Rossini's Barber of Seville at Opera Theatre of St. Louis


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I'll admit to having a soft spot in my heart for Rossini's 1816 comic masterpiece The Barber of Seville. It's the first opera I ever saw - over thirty years ago in an outdoor production at Washington University. It's probably the reason I started taking an interest in the genre in the first place, since up to that point I had little interest in non-instrumental music.

I found Barber to be an immensely funny and entertaining piece back then, and I'm happy to say that the current production by Opera Theatre of St. Louis had much the same effect on me. Director Colin Graham demonstrates why he's one of the luminaries of the international opera scene with a clean, stylish production that moves along at a nice pace without slighting any of Rossini's elaborate arias and ensembles. Set and lighting designer Christopher Akerlind and costume designer Robin VerHage Abrams have provided a brightly-colored, cartoonish environment with lots of commedia del'arte touches that seems ideally suited to Figaro's Byzantine comic machinations in the service of young love.

Baritone Nathan Gunn leads a generally strong cast as Figaro, the barber who's in demand as much for his ingenious plots as for his tonsorial abilities. I found him a bit shy of the vocal power I expect from the role, especially in the big Act I patter song, but he brings out the character's breezy charm and self-assurance nicely. Mezzo Theodora Hanslowe is a delightfully spunky Rosina, cheerfully running rings around the befuddled Dr. Bartolo, sung with great skill and accuracy by bass-baritone David Evitts.

Tenor Gordon Gietz is in good voice and brings out the comic elements in Count Amlaviva very effectively. There's also nice work here by bass Arthur Woodley as the easily corruptible Don Basilio and soprano Patricia Coffin as the housekeeper Berta, with a very funny aria in the second act.

The Opera Theatre orchestra, under Stephen Lord, got off to a bit of a rough start in the overture, it seemed to me, but generally did their usual fine job.

One of the reasons for the continuing success of Opera Theatre, in my view, is their shrewd programming. In every season, there's something that's likely to appeal to both the dedicated operaphile as well as to the novice who might be approaching the entire genre with apprehension. The Barber of Seville appears to be this year's opera for people who've never seen an opera. It's fast, funny, and filled with Rossini's little gems of musical architecture. If you just want to dip your toe into the operatic pool, this is the one to see.

The Barber of Seville continues at the Loretto-Hilton center on the Webster University campus through June 29th, in rotating repertory with the other three OTSL productions. Call 961-0644 for ticket information.


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