THE BARBER OF SEVILLE in Parma – Review by William Fratti – In Parma Rossini enjoys a long lineage of talented performers.
Even in a city like Parma nowadays it is easier to perform a good Rossini than a good Verdi. The Swan of Busseto, victim of its popularity, of a long and overbearing tradition and above all victim of the absence (until recently) of a real study center flanked by a production center and an interpretation school, if it is not performed at very high and very expensive levels it is overshadowed by carelessness, as has been seen all too often. Differently, the Swan of Pesaro has enjoyed for almost forty years everything that the composer from Busseto previously lacked, therefore fortunately it has a long bevy of talented Rossini interpreters.
On March 22, 2019, among others, at the top of the list we find the excellent Chiara Amarù, who does not miss a note in her well-rounded agility, but above all bent to the intention and use of the word. Her Rosina is sincerely amazing.
Much younger, perhaps still a little immature, but already on the excellent path, is the excellent Xabier Anduaga – the good fruits of the study with Zedda, Palacio and Florez can clearly be felt – unfortunately deprived of “Cease resist any longer”. If the cutting of Almaviva's final aria was desired for artistic reasons it is truly sad, not to say shameful, but if it was desired for economic reasons it is even worse.
Julian Kim's Figaro is also very valid and could now be defined as a reference for the role, even if at times his romantic side comes out which goes beyond Rossini's style and, if we want to nitpick, the staccatos are not as marked as they should. However, his performance is of the highest level.
Simone Del Savio is a very good bel canto singer, musical, with good taste and elegance. Perhaps he is not very successful as a Rossini buffoon, but nevertheless he makes a very effective Don Bartolo.
The same goes for the expressive Don Basilio, refined and classy, by the excellent Roberto Tagliavini.
Well done Eleonora Bellocci in the role of Berta. I conclude in a timely manner with Lorenzo Barbieri's Fiorello and Giovanni Bellavia's Official.
Alessandro D'Agostini, leading the Emilia Romagna Arturo Toscanini Orchestra, has the merit of conducting with good spirit, but is poor in colors and accents. He performed well with the Chorus of the Teatro Regio of Parma prepared by Martino Faggiani.
The restoration of Beppe De Tomasi's show, created for the Regio stage in 2005, is an absolute wave of freshness. Despite being fifteen years old, this production made of glass, with scenes by Poppi Ranchetti and costumes by Artemio Cabassi, remains modern in tradition, effective and pleasant from every point of view, also thanks to the good work of Renato Bonajuto who takes over the direction and the lights by Andea Borelli.
William Fratti
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