Perfomance: Il Barbiere di Siviglia

So Nitro and I traversed up to Lincoln Center to see a performance of Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville). This was particularly exciting because it was directed by the Bartlett Sher, who also directed Light in the Piazza which me and Nitro especially enjoyed last year.

And this performance did not disappoint. Rossini's music is some of the most challenging. At this point I wish I had taken theory and had a greater understanding of what I was witnessing. Sadly I must resort to what I have gleaned over all the practices I have sat through. Each of the main parts, which consisted of a bass, a baritone, a soprano, and a tenor, each had their share of challenging runs.

Each of them did their parts especially well. Gladly, each performer was not just singing but they added some real thought into what their characters were doing. Charisma was oozing from the set, especially from the barber played by a Swede and the too short Rossini tenor from Spain.

The production values were very excellent as well. Since I started to attend Broadway musicals and now the opera with more frequency, the sets have always interested me because most times you have to use the same basic structure unless you have enough time during an intermission to make extreme changes. But no detail was spared and it all worked together, even the random donkey.

If you can, you should catch this production. It's a treat