Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini
Grischa Asagaroff (stage director), Nello Santi (conductor) – With Vesselina Kasarova (Rosina) – Opernhaus Zürich
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Cast
Reinaldo Macias — Count Almaviva
Carlos Chausson — Doctor Bartolo, Rosina's guardian
Vesselina Kasarova — Rosina, Dr. Bartolo's ward
Manuel Lanza — Figaro, the Barber of Seville
Nicolai Ghiaurov — Don Basilio, a music teacher
Valeriy Murga — Fiorillo, a servant to the Count
Kenneth Robertson — Ambrogio, a servant to Dr. Bartolo
Elizabeth Rae Magnuson — Berta, a servant to Dr. Bartolo
Nello Santi — Conductor
Program notes
In Zurich, a Barber of Seville full of energy and humour with a perfect Rosine
Filmed in April 2001 at the Zurich Opera, this Barber of Seville is by the excellent Rossini. Grischa Asagaroff's direction is full of inspiration and humour: the scenery, a huge fan (naturally since we are in Seville) which swivels facilitating the "production" of gags, and the transposition into the 1930s with the appropriate costumes, side-car and scooter is effective.
Acclaimed by the audience, the conductor Nello Santi, who is at home at the Zurich Opera (he was the musical director there for ten years, 1958-1968) is a Rossinian conductor of great stature who also plays the piano part. But the real jewel in this film is Rosine played by Vesselina Kasarova who is an authentic mezzo-soprano coloratura. A virtuoso musician and perfect actor, she is charm personified. Around her is an excellent distribution and it is a delight to see Nicolaoi Ghiaurov in the role of Basil which he performs with great experience.
