Rossini’s The Barber
of Seville certainly is a popular opera. Since Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 1954 inception,
the comedy has been performed in 14 seasons, more often than such favorites as
Rigoletto, Carmen, Lucia, and Aida. The
story revolves around the matchmaking machinations of a fellow (Figaro) who has
a day job as a barber, as he tries to link up his rich patron, a count, with
his young inamorata Rosina, who is the ward of an elderly doctor who also has
designs on her.
The opera is an enjoyable comedy, easy to understand, and enduringly
popular as a respite from the tragic, and often excessively melodramatic,
staples of the repertory. It’s a visual
delight and the audience was certainly entertained. Musically though the opera does not have the
memorable, emotive arias, duets, and ensembles of dramatic opera, but it has
plenty of melodic scenes with appealing harmonies. The cast was terrific, and thankfully, the
Lyric played it straight with the production, without any dysfunctional, annoying
modern reinterpretations.
Some of my earliest exposure to opera and classical music
came from Looney Tunes cartoons, and in my memory I can see and hear the
parody of the Figaro, Figaro, Figaro riff that, as fact would have it, is sung
in the opera by Figaro himself. Sitting
there taking in The Barber, I was distracted
in my mind’s eye by images of Bugs Bunny singing the piece on stage, outwitting
Elmer Fudd while the annoyed audience throws produce at him.
R Balsamo
