Il barbiere di Siviglia; Tosca
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera hasn’t had much luck or judgment in recent years in presenting Verdi, though, for various reasons, some of them interesting, his operas do seem to be at the present time recalcitrant to great productions, or for that matter good recordings. Pre- and post-Verdi Italian opera, or to be accurate Rossini and Puccini, have been faring rather better, and the round-up of Italians with which the season has concluded has landed one triumph and another near-triumph, though both have the disability of annoying sets and not particularly helpful producers.
The first night of the revival of Il barbiere di Siviglia has already passed, and rightly, into operatic history. Joyce DiDonato, who was giving the most glorious account of Rosina, tripped and fell in Act I, but unobtrusively enough for me not to notice (nor did anyone I’ve spoken to), and carried on just as gloriously.
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