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Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia)

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32K views 104 replies 18 participants last post by  SixFootScowl  
#1 ·
Am on a roll with Barber of Seville and am looking into more recordings. So far I have the Abbado recording with Teresa Berganza on both CD and DVD, the Chandos CD sung in English (in the mail) and the Beverly Sills CD (in the mail). In searching online I come up with what appear to be five different performances/recordings with Berganza. I think I have about the best one.

This is the one I have (1971):
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This appears to be a good one also (1964):
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These I am not so sure about:
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Not that I want them all but perhaps one more Berganza is worth it if there is one better than the Abbado set I have.

Other than that I am also considering a few others (see next post).
 
#4 · (Edited)
I have the Abbado with Berganza DVD, and just purchased this one used for 99 cents online after watching the hilarious ending on You Tube where they toss the doctor in the air and let him fall to the ground knocking his brains out. Check out the clip.
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Also considering this one,
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#11 · (Edited)
I see a lot of great choices, but I should try to keep it down to one complete set and one more abbreviated set than I have now. I think the obvious choice for the abbreviated set would most likely be Maria Callas, but there are three relatively complete sets I am aware of:

Gruberova, Ganassi (NAXOS), Baltsa/Araiza.

I am still leaning much towards the Gruberova set, and it is presumably more complete than the Baltsa/Araiza set. Between Gruberova and the NAXOS set I would definitely go for Gruberova, though the NAXOS set does get some great reviews.

However, my Gruberova Maria Stuarda is one of my favorites and does include Baltsa and Araiza. Araiza is excellent in the Abbado La Cenerentola DVD. How much less complete is the Baltsa/Araiza Barber set? Are there two different sets one less complete than the other? I see it in both 2 and 3 CD editions.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Well as far as completeness goes, not sure there is so much missing. Allmusic site gives durations:

Gruberova/Florez: 02:41:21 CLIPS

NAXOS Ganassi: 02:37:21 CLIPS

Baltsa/Araiza: 02:27:44

Sills/Gedda: 02:30:50

Callas/Gobbi: 02:10:04

Berganza/Prey: 02:18:35

But compare the clips on Gruberova and Ganassi. Gruberova is a coloratura soprano. Ganassi a mezzo. Both are wonderful.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I went ahead and got the NAXOs set because I found one in vg condition for $5.48 shipped. The Gruberova set would be $16.98 shipped. Tried one that was make an offer and in the 48 hr offer period on Ebay, the seller never responded, which I feel is rather rude. If they didn't like my offer, they could have at least countered.

Was at Dearborn Music today and the only Barber of Seville they had was Callas highlights set, which I may have the best parts of (Callas) already in all my Callas arias sets. Will have to pull them together and listen to them as my own highlights set at no extra charge.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Got home to find the sung in English set in my mail box. While it has it's good aspects (especially vocal clarity so you can actually follow the story), they ruined it by translating "inutil precauzione" (useless precaution) as "the girl who loved a stranger." Where do they get off butchering an opera like that? Totally destroys the word play of using the alternate(originally intended) name for the opera.

What do you all think of Barber of Seville sung in German? At least I won't recognize any butchered phrases. Here are some clips.
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#18 ·
However, in spite of my complaint in the previous post, this is a great recording that I am very much warming up to. The vocal clarity is excellent and so is greatly helping me to get more out of this opera. Not sure it is in the DVD subtitles (they don't usually put the entire libretto into the subtitles) but through this recording I learned that the older music the Doctor prefers is apparently castratos as he notes that back in those days the sopranos were men. Funny. So I do highly recommend this for expanding ones understanding of the opera but you will definitely want the Italian one for vocal beauty.

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#26 ·
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My favorite video.

Gui is the best, but cut to shreds.
I think Marriner/Baltsa is the best COMPLETE recording.
 
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#27 ·
Itullian said:
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My favorite video.
Click to expand...
You sold me! I just placed an order and it was only $6.62 shipped for a good used copy.

I still like the Gruberova/Florez recording but should take another look at Marriner/Baltsa. Speaking of complete recordings, I just got my NAXOs set the other day and listened to it several times. It is very good and I noticed something towards the end where the Count sings an aria to the same tune used for Angelina's last aria in La Cenerentola. I don't recall this in my other Barber of Seville sets. Maybe it is something only in the more complete recordings.
 
#33 ·
Well now I have both the Ganassi and the Larmore (in the mail). Also ordered Gruberova. Those in addition to Sills, Berganza, and the one sung in English.

While I was disappointed at the English Barber changing "useless precaution" to "girl who loved a stranger," there is one change they made that is good. When the Count, disguised as a soldier, is butchering the Doctor's name, one that he slings at him in the English version is "Dr. Bastardo". I like it. Did not see that in the English translation libretto of the sung-in-Italian one.
 
T
#34 ·
Florestan said:
Well now I have both the Ganassi and the Larmore (in the mail). Also ordered Gruberova. Those in addition to Sills, Berganza, and the one sung in English.

While I was disappointed at the English Barber changing "useless precaution" to "girl who loved a stranger," there is one change they made that is good. When the Count, disguised as a soldier, is butchering the Doctor's name, one that he slings at him in the English version is "Dr. Bastardo". I like it. Did not see that in the English translation libretto of the sung-in-Italian one.
Click to expand...
Possibly because in the Italian there is a joke that is difficult to translate and make fit with the music Dr Bartolo = Dr Barbaro (Barbarian). The word barbarian doesn't scan with the music so putting in the Dr Bastardo joke is a good translation of that joke.

N.
 
#36 ·
#48 · (Edited)
Just finished my 5th DVD of Barber of Seville. It is the one with Cecilia Bartoli. I am not a Bartoli fan and have even gotten rid of CDs of hers, but this is one time she was quite well suited to the role. Her bold presentation suits Rosina quite well. Conversely, in looking at La Cenerentola DVDs I could not quite accept Bartoli for the more timid and meek Angelina.
 
#56 ·
Florestan said:
Just finished my 5th DVD of Barber of Seville. It is the one with Cecilia Bartoli. I am not a Bartoli fan and have even gotten rid of CDs of hers, but this is one time she was quite well suited to the role. Her bold presentation suits Rosina quite well. Conversely, in looking at La Cenerentola DVDs I could not quite accept Bartoli for the more timid and meek Angelina.
Click to expand...


I think this is quite deliberate. She is not playing her as timid and meek but something rather more formidable
 
#49 · (Edited)
Well my Barber of Seville CD collection is up to 11 sets with Bartoli just ordered tonight.
Alas, no contralto Rosinas.:(

Teresa Berganza--mezzo-soprano
Fiorenza Cossotto--mezzo-soprano
Della Jones--mezzo-soprano
Sonia Ganassi--mezzo-soprano
Jennifer Larmore--mezzo-soprano
Cecilia Bartoli--coloratura mezzo-soprano
Roberta Peters--coloratura soprano
Edita Gruberova--coloratura soprano
Kathleen Battle--light lyric soprano
Beverly Sills--soprano
Maria Callas--soprano
 
#50 · (Edited)
Just added Bartoli and Baltsa sets--both in the mail.

I really like Fiorenza Cossotto. A shame it is not the best sound quality.

Hey, what does anyone think of this 1929 recording transferred from 78s (CLIPS)?
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But there is a different cover and it says it is remastered. Does it sound any better to you (CLIPS):
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I know of yet one more cover for this one.
 
#54 ·
^ Well, I decided not to get this one after seeing an Amazon review that said, among other things, that at one point "The count and Rosina get in bed, but are stopped by Don Basilio approaching." Nah! That is not the Barber of Seville. They ruined it.
 
#58 ·
Just an observation that of my 12 Barber of Seville on DVD, 5 of them have ladies playing Rosina whose names start with B. That is rather unusual.

Bartoli
Battle
Bayo
Berganza
Bonitatibus
DiDonato
Ewing
Kasarova
Koth
Larmore
Shaham
Sills
 
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