Search - Gioachino Rossini, Orchestra e coro del Teatro La Fenice, Claudio Abbado :: Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia / Battle, Domingo, Lopardo, Gallo, Raimondi; Abbado

The best "Barber" 'cause it's the most FUN!

madamemusico | Cincinnati, Ohio USA | 04/07/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Rossini's "Barber of Seville" calls for two essential qualities: secure florid singing and comedy. A lot of recordings out there provide the former, but not the latter. This one provides both. Raimondi, Gallo and Lopardo play their parts to the hilt, Kathy Battle sings gloriously (though not coyly) and Domingo actually sounds better as a baritone than he sometimes does as a tenor. Abbado's conducting is breathtaking, pulling everything together even as he pulls out all the stops. (You may even find yourself jumping in surprise at the tympani outburst during "La calunnia"!) The ensemble ending of Act 1 is simply breathtaking. The last complete "Barber" that had this much sheer joy in it was the 1929 recording by Capsir, Borgioli, Stracciari, Baccaloni and Molajoli, and that one was incomplete (even to the point of containing an aria by another composer in place of "Un dottor della mia sorte"), so...this one's the best of all."

Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia

D. Faylor | Washington State, USA | 12/12/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Worth buying! There are few excellent recordings of Barber out there, and this definitely passes as a good one. While there are those who find fault with Battle's light vocals, none can deny that her's is one of the most beautiful soprano voices ever recorded. Yes, the role of Rosina was written for a mezzo, however, the part is so desirable that it is far from rare to see it performed by a soprano rather than a mezzo, and Battle does it very well. While Figaro is not Domingo's best role, his deep and rich tenor voice is unusually suited to singing the lighter baritone part.(Domingo studied to be a baritone as a young man before making the transition to tenor.) I may be inclined to agree that the role of Figaro is somewhat "beneath" this great tenor artist, however I like just about anything Domingo sings. Gallo's Bartolo is absolutely superb. By far the best I have ever seen or heard. Lopardo's Count Almaviva is also excellent. You could do worse than this Barber."

Abbado, brilliant as usual

Koli Mitra | New York, NY USA | 07/09/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Worth having for the conducting, if nothing else. Abbado sparkles. But it is an odd cast. Domingo and Battle are the tenor-soprano dream team for literally zillions of operas that have lead roles for voices like theirs. Unfortunately the Barber and Rossina were written for a baritone and a mezzo. These guys pull it off by their sheer vocal beauty and skill --and it helps that they both have a flair for comedy. But they really have the wrong instruments for the job. Ruggero Raimondi is a bit hammy --but charming. His singing is not up to his usual standards. The rest are adequate. But it just doesn't have the power I expected, judging by the several superb live performances I've heard. This relatively rare opportunity to show off some deeper voices through coloratura could've been better used, in my estimation. Still, it's as good a recording as any --probably one of the best ones out there. [try out the other Abbado set; Teresa Berganza and Luigi Alva are excellent as Rossina and the Count. Hermann Prey's Figaro is very well acted although only passably sung]. For some reason, it's hard to find good complete recordings of this opera. Scattered pieces are sometimes available as part of someone's repertory. (Ewa Podles' rendition of Rossina's first act cavatina is a gem).Incidentally, it does sound a bit like Donizetti! ("not that there's anything wrong with that"...) Anyway, it's a fine production, elegantly conducted, certainly worth a listen."