Review: Calgary Opera’s THE BARBER OF SEVILLE is comedic gold and a musical feast for the ears

Full disclosure, prior to attending this performance, I had never been to the opera before. Like many, I assumed it was a very high brow, serious affair that only the upper echelons of society would enjoy. There was an image in my mind of singers standing stationary on ornate backdrops, singing in a foreign language and somehow conveying a story. I have to say, I was completely mistaken, much to my absolute delight. I can honestly say that this was one of the absolute best performances I have ever seen and I can’t wait for my next opera experience!

Gioachino Rossini's “The Barber of Seville” is a satirical story about an influential man (Count Almaviva) who is smitten with a young lady (Rosina) whom he has only glimpsed from afar. He wants to meet her to see if she feels the same but worries that his title and wealth would be the only attraction she may find in him. He meets Seville’s famous barber (Figaro) and hires him to assist with arranging an introduction. This task is made difficult by the scheming Dr Bartolo who is Rosina’s guardian and plans to wed her as soon as possible. 

The performance began with the melodious overture performed beautifully by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. It was so entertaining to kick off the show with a completely mimed introduction to the setting of Seville and the colourful characters that inhabit that space. The costumes were vibrantly coloured, dazzling in the light, and perfectly suited each character in the story. Once our opening scene began I was overjoyed to see that the italian dialogue and lyrics were being projected above the stage in English. This made the story so accessible and also helped the audience avoid missing the incredibly witty jokes that were sprinkled throughout the story. 

As is to be expected of opera, the vocal talents of the entire cast were awe inspiring. Amazingly the artists do not have microphones to enhance their performances, so the magnitude of their voices was such that they could fill the enormous hall by sheer vocal prowess alone. The characters each had such distinct personalities and tones that it was enjoyable seeing how they interacted independently yet perfectly complimented one another during polyphony. 

The music is familiar to many thanks to various pop culture references including The Looney Tunes, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Simpsons, Pretty Woman, etc. The comedic timing of the performers was first-class, with so much of the story’s charm captured in the antics of the various larger-than-life characters. The stand out performances were those of Figaro (played by Grisha Martirosyan) during his opening song ‘Largo al factotum’, of Count Almaviva (played by John Tessier) when he is disguised as the music teacher Don Alonso singing ‘Pace e gioia’, of Doctor Bartolo (played by Dion Mazerolle) and Don Basilio (played by Adam Lau) in their slander scene together. It was hilarious to watch Don Basilio flounce about for much of the show, especially during the absurd anvil chorus. 

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