February 2007: Il Barbiere in Oslo (2007-02-23)

Day 1: Friday 2007-02-23 Oslo
Thursday we decided that I should take fly to Oslo instead of bus. More expensive but less stress in Oslo. We could meet and eat something before going to the opera. And I could work 2 more hours. My parents and I met in Oslo and went to the Al Dente restaurant in Oslo City. And then we went to the opera. We even got the introduction about Barbiere and Gioacchino Rossini's Life. Very interesting introduction by a very energetic lady.

Il Barbiere in Siviglia (G. Rossini), Den Norske Opera

Musikalsk ledelse: Tobias Ringberg
Regi: Francois de Carpentries
Dramaturg: Karine van Hercke
Scenografi: Emmanuel Clolus
Kostymer: Karine van Hercke
Lysdesign: Pierre Berthomé
Kormester: Steffen Kammler


Almaviva = Juan José Lopera
Rosina = Virginia Tola
Figaro = Tom Erik Lie
Dr. Bartolo = Jonathan Veira
Don Basilio = Carsten Stabell
Berta = Toril Carlsen

Den Norske Operas kor
Den Norske Operas orkester

Co-production: Norwegian National Opera & Opéra National de Lorraine et Nancy

The very famous ouverture beautifully played by the orchestra. At more than one occasion the orchestra stopped for so many seconds that a new listened would have thought the overture suddenly died. The conductor played the hammer-piano in the rezitatives, althought the singers were lively, the accompaniative made so many extra thrills that it seemed to take forever until a new aria broke out and we could start enjoying ourselves again. But luckily the drama strong and very good comedy it was too.

Juan Jose Lopera was a wonderful Almaviva, wonderfully sung, acted. Tom Erik Lie was a very young Figaro, very enjoyable and humourous and a great voice. Dottor Bartolo was fully embodied with Jonathan Viera, a great singer and actor. Don Basilio was also wonderfully played and sung by Carsten Harboe Stabell. It was very sad that role of Berta has so little to sing but Toril Carlson sang Berta's aria wonderfully, what a wonderful warm soprano voice she has. Virginia Tola sang Rosina as mezzo soprano, beautiful sung and acted but she seemed to have a little voice compared to the other singers. Maybe she did not dare sing out too much.

The opera started at 1900 and ended at approx. 2200. And so my parents took the 2250 bus home. If we had come to late for that one, we would have to wait until 0050, 2 more hours.

The second act of il Barbiere was such a lot of fun, that I used many more muscles in my face than usuall. "pace e gioia" . Juan Jose Lopera as the munk Don Alonso, hilarious...