Florida Grand Opera

Il Barbieri di Siviglia, February 16th, 2001

The sets designed by Peter Dean Beck were very effective and beautiful (the audience applauded both Acts). I particularly like the first scene were the piazza and the balcony were very well designed and really resembled Seville.

The Stage Director Darko Tresnjak worked wonders with the cast. The audience burst into laugh when Figaro entered in a scooter ! The only part that did not work was the end of Act 1 when the officer dismisses Almaviva without taking him into custody, in this production, Almaviva shows him a bunch of papers that have nothing to do with the plot (there are better ways of handling this).

Gregory Kunde was a very good Almaviva. He is clearly a Rossinian tenor and the high notes held him no terror, since he opted to add some (in the first aria for instance). He has also the Rossinian style and is good in the fioriture.

Garry was also very good as Figaro. He sang the role with ease and fluency and acted the part very well. His big aria was a success and also the duet with Almaviva and Rosina.

Margaret Lattimore was a good Rosina. She also acted the part well and looks beautiful on stage. But she did have a tendency to run out of breath and sustain the high notes. She did sing the fioriture well but those high notes were not easy for her.

Kevin Glavin was  a good Bartolo. He coped well with his aria and acted very well. He has a good voice for the part that projected well in the theatre.

Michele Bianchini the only Italian in the cast was a very good Don Basilio. I particularly liked the timbre of his voice, dark and cavernous, a true bass at last ! He does not have a big voice though and the Calunnia aria could have benefited from more volume.

Christina Villaverde was a good Berta and had a ball with her aria (the audience loved it). I liked the invention they made making her duel with the flute. But what about those shrieks ? She could have sung without those.

Bill McMurray was a good Fiorello and has a good voice that projected very well. A young artist to watch.

Ivan Torzs conducted well and the orchestra was in good shape, but I missed more dynamic in the playing (essential in Rossini) and also the horn instruments were not particularly delineated as they should.