10 Sep 2017

ROSSINI: The Barber of Seville

From Opera on Sunday
Ferruccio Furlanetto as Don Basilio, José Fardilha as Don Bartolo, Madeleine Pierard as Berta, Javier Camarena as Count Almaviva, Vito Priante as Figaro and Daniela Mack as Rosina

Ferruccio Furlanetto as Don Basilio, José Fardilha as Don Bartolo, Madeleine Pierard as Berta, Javier Camarena as Count Almaviva, Vito Priante as Figaro and Daniela Mack as Rosina Photo: Mark Douet, Royal Opera House Covent Garden

ROSSINI: The Barber of Seville

Count Almaviva enlists the aid of Seville’s beloved barber Figaro, in his attempts to woo the spunky Rosina in Rossini’s delightful farce.  Based on the play by Beaumarchais, The Barber of Seville is the prequel to Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. The opera has all the right ingredients for comic chaos: an imprisoned young woman, her lecherous guardian and a young noble suitor. Skilfully plotting behind the scenes is Figaro – an irrepressible and inventive character in whom many have seen a resemblance to the young Rossini himself. The score fizzes with musical brilliance, from Figaro’s famous entrance aria ‘Largo al factotum’ to the frenzy of the Act I finale, when the five principal voices all pile on top of each other.

Figaro.......................... Vito Priante

Count Almaviva.......... Javier Camarena

Rosina.......................... Daniela Mack

Berta............................ Madeleine Pierard

Doctor Bartolo............ José Fardilha

Don Basilio................. Ferruccio Furlanetto

Notary.......................... Andrew MacNair

Ambrogio.................... Jonathan Coad

Fiorello........................ Gyula Nagy

Officer......................... Donaldson Bell

Chorus and Orchestra of Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/Henrik Nánási (EBU)

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