kim & Keith Spence Stephen & Janet Thackray Agatha Van Der Schaaf Yannis Vrodos Dr Chris and Mrs Vimala Whitaker Anonymous (9)

TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS Bendat Family Foundation Crown Resorts Foundation Packer Family Foundation Wright Burt Foundation The James Galvin Family Foundation Stan Perron Charitable Foundation ANDREW AND NICOLA FORREST AO The generous gift of FMG shares is testament to the Forrest’s commitment to a strong and vibrant arts sector in Western Australia.

BEL CANTO FUND Thanks to the leadership donors of the Bel Canto Fund.

BEQUEST CIRCLE Anita & James Clayton Lorraine Ellard Ailsa West Anonymous (5) FRIEND ($500+) Tom Aram Cathy Bardon and Bob Cassie Dr Colin Binns & Dr Mi Kyung Lee David Black Lynne Burford Publicity Christine Burson Carolyn Chard AM Dr Douglas Clifford Dr Graham Douglas and Brian Lindberg Michelle Edwards Sue Foster Rosemary Grigg & Peter Flanigan Cecilia Hastings Dr Penny Herbert Ian and Sue Hobson Sue Joubert Jock & Jennifer Laurie Infinite Consulting Group Anthony & Suzanne Maple-Brown Kay Ripp Wayne Robinson Elizabeth Shelton The Sherwood Family Julie Simpson Margaret Stockton Warren and Katharina Surtees Diana Warnock and the late Bill Warnock Dr Peter Winterton Alison Woodman Anonymous (6)

Join our cast of supporters by donating online at waopera.asn.au. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

VENUE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PERTH THEATRE TRUST Chair Morgan Solomon Board Nadia van Dommelen Julian Donaldson Michelle Tremain Rob Didcoe Ex officio

Director General, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and General Manager, Perth Theatre Trust

Duncan Ord OAM

VENUE ADMINISTRATION

Venue Manager Helen Stewart Manager Venue Operations Madeline Joll Event Operations Coordinator Jenny May Administration and Accounts Assistant Fiona McNiece Administration Assistant Julianna Noonan Stage Door Keeper David Bell Box Office Supervisor Jenny Franklin Archivist Ivan King OAM VENUE TECHNICAL Deputy Director Technical Services Matthew Nankivell Production Manager Tony Gordon Technical Events Coordinator Amelia Dymond Head of Sound & Audio Visual Jeremy Turner Head of Staging Eoin O’Brian Head Flyman Matt Power Head of Lighting Michael Rippon Photos by Stephen Henry, courtesy of Opera Queensland.

WEST AUSTRALIAN OPERA BOARD

WAO STAFF

Chairman Andrew Pascoe Deputy Chair Catherine Ferrari Christiaan Heyning Darren Lewsen Ingrid O’Brien Jan Stewart Janet Barnes Anthony Gianotti

Executive Director Carolyn Chard AM Artistic Director Christopher van Tuinen Production Manager Mandy Farmer Artistic Administrator Kate Larkins Accountant Debbie Byrnes Education Manager Terasa Letizia Development Manager Coralie Bishop Development Coordinator Catherine Noonan Marketing Manager Danielle Barlow Acting Marketing Manager Alison Rodrigues Marketing Coordinator Holly Langford-Smith Media Coordinator Daniele Foti-Cuzzola CRM Coordinator Rachel Sait Financial Accountant Trish Wyn-Jones Music Librarian Allison Fyfe

VICE REGAL PATRON The Honourable Kim Beazley AC, Governor of Western Australia PATRON Dr Jack Bendat AM CitWA HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS Dario Amara Julie Bishop Richard Bonynge AC CBE Terry Bowen Frank Cooper AO Erich Fraunschiel Colin Goddard Francis Landels Bruce Martin AM Margaret McManus Dr Richard Mills AM Annie Patrick Marilyn Phillips Vincent A Warrener AM KHS

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4/3/20 10:22 am

THANK YOU PRINCIPAL PARTNER

MAJOR PARTNERS ACCESS AND COMMUNITY PARTNER

CIVIC PARTNER

PARTICIPATION PARTNER

OPERA IN THE REGIONS PARTNER

OPERA PARTNERS

TERTIARY EDUCATION PARTNER

GOVERNMENT PARTNERS This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

WEST AUSTRALIAN OPERA West Australian Opera acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.