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DIVERSIONS
YourObserver.com
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014
// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: REVIEWS
OPERA // Sarasota Opera’s ‘The Barber of Seville’
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The roar of laughter and joy from the crowd at Saturday’s opening of Sarasota Opera’s production of Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” sounded more like a deliriously happy Broadway audience than a staid assemblage of operagoers. That was as it should have been and a fine tribute to one of the best showings of this well-loved staple we’ve seen in years. William Gustafson’s staging was energetic, smart, sassy and stylistically spot-on with just enough shtick to keep smiles on our faces and guffaws gushing out, but never overshadowing the music or the composer’s intent. He had his cast on the move, doing those little things that make them individuals and characters, rather than cardboard singing sticks. This was his third, and finest, “Barber” with Sarasota Opera, and he seems to have grown into the work. He gives Rossini’s musical cues every bit of theatricality for which the composer intended. His superb cast helped, starting with a Rosina, played by Chrystal E. Williams, who was so strong and so assured — vocally and dramatically — she pretty much stole the show. Williams, a fourth-year resident artist at The Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, is a mezzo-soprano who seems destined for great things. Although the bottom of her range is still a little raw, the timbre of her voice has an energy and brightness that carried her easily through the coloratura fanfare of “Una voce poco fa,” and everything else Rossini tossed in her path. That made her a spitfire Rosina with a twinkle in her eyes and the kind of sparkle her suitor, Count Almaviva (in multiple disguises), would pur-
sue to the ends of Andalusia. Hak Soo Kim, the Rosina-doting Count, is a glistening tenor who sings, delightfully, on the top of the pitch, with just enough “squillo” (penetrating resonance) to make every Rossini-style turn and trill sound just that much more exciting. His last-act aria, a piece that is usually cut because it is not only impossibly difficult to sing but also adds little to the storyline of the piece, was both a pleasure to hear and an amazing feat of vocal calisthenics worthy of the operatic Olympics. Rossini, who was a little like the Stuart Woods of the 19th century opera world, not only turned out three or four massive operas a year, he also stole from himself and, in Almaviva’s final aria, we heard huge swaths of Cinderella’s “Non piu mesta,” which actually was written in 1817, the year after “The Barber of Seville.” (He also recycled Rosina’s famous “Una voce” from “Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra” an opera seria he’d written the year before. And even the famous overture to the “Barber” had been heard, not once, but twice, in varying forms as an overture, first in “Aureliano in Palmira” and then in “Elisabetta.” So, self-plagiarism was nothing new to Rossini.) Back to the cast, Steven Condy’s Dr. Bartolo, Rosina’s guardian and suitor, made a believable person of this sometimes doddering but wily old man, singing with humor, warmth and style. Matthew Burns was a brilliantly duplicitous Basilio whose “La Calunnia” was biting and colorful. Berta, the old housekeeper, was portrayed by the lustrously voiced Studio Artist Alexandra Batsios, who may have sung like an angel but epitomized a tired old woman, world and bone weary. Marco Nistico took on the galvanizing role of Figaro, the barber who orchestrates all the shenanigans that unfold in the course of the opera. While singing well — his famous “Largo” was fine but not mesmerizing — he was more careful with his music
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478 John Ringling Blvd. Sarasota, FL 34236 Tel 941.343.2315 941.706.2653 www.influencestyle.com
Detail: Christina Seely, Madrid Metropolis 40°25’ N 3°41’ W Adriane Colburn, For the Deep 2, 2009, ink jet
The changing global environment through installations, digital films and photographs. 5 x 5 - Science & Art On the Environment: Thurs., Feb. 20, 5 pm (Cash bar, call 941.359.7563 for reservations.) Opening reception: Fri., Feb. 21, 5-7 pm Director’s Tour: Mon., Feb. 24, 11:30 am Juried Instagram Exhibition Reception, Tues., April 1, 5:00-7:00 pm: The public is invited to submit images via Instagram of their own artwork inspired by the exhibition. (Call 941.359.7563 for requirements to participate.)
Sponsored in part by Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County and WSMR Classical 89.1.
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Feb. 21 - April 5 Revelations On The World As It Is: Adriane Colburn and Christina Seely
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