The late Sir Jonathan Miller’s production of The Barber of Seville has been a reliable arrow in English National Opera’s quiver of trusted productions since it first debuted nearly 40 years ago and has, over repeated runs, managed to sustain the warmth and earnest wit that defines Miller’s vision. Its latest revival, coming in the wake of the devastating upheaval of the company’s proposed move to Manchester, is hardly a bold choice, but reflects commercial realities.
Alas, even in the capable hands of revival director Peter Relton, the production is starting to show its age. The set is appealing, the costumes are nice and the comic timing is tight, but there is little originality; a reliance on stock gags and goofy expressions leaves the whole show feeling just a little tired, though there was no shortage of laughter from the audience on first night. Opportunities to do something with the rather disquieting relationship between Dr Bartolo and Rosina are missed and their dynamic is rendered two-dimensional, while Bartolo himself is made neither sinister nor sympathetic. There is still some value to Miller’s production, but a change may now be welcome.
A slightly unbalanced cast also keeps this revival from taking off. In casting Anna Devin, a soprano rather than the usual mezzo as Rosina, ENO showed an ideal leading lady. Devin has a lovely trill and a decent high register, but above all she has charisma. Her energetic stage presence, commanding when in motion or when still, captured the eye and jolted the production. Hers is a voice with volume and ballast, easily carrying over her colleagues and the orchestra. She was well-matched in Simon Bailey’s Dr Bartolo; his bass-baritone was forceful but unforced, mellow in tone and easy on the ear. Pointed diction and reasonable patter together with a decent stomp made him the comic centre of the opera, but a singing actor of Bailey’s calibre could easily have made more of the character if the production had allowed.
Charles Rice’s Figaro was somewhat lacking in character; amiable enough, his barber rarely shone with that mischievous energy and vibrancy that makes a really good Figaro. Vocally he occasionally lost power in the lower register and the quality of patter varied. Innocent Masuku was a light-voiced Almaviva who struggled to find his feet until the second half. Masuku’s tenor has an appealing gleam and the diction was not at all bad, but there were times when he struggled to make himself heard over the ensemble and the very top of the voice sounded pushed. The reliable Alastair Miles was a greasy Don Basilio, well suited to the grasping, malicious vision of the character. Lesley Garrett was luxury casting as Berta, deploying winks, nudges and stifled laughter with experienced liberality.
Leading the ENO’s orchestra in the pit and making his UK debut, Roderick Cox conducted a brisk, albeit slightly muggy overture. One or two intonation issues in the brass aside, it was a reasonable performance, but Cox had a tendency to let his forces overwhelm the singers.
