Florian Sempey / Arvostelut

Drei besonders wundervolle Momente schenkt mir diese Aufführung. Den ersten in Person Erwin Schrotts als Alidoro, der Cenerentola motiviert, aufs Fest des Don Ramiro zu gehen. In seiner Arie „Osservate. Silenzio. Abiti, gioie“ (Pass auf. Schweige. Kleidung, Geschmeide) offenbart mir Erwin Schrott seinen geschmeidigen, vollmundigen, kraftvollen Bass. Er singt gefällig, umschmeichelnd und souverän. Der zweite dieser Momente ist ein Stellvertreter für die Raffinesse Rossinis. Für das was mich bei Rossini packt, atemlos macht. Meine Faszination gilt den Ensemblemomenten. Das Finale des ersten Aktes „Mi par d’essere sognando“ (Ich scheine zu träumen) ist großartig! Die Stimmen flirren, flattern durcheinander, sind in einem Moment Teil des großen Ganzen und zugleich?, kurz darauf?, so schnell bin ich nicht in der Lage zu unterscheiden: es ist für mich ein Moment der musikalischen Explosion. Ich gehe darin auf, versinke und genieße. Der wesentliche Teil der Faszination: diese turbulenten Momente werden dann zum Ereignis, wenn jede einzelne Stimme exakt prononciert. Ist das nicht der Fall, fällt die Faszination in sich zusammen. Das ist eine ganz besondere Herausforderung bei Rossini. Die Sänger und Sängerinnen glänzen hier einzeln und in der Abstimmung zueinander meisterhaft. Der heute ausschließlich männlich besetzte Bayerische Staatsopernchor stützt nicht nur diese Szene maßgeblich in Gesang und Spiel.

The Royal Opera House hosts an utterly triumphant revival of Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier’s production of Gioachino Rossini and Cesare Sterbini’s classic opera Il barbiere di Siviglia (the barber of Seville to us mere mortals). It is an animatedly dynamic production full of fun, smiles and laughter.With a good choice of eccentric characters, a love match, in which we are invested, all amplified in the excitement of the huge time pressures of the piece, it is little wonder that the entire first half ends up culminating into a monumentally spectacular climax, helped hugely by the most incredible set flourishes from Christian Fenouillat.Vito Priante is glorious as the title role of the barber, Figaro. Both his tone and visual projection are magnificent and his humour and cheek is superb. Javier Camarena makes a glorious debut at the Royal Opera House as the Count, reviving the role he previously sung for the Metropolitan Opera in New York. His voice is almost unearthly, and with a residual power that resonates around the whole hall – it was stunning, stunning work. Daniela Mack again makes her debut at the Royal Opera House and is charming, cheeky and astute in her role of Rosina. It is another transfixing and powerful vocal delivery, made seamlessly and effortlessly by this exceptionally talented young woman.It was a delightful evening of joy, laughter, surprises and so importantly spectacular music and drama. The atmosphere was electric and the orchestra, incredibly conducted by Henrik Nánási was simply perfection. Whether you are a first time opera viewer or a seasoned professional this is not a production to miss. It is a classic done wonderfully and I would question anyone who might say, with sincerity, that they did not enjoy it.

Fridman was powerful, Konu Kim gave a profound performance filled with different colors and emotions. No one could ever anticipate what Kim would do with the role as he first entered Act one, singing with a bright timbre and giving each phrase a smooth and delicate color. His phrases starting out with a piano sound and would eventually crescendo to a forte with smoothness and facility. That bright optimism could be seen in the aforementioned duet with Sylvia. While Fridman sang with delicacy and darker hues, Kim’s timbre contrasted with gleam, his high notes projecting beautifully into the hall. In the role of the King, Florian Sempey brought an imposing baritone to his character. From the start of the performance, he gave off an air of authority that started to weaken throughout the evening. In the his duet with Sylvia, Sempey brought a refined and controlled timbre that showcased his power over her. He forced Fridman into his arms undressing himself and insinuating forced intercourse. Overall the orchestra was solid but Tingaud sometimes indulged in slower tempi particularly in the ensemble strettas. It may have added to the drama to give more time to the ensembles but it seemed more French in style than the energetic Italian Bel Canto. The chorus led by Fabio Tartari was also part of the success of the evening. The changes in character that were conveyed showed their versatility. At the beginning they were boisterous, animated, joyful and prepared for a party, singing with unending energy. In the third act, the men’s chorus was gossipy, singing in a soft staccato as they were conspiring and entertaining themselves with the secret of Sylvia being the king’s mistress. In the final act the ensemble sang with an angelic tone, bringing the opera to a powerful and heavenly finale. Overall this was an unforgettable evening that thankfully has been recorded for release through Dynamic and presented Lidia Fridman and Konu Kim as promising figures in the opera world.