Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Sinfonia
2. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 1. No. 1.: "Piano, pianissimo, senza parlar"
3. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 1. No. 1.: "Ecco, ridente in cielo"
4. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 1. No. 2.: "Largo al factorum"
5. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 1. No. 3.: "Se il mio nome saper voi bramate"
6. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 1. No. 4.: "All'idea di quel metallo"
7. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 1. No. 5.: "Una voce poco fa"
8. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 1. No. 6.: "La calunnia è un venticello"
9. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 1. No. 7.: "Dunque io son"
10. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 1. No. 8.: "A un dottor della mia sorte"
11. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 1. No. 8.: "Finora in questa camera"
12. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 1. No. 9.: "Ehi, di casa!... buona gente!"

Disc 2:

1. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 1. No. 9.: "Conla presente il Dottor Bartolo"
2. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 1. No. 9.: "Che cosa accadde, signori miei?"
3. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 1. No. 9.: "Ma, signor..."/ "Mi par d'essere con la testa"
4. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 2. No. 9.: "Ma vedi il mio destino!"/ Act 2. No. 10.: "Pace e gioia sia c
5. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 2. No. 11.: "'Contro un cor che accende amore"
6. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 2. No. 12.: "Quando mi sei vicina"
7. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 2. No. 13.: "Don Basilio!"/ "Cosa veggo!"/ "Quale intoppo!"/ "Come qua?"/
8. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 2. No. 14.: "Il vecchiotto cerca maglie"
9. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 2. No. 14A.: "Ma forse, ahimè, Lindoro"
10. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 2. No. 15.: "Alfine, eccoci qua"
11. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 2. No. 16.: "Ah! qual colpo inaspettato!"
12. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 2. No. 17.: "Il Conte! Ah, che mai sento!"
13. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 2. No. 18.: "Cessa di più resistere"
14. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act 2. No. 19.: "Di sì felice innesto"

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #95070 in Music
• Released on: 1993-04-13
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .58 pounds

Customer Reviews

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

I still think it's the best...clarification
When I first reviewed this album, I wrote but a few short lines because I assumed that most people who listened to it would enjoy it as much as I did. But, apparently, I was wrong, so I would like to explain my feelings about it a little better.

To begin with, Placido Domingo: in case you have all forgotten, he STARTED his career as a baritone, in fact sang baritone roles for three years, and only moved up to tenor because his timbre sounded more "tenorish." In the years since he has labored in his high range; some nights it's there, some nights not, but usually not above a B-flat. Here in this recording he "places" his voice down a bit, the result being that his tone is more relaxed and warm-sounding than it sometimes is as a tenor. But don't take my work for it, listen to the performance yourself! The humor he injects into the duets and ensembles is simply infectious. He is clearly enjoying himself, and this communicates itself to the listener.

Lopardo is also quite funny as the drunken soldier and the over-pious padre, and his coloratura singing is simply astonishing. Not since Alessandro Bonci have I heard coloratura runs from a tenor delivered as cleanly and spot-on as this, and if his dark tone is sometimes a bit disconcerting he more than makes up for this with a beautiful half-voice that is simply ear-ravishing.

Kathleen Battle did indeed have a light voice, but as one who heard her in person five times over the course of nine years I can assure you that every pearly note could be heard to the back row because she had perfect tone production. You may, of course, prefer a more metallic mezzo sound if you wish--I personally enjoy Jennifer Larmore myself--but she does sound convincingly impish and coy in the right places. In "Una voce poco fa," she does BOTH soprano and mezzo cadenzas, and they are very musical.

Lucio Gallo is an exemplary Dr. Bartolo, not only blustery in the right places but also generous of voice and with a sterling technique. Listen for yourself.

I greatly admire Ruggiero Raimondi simply because opera buffo is not his usual field, yet he manages to create a fine characterization as Basilio, just as he did of the Mustafa in "L'Italiana in Algeri."

But best of all is the conducting of Abbado, which practically brims over with humor while tying all the loose ends together. In an opera like the "Barber," great conducting DOES matter. This is the primary reason I don't like the Larmore "Barber," even though she and Haken Hagagard sing wonderfully alone and together.

And I still stand by what I said...this performance IS the most fun! Callas was actually a very good Rosina, so were Peters and Simionato, and there is nothing really wrong with their recordings, but this one has a few extra doses of sparkle and energy....again, thanks to the conducting. If you simply put your prejudices against Domingo-as-Figaro aside and listen to it objectively, I think you will agree. And believe me, I was prepared to NOT like Domingo's Figaro, as I had heard a performance he did about 8 years earlier where he sang both parts of the "All'idea" duet for a TV performance, and did very poorly. But here, not only his sparkle but his coloratura runs are exceptional for one not to the style born.

Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia
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.