[Met Performance] CID:140110



Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Metropolitan Opera House, Fri, December 7, 1945




Il Barbiere di Siviglia (197)
Gioachino Rossini | Cesare Sterbini
Figaro
Martial Singher

Rosina
Bidú Sayão

Count Almaviva
Bruno Landi

Dr. Bartolo
Salvatore Baccaloni

Don Basilio
Ezio Pinza

Berta
Thelma Altman

Fiorello
John Baker

Sergeant
Richard Manning


Conductor
Cesare Sodero


Director
Désiré Defrère

Set Designer
Joseph Urban





Il Barbiere di Siviglia received eleven performances this season.
In the Lesson Scene Sayao sang Deh vieni non tardar from Le Nozze di Figaro.

Review 1:

Review of Miles Kastendieck in the Brooklyn Eagle

Rossini's "Barber of Seville" Given First Seasonal Hearing at the Met

Time was when the Metropolitan could take Rossini's "Barber of Seville," in its stride. The first performance of the season last night struggled bravely through, giving a great deal of entertainment because of the horse-play used to carry it but leaving the Metropolitan with another problem on its hands. "The Barber" can be done as high comedy without overplaying for the sake of effect alone.

Where the performance limped was in the unbalanced cast, a situation that could have been remedied within the present company. It was carried by two men: Ezio Pinza as Don Basilio and Salvatore Baccaloni as Dr. Bartolo. They had the voices and the stage business to give an excellent show. Unfortunately they exaggerated unnecessarily, turning the work into a farce ably seconded by others in the cast. It was, helped by Martial Singher as Figaro. He gave the best account of a role because of his knowledge of style. What, happened in his case was over-stylization in the French rather than the Italian tradition. Nor is his voice quite heavy enough for the part.

Aside from these singers, the remainder did not contribute enough in vocal strength or conviction to bring the performance into focus. Bidu Sayao was pert and pretty but inaudible for far more of the show than was desirable. Within her small compass, her performance had its good points. Bruno Landi was adequate as the Count, hardly more. Thelma Altman's Berta was acceptable.

Cesare Sodero conducted a fair performance, struggling with the difficulties which the lack of proper balance in the voices presented. He could have asked a crisper performance from the orchestra, the stage direction appeared to be singularly inept since it spilled out of the bounds of comedy. The fun that the audience had was at the expense of the opera as an opera.



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