BBC Proms: Glydebourne: The Barber of Seville ★★★★

Taylor Stayton as Count Almaviva and Alessandro Corbelli as Dr Bartolo in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville at the BBC Proms 2016
Copyright: BBC/Chris Christodoulou

Glyndebourne has returned to the Proms for Rossini’s mad opera of disguises and shaved beards, where the smiles and double entendres never seem to end. It is the first time that the BBC Proms have added The Barber of Seville to its programme, performed as a semi-stage presentation, and as last night highlighted it proved to be a spectacular night of giddiness, charming music and theatrical comedy.

The opera, based on the first of a triology of plays by Beaumarchais, follows the journey of the Count (Taylor Stayton) as he seeks means to claim his love Rosina (Danielle de Niese), yet her brutish bore of a guardian Bartolo (Alessandro Corbelli) intends to marry her, and keep her for himself. But then, there is Figaro (Björn Bürger) – he’s the fixer. Together with the Count, Figaro assists him in his mission for love whilst getting themselves into numerous silly mishaps.

Both lead characters Figaro and the count, performed by Bürger and Stayton, are confident and animated - they play off well together. Vocally and theatrically they make a good duo, like jumping into each other’s laps, and harmonise with poise and lyricism. Corbelli gave a mighty and hilarious performance as the curmudgeon Bartolo, and was a great sport at it. In certain parts Corbelli had to sing fast and his vocal skills and timbre may have been compromised, but there’s an edge to his talents which makes him completely likable and amusing to watch.

Danielle de Niese as Rosina and Alessandro Corbelli as Dr Bartolo in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville at the BBC Proms 2016
Copyright: BBC/Chris Christodoulou

Niese, the wife of Glyndebourne’s chairman’s grandson, envisions Rosina to be a strong-willed cheeky flirt with eyes only for one man Lindoro, who the Count disguises himself as. Although her Rosina may bat her eyelids and appear tied to Bartolo's chambers, Niese assures the audience that Rosina has a spirit that wants to run free, away from a restricted married life with Bartolo's crankiness. Her Una voce poco fa was dynamic and entertaining; it called for a huge round of applauses as her voice was loud enough for the Royal Albert Hall to hear, yet I’ve heard stronger performers of Rosina’s pinnacle aria elsewhere. As she specified in an interview with Rebecca Franks, she is aware that Rossini wrote some parts of the opera for ‘super-high ranges’ and as she is a lyric, not coloratura, soprano, who sticks with the mezzo-soprano range, this inevitably causes some challenges for her.  Nonetheless her performance was an impressive one, which enthralled prommers, including the male prommer who she ran to – she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and jumped back on the stage again (well, that’s what I gathered from my seat).

Italian conductor Enrique Mazzola provided Rossini’s sweet scented score with a dash of stage pizazz. This was light-heartedly performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra demonstrated through delightful harps, graceful clarinets and lively strings which enchanted prommers. Mazzola and the LPO also played a part in the storyline frolics too, by breaking the fourth wall; passing Rosina’s love letter to the Count and Mazzola having fun with the grumpy Bartolo who seemed to think he knew more about music than the maestro.

Conductor Enrique Mazzola and Alessandro Corbelli as Dr Bartolo in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville at the BBC Proms 2016
Copyright: BBC/Chris Christodoulou

Joanna Parker’s costume designs seemed to set our opera somewhere in Seville in the 17th century, with vivacious and handsome colours yet there were slices of the modern shown through Stayton’s cool full-length jacket and Niese tightly fitted, glamorous dresses. 

Director Sinéad O’Neil's staging is a simple yet effective one. The performance at the Royal Albert Hall was clean, witty and infectiously fun. To think that the premier of the opera was a sham in 1816 baffles me as performances like last night, where there's a joke hidden in every corner of the staging, verify why The Barber of Seville is a popular masterpiece  - not only composed to entertain opera newbies. 

Danielle de Niese as Rosina, Björn Bürger as Figaro, Taylor Stayton as Count Almaviva and Janis Kelly as Berta in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville at the BBC Proms 2016

Copyright: BBC/Chris Christodoulou

If you would like more information about the BBC Proms and future events, please click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms

Glyndebourne Live Broadcast: Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail ★★★★

Photo by Richard Hubert Smith for Glyndebourne

Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio) (1782) reawakens audiences of Mozart’s genius with some heart-felt arias and a throbbing whirlpool of an overture. He was only 26-years-old when he composed the opera.

Die Entführung is famously known for being criticised by Mozart’s then commissioner, Emperor Joseph II for having ‘too many notes’, and although a comedy opera, its subject isn’t so innocent. Much like Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), there are misogynistic and racial slurs honing in on Eastern and Western values, particularly the Ottoman Empire so, it’s always interesting to see how directors choose to stage a production.

This year, Glyndebourne has David McVicar directing the opera for their summer programme, which was broadcasted live at cinemas [July 19 ]. At the Gate cinema, Notting Hill, older audiences familiar with the work attended, yet some of them were a little too impatient to see its ending. McVicar’s instruction to include the full singspiel may have been the cause of this, which produced a half play, half opera concoction. One cinema viewer shouted, ‘hurry up!’ during a dialogue between Belmonte and Pedrillo in act I.

In spite of how long the opera was the singspiel didn’t spoil my experience, which, surprisingly, was refreshing. The fine German diction and frivolity between the oafish Osmin (Tobias Kehrer), artful Pedrillo (Brenden Gunnell) and noblemen Belmonte (Edgaras Montvidas) were things to relish about the opera. The merciful efforts from heart-broken Pasha (Franck Saurel) to claim Konstanze’s love (Sally Matthews) were also significant parts of the production.

Photo by Tristram Kenton for The Guardian

 McVicar’s traditional and safe staging seemed to go well with the beautiful score. The overall set was visually pleasing with period costume, green gardens and Ottoman Empire-inspired, lavish interiors for Pasha’s harem, designed by Vicki Mortimer. The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and their period-specific instruments appropriately added a unique touch to the decadent opera with Glyndebourne’s music director Robin Ticciati at the helm. The overture was gutsy and Ticciati conducted with aplomb.

Undoubtedly radiant and sensual was Matthews as our trapped heroine who says one thing but does the other - she allows Pasha to kiss her one second but rejects him in another. Her ability to reach stratospheric notes seemed effortless though it had me thinking, at times, how cruel Mozart was to make sopranos sing such top notes so often and between one another. And because of this, I could hear her straining in ‘Martern aller Arten’, but, resilient as she was, she kept singing until the end.

Montvidas was lyrical as his character’s virtuosity and bass singer, Kehrer sang as an awesome, but nasty Osmin. He soon became a favourite amongst the audience, even though he displayed an evil ogre and less of a comedian. His scene with Mari Eriksmoen, as Blonde, throwing pans and dishes at each other was one of the funniest moments of the opera.

Eriksmoen performed as a crafty and cheeky Blonde, and with Gunnell’s speedy Pedrillo made a cute and hilarious couple on stage, cleverly depicting the social divide with Belmonte and Konstanze’s relationship. 

Despite not having to sing Franck Saurel was a thrill to watch too as the sensitive Pasha. With saucy scenes of a sexual violence, teary eyes, passionately said words and a half naked torso, Saurel was the stuff of great acting.

Thanks to Live broadcast of Glyndebourne audiences can gain insight of Glyndebourne performances, minus the dinner jacket and fascinator.

Die Entführung aus dem Serail is still showing at Glyndebourne until the 10 August. Click her to purchase tickets. They are also going on Tour this autumn so there’ll be another chance to see it at other venues in England – book early to see the production on Tour.

The next cinema Glyndebourne showing is Fiona Shaw’s Rape of Lucretia on the 9^th of August also showing at Gate Cinema, Notting Hill. Click here for Gate Cinema website or here, for other UK cinemas.