Prom 14: 25.07.16 - Rossini: The Barber of Seville

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:00 Monday 25 Jul 2016
Royal Albert Hall

Gioachino Rossini: The Barber of Seville

Rosina ..... Danielle de Niese (soprano)
Dr Bartolo ..... Alessandro Corbelli (baritone)
Count Almaviva .....Taylor Stayton (tenor)
Figaro ..... Björn Bürger (baritone)
Berta ..... Janis Kelly (soprano)
Fiorello ..... Huw Montague Rendall (baritone)
Glyndebourne Festival Opera
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Enrique Mazzola, conductor

Glyndebourne makes its annual visit to the Proms, bringing the ultimate comic opera. Rossini wrote The Barber of Seville 200 years ago, reportedly in a period of just three weeks, his head spinning with the joy and wit he discovered in the story of the wily hairdresser Figaro?s amorous antics. The result is an opera full of expectant fun but also grace and beauty. Leading soprano Danielle de Niese stars as the young ward Rosina, eager to escape the clutches of the elderly Count Almaviva in a highlight of this summer?s Proms Rossini focus.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07lfvvf

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This opera can work well in concert performances. I say this because I'm not normally a fan of operas being performed in this way.

[PhilipT]

This seems to be a different opera from the one I know. I thought Rosina was eager to escape the clutches of the elderly Dr Bartolo, and get into the clutches of the much younger Count Almaviva instead. I wonder whether whoever wrote the entry in the Proms Guide has ever seen the opera. Oh, and it's semi-staged, EA, so we certainly expect movement and props and costumes, even if the scenery is a little lacking.

[bluestateprommer]

One other correction needed to the cast: the missing Don Basilio, namely Christophoros Stamboglis. It's in the Forum Calendar entry, of course ;) .

[Prommer]

Anyone listened yet?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I switched on. It was the interval talk.

Must try to catch up later, having recorded it.

[PhilipT]

I was there. While not quite at the level of the very best Glyndebourne Proms it was certainly great fun. There was a good deal of stage business you will miss (or will have missed) when listening, e.g. Figaro, on his first entrance, giving the bust of Sir Henry Wood a trim; the conductor's podium doubling as Rosina's balcony; Rosina running along the front row of the Arena and ending up in the arms of a promenader; a bottle of smelling-salts being obtained from the first violins. The orchestra were at the back of the platform, with the action at the front; ideal if you were in the front row, not so good if you were behind the large monitor placed in the Arena so the performers could see the conductor.