Not only was he very funny but his voice is so big that it made the opera house seem small indeed. Italian bass Andrea Silvestrelli was a standout as Don Basilio. His nemesis, Rosina’s guardian, Doctor Bartolo, was sung by Italian bass-baritone Alessandro Corbelli, who was every bit as curmudgeonly as he should have been. This he did very well, with superb comedic timing. Leonard, but then he was also obliged to assume several false identities in order to insinuate himself into Rosina’s household.
Not with the totally carefree manner of Mlle. Mexican tenor Janvier Camarena, also making his The rôle of Count Almaviva requires maximum energy and an extraordinary level of vocal dexterity. The fact that one could even take notice of anyone around her when she was on stage is a measure of how good the rest of the cast was. Artistry at such a high level, unimpeded by physical or technical limitations with everything going directly into the expression of the character, is a joy to behold and a pleasure to hear. There is an added level of enjoyment when someone does what they do as well as she did. At one point, Rosina sings of someone possessing “high spirit and beauty.” These qualities exactly define mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, who was making her San Francisco Opera debut in the rôle.
This was made possible by the splendid performances all around. In fact, so infused with fun was this staging that it made the opera seem 200 years young. At the appearance of the bust, I suspected that this production, which comes from the Lithuanian National Opera (inspired by Emilio Sagi’s production for the Teatro Real), might prove to be too self-conscious, which is fatal for comedy, but it was not-except in a few minor instances. On November 13 th, the San Francisco Opera offered a big valentine to Gioachino Rossini, who was present on stage either in the form of a giant six-foot tall bust at the opening, or as a bas relief on the upper wall, for the remainder of a scintillating performance of The Barber of Seville. Photo assumed courtesy San Francisco Opera, very possibly © Cory Weaver.
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