¨2001 PioneerPlanet / St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press

Published: Monday, April 2, 2001

Opera review

`Barber of Seville' a witty confection

WILLIAM RANDALL BEARD SPECIAL TO THE PIONEER PRESS

Minnesota Opera's ``Barber of Seville'' transforms the Ordway stage into a 19th-century opera house. An ornate proscenium arch frames an elaborate wing-and-drop set with glittering chandeliers.

This is the perfect setting for a lively production full of wit. The opera is a commedia dell'arte confection of a wily minx and clever servant who outwit the foolish guardian to unite her with the ardent lover. Based on a great play by Beaumarchais, it inspired one of Rossini's most sparkling scores.

``Barber'' is a warhorse, but director Chuck Hudson gives it a new patina. His emphasis on physical busyness, including an amazing amount of high-spirited acrobatics, is a model true to the extravagant nature of the piece that also enhancing the characters. Almaviva's ribald antics when playing a drunken soldier are a case in point.

Conductor Emmanuel Plasson matches the production with an ebullient reading. And with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in the pit, a stellar orchestral performance is all but guaranteed.

Resident artist Ryan Taylor nearly steals the show as Figaro. He has a rich, plummy baritone and a way with coloratura. His commanding stage presence and devilish sense of humor make him a delight to watch.

Resident artist Adriana Zabala's small mezzo tends to be overwhelmed in the ensembles. But she makes up for it with astonishing flexibility and a characterization that was broad and brazen, but never became caricature.

Thomas Trotter's sweet lyric tenor turns hard when he pushes it, but he made much of the character's comic possibilities. His singing of the serenade was particularly effective. With this cast, the whole is much more than the sum of the parts. This is one of Minnesota Opera's most successful productions of many seasons.