Word: rosina
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...with a war horse like that, when she could be scoring musicological points by dredging up, say, Cornelius' The Barber of Baghdad! She is doing what any savvy impresario would do-playing to her strength. When a loyal Caldwellite like Beverly Sills is willing to sing her first Rosina, and that master of operatic disguise Donald Gramm is equally eager to sing Bartolo, the savvy thing to do is put on The Barber of Seville...
...thoroughbred. The Barber ranks as a 19th century buffa masterpiece because its music is so innately ingratiating and so illustrative of both character and comic situation. Figaro's patter aria Largo al factotum ("Feeegaro! Feeegaro!") quickly defines him as one of the most likable hustlers in all opera. Rosina's Una voce poco fa is a song of such poise and bravura style as to remove all doubt that she will get her man, Count Almaviva...
...trust the music and take its humor seriously. Her gags never intrude on purely musical moments, but when they come they are fresh and funny. Figaro enters not from the wings but from-the audience, beginning the Largo al factotum at about row S. In the lesson scene Rosina hits a high C and the glass in Bartolo's hand shatters. During the Act II storm, Bartolo's hat and umbrella are swept skyward by the wind (on a wire, of course...