Customer Reviews

Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nobody will deny that this opera is the masterpiece of Rossini. Everything in this opera reflects his genius talent and is so enjoyable from the beautiful melodious music with so many belcanto techniques to the comical story itself. I have seen this opera performed in three versions and performances, and this DVD performance is the best of all the three.
In this performance we will be enchanted by the naughty acting and delicate singing of wellknown Teresa Berganza as the mutinous Rosina, in her rich soprano voice singing perfect belcanto techniques. She is matched by the comical performance of Luigi Alva as Count Almaviva alias Lindoro in his soft light tenor voice, his belcanto singing adding to the magnificence and beauty of the music. Herman Prey in his clear baritone voice as the mischievous Figaro and wellknown Bass Baritone singer Enzo Dara contributed to the excellent performance, so that the whole opera become a continuous joy to be watched and listened to.
We also liked the beautiful and matching background scenery and the harmonious choirs.
In short there is no such performance is as magnificent and excellent in singing or acting as this DVD version.

For those who aren't too familiar with the opera singers, their attention is of course first drawn to Berganza especially at a time when Abbado was so young and had yet to become the permanent conductor of Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra as the successor of Karajan, a post which Abbado occupied for over ten years.

Bergonza left a very strong impression upon those who have heard her for: 1/ she sings not just from her heart but also from her soul-- in a way that excells Marian Anderson; 2/ she possesses a most powerful and yet velvet-like tone as when she sang Mozart's Figaro or La clemenza di Tito; 3/ when she sings, she really sings which is so effortless: not screaming to the notes as some modern opera singers are equating the two(!). Needless to say, her rhythm and musicality are superb.

Rossini doesn't require Berganza to sing full-throated as she did in Mozart, yet she was undoubtedly at her very prime when this was recorded and audience can't possibly be disappointed. Her acting was equally marvelous. She sort of outshone young Abbado. But she wasn't the only one, as we have such a strong teem here. The two love songs sang by the Count was most intriquing. Likewise, the dark and ringing voice of the barber or even the Doctor are all so impressing...

Abbado was not nervous at all neither was he as graceful as he has later become. Some would even say, when the Barber first sang the song figaro, the orchestra was too loud for the audience to enjoy his singing. Otherwise, the support he gave to the singers were as good as James Levine, if not better.

The acting or even the staging and director are all as good as one could expect. The singers faced the camera only when they are thinking to themselves (instead of commuicating to their counterpart) or talking to the audiece (as the narrator) and in any event this is rare and well justified. The other complaint for this DVD is it's recorded sound especially the orhcestra. Of course, one shouldn't compare the orchestra with a young conductor, however talented he might have been, with full-fledged Furtwangler with Vienna Philharmonic, otherwise, it would deserve a full five star.

For those who are not happy with this production, they may try the one by the Netherland Opera conducted by Alberto Zedda, which is 18 years younger. The approach and techniques especially of the staging are more modern. But if you're concerned with singing or music, this is a much better choice.

I first viewed Jean-Pierre Ponelle's film version of Rossini's 1816 opera "The Barber of Seville" on a DG VHS tape, in 1990. I was taken with the acting, singing, sets, props, and found it thoroughly delightful. I tend to prefer orchestral, chamber music and opera excerpts to complete operas, but this held my interest, so much so that I bought the DVD in 2003.

The DVD seems to have a darker patina than the VHS tape did, but superior sound. However, this was recorded in 1972, and one cannot expect the same quality of picture and sound as DVDs made in the 1990s or more recently.

Of the singing, Teresa Berganza is wonderful as Rosina, quite possibly the best Rosina of the past several decades. She also acts wonderfully, with a comic twist where needed. Her expressions are humorous and perfectly fit her role as Dr. Bartolo's ward, determined to thwart and undermine him at every turn. The other singers: Luigi Alva, Hermann Prey, Paolo Montarsolo, Enzo Dara, Stefania Malagu - are all excellent in their roles. Sometimes the sound is congested/slightly distorted when Montarsolo or Dara hit a fortissimo note, but this was likely in the original tape master and could not be corrected. The La Scala orchestra under Claudio Abbado's direction play wonderfully, and the chorus sings heartily in the brief scenes at the beginning of Act I, and where the officers' regiment appears later in Act II. The precision between orchestra and singers is always excellent, and Abbado is not afraid of fast tempos when needed. The texture of the orchestra is light when needed, but with adequate heft when it is called for.

Jean Pierre Ponelle's film adaptation of "Barber" is very enjoyable. I also enjoyed Ponelle's version of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro", released this past summer on DG DVD.

I have been searching for this particular presentation of Il Barbiere for years. The La Scala production, with Alva, Prey and Berganza, was presented on the PBS Great Performance series in 1972. It is the finest of all the productions of this familiar opera I have ever seen. In particular, the sheer comedy of the Sterbini text has never been more evident. (I admit, it helps greatly if you understand Italian; the English translations do nothing to bring out the humor in his language.)

As for the three leads, Berganza, Prey and Alva, nothing I can say can add to their reputations: They are recognizably among the best to sing these roles. But Enzo Dara and Paolo Montarsolo, Dr Bartolo and Basilio respectively, add a luster that lifts this production to the heights. Montarsolo's rendition of "La Calunnia" is the best, musically and dramatically, ever. Dara, of course, was the quintessetial Bartolo for many years.

An example of how Ponnelle (the director) expertly brings out the comedic genius of the text while retaining the opera's musical integrity is in the scene where Basilio unwittingly endangers Almaviva's scheme to enter Bartolo's house a second time, as the fictitious Don Alonso: Figaro, Rosina, Bartolo and Almaviva, each for his or her own reasons, are all trying to convince Basilio to leave ("You have scarlet fever"), but he stubbornly remains, reducing them to a repetitive refrain, "Maledetto secatore" (damned nuisance). In most productions, you see Basilio inexplicably standing there while the others urge him to leave. The music works but the scene is tediously static. Why doesn't he just leave? But in this production, Basilio is in fervent pursuit of a gold coin which dropped from the purse Almaviva slipped him as a bribe to go: The others grow frantic while the acquisitive Basilio chases the rolling coin about the room. This sort of detail is what lifts this above all the other productions.

But why, then, do I give it only four stars? I'd gladly give it four and a hlaf, if I could. But the DVD has one major defect, one which I do not recall from the earlier 1972 broadcast: The arias are too obviously lip-synched. This also might explain why there are one or two visual details I remember from the '72 broadcast I missed seeing in this one.

Still, this remains one of the finest Rossini productions you will ever see, and if you do understand Italian (and if not, why not?) you will be chuckling or even laughing out loud throughout. Enjoy.

This production of the Barbiere is just as an opera buffa should be: pure humor. Personally I find hermann prey's acting to be quite amusing, since he portrays a lazy, witty figaro always with a dose of laughter. Hearing him sing "largo al factotum" is hilarious as you can imagigine all the dummies calling him out. Also, he makes a great duet with Alca, since from parts as "All'idea di quel metallo" you can really imagine a pair of friends conspiring to get the girl. As for Alva, he also plays a convincing part as the debonaire Count, specially in the two love songs in act 1 (Ecco ridente in cielo and Se il mio nome saper voi bramate) where his light voice helps to convey the feeling. In regards to Berganza's performance it is true that sometimes her facial expression is not the best, but songs such as "Si,si, la vinceró" are sung quite harmoniously. When looking at Dara's personification of Bartolo one must keep in mind that the character is the joker of the play and as such is never intended to perform great arias but rather short pieces filled with satyre and irony, and these he performs nicely. Abaddo's conducting is certainly not the best of his career, but nevertheless the orchestra always produces the feelings that is required to convey, be it love in the ballads, laughter in the recitatives,confussion in the first finale or sheer joy in the second finale. Ponnelle's stage is incredibly realistic without the need to use exagerated FX since it is true that the stage should not distract attention from the singers. Overall, watching this production of the Barbiere means being able to enjoy a good comedy and a good set music while laughing at Bartolo's Inutil Precauzione.

I had it on VHS, I have it on DVD, it's mandatory! And of course I have the same version in CD (some slight differences, some singers are not the same).

I find the overture, with Abbado conducting, absolutely mesmerizing. You can actually see his eyes guiding the orchestra.

The singers? Well, Hermann Prey is my favourite Figaro ever, and it's really a pitty there isn't any film of his wonderful Papageno in Mozart's Magic Flute. Teresa Berganza and her voice are perfect for the role. Enzo Dara is hilarious. I just love Luigi Alva's voice (he's Don Ottavio in the most amazing Don Giovanni ever recorded, the one by Giulini - how I wish we could have it on film!), I could go on forever.

I have arrived to this performance in Seville in Milan by following a long and sinuous road of Winterreise; the rumor had it that Hermann Prey had even better voice than Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, and so I ordered this only DVD that had this cantor.

To my amazement, I found that it was also by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, and before watching it, I knew it would be excellent. However, it is just outstanding - and made in 1972 - BEFORE 1972, his famous triptych of Monteverdi cycle with Harnoncourt.

What can one say about this performance? It is just a PERFECTION. With star singers (who also sing beautifully here!) as Hermann Prey, Luigi Alva, Teresa Berganza, Enzo Dara under the baton of Claudio Abbado and directed by Ponnelle - we are fortunate indeed to have this performance immortalized. What is amazing about performances like this, is that even with an opera that everyone who loved this genre saw and heard many, many times, it still makes you smile from delight and admiration; the sprezzatura of great art never fails to impress. My personal last encounters with Il Barbiere was in 2007 in Berlin Opera Komische, where it was sung in German, to a bizarre effect (and I did not know it was the tradition of that house); and then on February 16 in La Fenice this year, it was the last day of Venetian Carnival, and the musicians appeared in their pit in various costumes and masks, and the conductor too appeared in a black long cape and in a bauta, a special hat Venetians wear during a Carnival; he crossed the partierre in such attire, descending to his place - it was so funny!

Yet musically this DVD supersedes all live performances of "Il Barbiere" that I have ever seen. A high mark goes to the aria of Berta, the servant "Il Vecchiotto cerca moglie" - usually a screeching female voice is employed to depict comically a ridiculous old woman hopelessly in love, creating an overall unpleasant sound effect, but the treatment of Abbado/Ponnelle is so marvelous, again, no secondary detail is carefully thought of and considered, bringing the whole performance to such a glamorous success.

Everything is so light and elegant in this production, without any hint of modern ostentatious vulgarity and often accompanying harshness that plague many contemporary opera performances, mostly of German origin - and perhaps it is noteworthy that the only German thing here is Hermann Prey, who is in addition quite a beau! He is actually amazingly good-looking, which adds to the visual delight. In fact, ALL singers look very appropriate for their roles - charming and funny.

I also wonder if Jean-Pierre Ponnelle was another Luchino Visconti - with the attention to detail, with perfection that is almost obsessive if you compare it with today's often sloppy and ignorant productions - although the latter is rarely applied to Il Barbiere, since it is such a well-known opera. And I must say, for a good reason - Rossini is so excellent here that one would easily believe Wagner's rumored last words: "Don't tell the Wagnerians, but I adore Rossini!". Certainly, unlike Lohengrin, one can hear "il Barbiere" with great pleasure a second and many more times!

BRAVISSIMI!

Okay, I am biased. I adore this opera, and it this production is my second favorite ever. That may sound like a backhanded compliment since I refer, of course, to the marvelous RCA recording made in the late 1950's with Fernando Corena as the definative Bartolo and many other superb portrayals that left so much to the imagination and was like being treated to a Chuck Jones cartoon in Italian. But then, that production was never made into a movie on DVD or otherwise.

This film is fun, funny, clever, and oozing with the accurate look and feel of Spain somewhere at the turn of the 18th century, rather than the pre-French revolution era of Beaumarchais original story. Figaro's resemblance to Zorro at the end of the film seems more than coincidental, and that gave it an even greater charm. It works because despite the fact that it was conceived by a Frenchman, written as an opera by an Italian a generation later, and a German (Mozart) did the sequel long before Rossini came onto the scene, Jean-Pierre Ponnelle never forgot that this is essentially has a Spanish setting, and as a grand touch, the portrait of Dr.Bartolo (featured prominently in the comedy business of Act I) bears more than a striking resemblance to Salvador Dali's self-portrait, adding a further touch of lunacy to the proceedings.

Production values aside, the singing was wonderful. I found myself singing along through many of the scenes, and the two-plus hours seemed to merrily dance away.

This is a great "Barber of Seville", better than even the sequel film, which is also worth getting. They compliment each other beautifully, and are a must-have for the collections of opera lovers, Mozart/Rossini lovers, or fans of the Beaumarchais comedies. Worth every penny.

I really like Teresa Berganza but I wasn't wild about this particular production because it wasn't recorded live on a stage. It was more like a movie version of

Il Barbiere which I didn't know prior to purchasing the DVD. That aside it is still entertaining but if you are purchasing this to see the singers technique up close than beware because at times during the chorus scenes Berganza doesn't even look like she's singing but her voice is still heard in the ensemble. The only explanation I can think of is that they must have pre recorded many of the ensemble scenes so that the singers didn't have to sing the whole time only look as though they are singing. Order this if you don't care about those kind of things but I am a voice major and those sorts of things don't go by unnoticed.

Tough choice after reading the reviews. But I picked this one because I am seldom pleased with opera on the stage when it translates to DVD. This is a cross between a film and a staged performance. Everyone was superb in this cast. I laughed all the way through this remarkable Rossini comedic opera and now understand why it usually winds up in the top ten operas of all time. Due to its age I will probably buy a more modern version to hear the singing a little more clearly; this was 1970's sound but still quite good. But I doubt anyone can surpass Teresa Berganza, the female lead; she was born to do this role.