Around the world with Irina: Il Barbiere di Siviglia

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Almaviva - Bogdan Mihai
Don Bartolo - Ştefan Schuller
Rosina - Oana Andra
Figaro - Iordache Basalic
Don Basilio - Pompeiu Hărăşteanu
Fiorello - Vasile Chişiu
Berta - Ruxandra Ispas
Sergentul - Ionuţ Gavrilă
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National Opera Orchestra
Conductor - Ciprian Teodoraşcu
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......It wasn't as lively as I would have liked it to be. I went because Bogdan Mihai was singing. They tried to make it funny. But funny it's not enough. It also has to be sung properly. Many times they were not together. I don't understand why the soloist make such a huge effort to be heard. I am better. No, I am better. And even a nice voice can turn into a screm when trying to do this. The orchestra was loud, as usual. They don't get that fast doesn't necessarely mean loud. Oh, and the rhythm was so fast sometimes that it was hard for the singers to follow. Bogdan Mihai made it through Cessa. Good for you!
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Oana Andra

Pompei Harasteanu and Stefan Schuller

Bogdan Mihai

Bogdan MIhai and Oana Andra

Bogdan Mihai

Bogdan Mihai, Iordache Basalic and Oana Andra

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.....A new day. July 10th. We both had tickets for Il Barbiere, considered the best performance of the year. The cast was spectacular. Juan Diego Florez, Joyce di Donato, Ferruccio Furlanetto and Alessandro Corbelli. This was my first JDF experience. I have a ticket for his concert in London next year in May. But this was even better.
......During the premiere night Joyce broke her fibia. But she first finished the opera and then went to the hospital. It was bad. The doctor told her not to step on that foot. Everyday I checked the ROH website to see if they announce the replacement. Joyce wrote everyday on her blog. She was positive. She’s strong and everybody supported her from the beginning. I was almost sure that she won’t give up. And she hasn’t. She sung from a wheelchair. Perfect voice and perfect acting. She makes you forget that she’s not standing with the rest of the cast.
......I won’t talk about the voice/singing. There’s no point. I only have great words to say. I was impressed. Go see it. Or buy the DVD when it’s out. This production is too good not to be released soon. “Cessa” was the highlight of the evening. Everybody was waiting for that particular aria. I still don’t know where all that air was coming from. One million notes, each at its place. Perfect. They were all perfect. The singers, the orchetra, the choir. And the audience rewarded them. Applauses. Many applauses. Which is not usual at all for ROH. They don’t have the habbit to express their fellings towards the artists. It’s a matter of 2-3 minutes at the end of the opera. Then the curtain drops and that’s all. That evening it was different. They stayed on stage longer. Fully deserved glory.
......Hope I made myself very clear. Go see it! Oh, and one more interesting thing. I don't know how it usually is but this evening Antonio Papano played the clavecin.
......We went backstage again. Florez didn’t want to stop for autographs and pictures. He only said "Hello. Thank you! Good evening!" He had his wife with him (she’s very beautiful. Tall and blonde). But Joyce came immediately after him. There was a line there. There were more people than the previous night. She was so sweet. She might have been in pain, or tired, but she still talked to each of the people there. As Juan Diego is THE Count Almaviva, Joyce is THE Rosina.
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If I think back, there should be a certain feeling there on stage. You as artist know that all the people in the theatre came to see something amazing. That 2258 people (that's the total number of seats at ROH) came to listen to Cessa. And you're aware that that moment is getting closer and closer. A lot of self control is needed here. And in those moments of concentration each artist does certain movements that help him/her. I noticed some of them. Have you?

......This was the second ROH blowing experience in two days. Do you think that was all? No. There’s more.

Covent Garden Market, seen from the terras of ROH

ROH. Picture taken from Amphhiteatre, G57.

Ferruccio Furlanetto
Alessandro Corbelli
Juan Diego Florez

Joyce di Donato

And Maestro Papano

Inside the new wing of ROH
Mr Furlanetto
Figaro :)
And the amazing Joyce. Get well soon!