IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA
MELODRAMMA BUFFO IN TWO ACTS BY GIOACHINO ROSSINI
FIRST ACT
SECOND ACT
PHOTOS © Martin Kaufhold 2011 / Karijn Dillmann (No. 19, 20, 21 and 31)
PRODUCTION
Staatstheater Wiesbaden
intendant: Manfred Beilharz
première: 22 January 2011
and Anthéa Antipolis Théâtre d’Antibes
(Théâtre National de Nice / National Theatre Nice)
On 8 June 2011 the set design of Il Barbiere di Siviglia won the 1st Wizard-Award 2011 in Berlin.
conductor: GMD Marc Piollet / Christoph Stiller
stage director / set design: Michiel Dijkema
costume design: Claudia Damm
dramaturgy: Karin Dietrich
Almaviva: Norman Shankle / Jonas Gudmundsson
Bartolo: Thomas de Vries
Rosina: Merit Ostermann / Sharon Kempton
Figaro: Kiril Manolov / Brett Carter
Basilio: Bernd Hofmann / Hye-Soo Sonn
Berta: Stephanie Gooch / Ute Döring / Sarah Jones
Fiorello: Erik Biegel / John D. Holyoke
Ambrogio: Thomas Braun
Uffiziale: Aldomir Mollov / Dong-Gyun Seo
Notaio: Arnd Maier
orchestra and chorus of the Staatstheater Wiesbaden
PRESS QUOTES
“a treasure trove of fresh metaphors”
Captivated by the barber barrow
A treasure trove of fresh metaphors. [...] The young stage director Michiel Dijkema is a discovery. One, who has studied the opera very precise and has the courage, to find fresh metaphors for his findings. At the same time he succeeds in integrating the specific qualities of the singer-actors. [...] An ecstatic applause by the première audience. Entry in the fictive list of theatre tips.
Benedikt Stegemann
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
24 January 2011
“theatre of pure delight”
Racy Rossini - Lesson in music-comedy timing
You don’t need to be a clairvoyant to see, that this Barber will be the driving force of the year. Rossini’s comedy classic at the State Theatre Wiesbaden has everything, a hit production needs: tempo and colour, humour and class. [...] Rapid changes from inside to outside are achieved through an inventive mechanical solution. Tempo is in any case one of the strong points in this extremely colourful, comic-like production – the second enthusiastically applauded Rossini by this young Dutch stage director, who staged “Il Turco in Italia” at the Opera Leipzig last year, also with much success. [...] his “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” is a first-class affair. Michiel Dijkema himself is a musician, and you believe it immediately. His stage actions breathe with the music, his punch lines dance in step, the humour was direct, but in no way platitudinous. Thus the music lesson at the beginning of the second act became a lesson in music-comedy timing. [...] theatre of pure delight.
Stefan Schickhaus
Frankfurter Rundschau
24 January 2011
“Go see and hear it!”
Pleasantly prickly
It pricks in the art world: Rossini’s “Barbiere” celebrated in Wiesbaden
Roars of laughter accompany the première of “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” last Saturday, and at the end the spectators are exercising themselves in synchronized rhythmical applauding. The Dutch stage director and set designer Michiel Dijkema convinces with an imaginative, vivid direction of characters, in a brightly coloured comedy-art-world. [...] As a matter of fact this production offers optimal preconditions to love Rossini, or to learn to love Rossini. [...] Figaro doesn’t only excel vocally, he also magically creates highly adventurous hairstyles for various participants of the intrigue, very much to the enjoyment of the audience. This is one of the many smaller and bigger delicacies of this so imaginative production. [...] Go see and hear it!
Volker Milch
Wiesbadener Kurier /
Wiesbadener Tagblatt
23/24 January 2011
“Rapturous applause, bravos.”
World off plumb
Michiel Dijkema’s amusing production takes comedic moments seriously
The new Wiesbaden Rossini production doesn’t only enchant with colourful costumes, but also with much esprit. [...] With a wedge-shaped wall, which can be moved right across the width of the stage, stage director Michiel Dijkema creates the space for the occasionally turbulent action. On the left side the interior of the house is created [...] On the right side on the other hand, the outside wall of the house becomes visible, quasi the shielded exterior shell of Bartolo’s residence. [...] The agile direction of the characters accentuates the comedic wit of the story. [...] Rapturous applause, bravos.
Ulrich Boller
Frankfurter Neue Presse
26 January 2011
“sheer enthusiasm [...] a direct hit”
The “Barber” is a “thorny” direct hit
Sheer enthusiasm in the sold out theatre for this extraordinary production, which literally didn’t stay within the usual framework and presented new and appealing images for a piece that is only too well known: This “thorny” direct hit will bring the box office results, which the theatre so urgently needs.
Britta Steiner-Rinneberg
Giessener Allgemeine Zeitung /
RheinMainTaunus-Onlinemagazin
7 February 2011
“Wow! Suddenly the proscenium arch cants over...”
Have some fun!
The State Theatre Wiesbaden presents Rossini’s “Barbiere” with pleasure
Wow! Suddenly the proscenium arch cants over...The frame, which is held by two chains, lies threatening above the front rows of the auditorium of the State Theatre in an almost 90-degree-angle. “Everything gets out of balance”, sings the harebrained company at the end of the first act. [...] Especially the stage, also the work of Michiel Dijkema, show how easy everything can be, when you want to make a good point. [...] The singer-actors clearly are having great fun, and that comes across.
Christian Knatz
Echo Online
25 January 2011
“extremely amusing and up to date”
Sparkling joy of singing
You don’t trust your eyes, when at the end of the first act suddenly the illuminated proscenium arch cants over to the front. But that’s exactly the intended effect: [...] the audience should be able to relate to the confusion of the characters. And so you almost get dizzy, when the stage frame is moving up and down over the orchestra pit, increasingly faster and increasingly further. [...] A cactus and spines at the façade of the house, which can also be found as an element of the brightly coloured costumes of the performers: Skilfully stage director and set designer Michiel Dijkema underlines the subject with the visual details. [...] Extremely amusing and up to date [...] At the end of this felicitous première bravos accompanied the applause, which lasted for many minutes. Surely spectators will take some of the conviviality of this lively, amusing and varied staging of this musical comedy back home, to everyday life. Sheer joy, both for eyes and ears.
Heike Otto
Mainz Netz
26 January 2011
“Dijkema, a name to keep in mind.”
The Barber of Seville
This production is a stroke of luck. Comedy can easily become farce-like, [...] it can also be questioned to much, and both extremes were avoided here. Instead the stage director follows the music.” [...] “This production will be at least part of the repertoire as long as the Wiesbaden La Traviata, and that production is on the playbill – I think – since twenty-five years.” [...] “Michiel Dijkema, a name to keep in mind.
Andreas Bomba
Radio hr2-Frühkritik
25 January 2011
“funny, fresh, burlesque”
Successful new production in Wiesbaden
Funny, fresh, burlesque – that’s how Rossini’s opera is momentarily presented at the State Theatre Wiesbaden. It will soon become a box-office success. With some opera productions the audience already starts leaving the auditorium during the première. And then you have the productions, which magically draw and enthral audiences over and over again. This new staging of Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” definitely belongs to the latter category. [...] The Dutch stage director and set designer Michiel Dijkema stages the opera in Wiesbaden with a clear set, attractive costumes and perfectly dosed surprise effects. [...] Not only to be recommended for opera lovers!
Birgit Schmidt
Suite101
29 January 2011
“a jewel of the playbill”
Young Figaro
Catching, lively acting spirit, high quality singing – also with a new cast Michiel Dijkema’s excellent staging of Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” presented itself as a jewel of the playbill of the State Theatre Wiesbaden. [...] long lasting applause with bravos in the well attended big hall of the State Theatre for an exemplary presentation.
Richard Hörnicke
Wiesbadener Tagblatt
28 April 2011
“technical wizardry”
Wizard-Award 2011
The set design of Il Barbiere di Siviglia has won the 1st Wizard-Award. This was announced on 8 June 2011 in Berlin. The Wizard-Award is a prize for “artistic ideas, which are realized with the help of stage technique in an especially creative and innovative way. Ideas which amaze and enchant the audience and yet create an harmonic unity of staging and technique.” Altogether twenty-seven productions were submitted. Nine productions were selected by the expert jury for the final round, among others the Bayerische Staatsoper München, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, the Deutsches Theater Berlin, the Bregenzer Festspiele, the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and the Ruhrtriennale 2011. The jury: “In an outstanding manner, the production by director and set designer Michiel Dijkema from the Netherlands embodies the theatrical understanding between the audience and the performers, as well as the supporting technical wizardry, and absolutely deserved to be awarded the first prize.”
Information Wizard-Award:
Showtech Berlin / DTHG
“an ingenious set design”
Stets quirliger Witz bei einem stacheligen farbenprächtigen Barbiere
Der Regisseur Michiel Dijkema stellt mit dieser Inszenierung klar, dass es hier der Unterhaltung gilt: eine köstliche Buffa, Komödie pur mit Situationskomik und gekonntem Spiel. Dazu baut sich Dijkema selbst eine geniale Bühne, die mit einfachsten Mitteln einen schnellen Szenenwechsel zwischen drinnen und draußen erlaubt [...] Die ganze Aufführung ist gespickt mit unbeschreiblichen Regieeinfällen, die zwischen klassischer Komödie und Ulk bis an den Klamauk liegen. Das Chaos kulminiert beim Finale des ersten Akts: das Bühnenportal beginnt beim nicht enden wollenden Tutti zu schwanken und senkt sich bedenklich über das Orchester. Das Bühnenportal wird noch einmal für den Schluss instrumentalisiert, indem es weit nach hinten gezogen wird: alles nur Theater! Es folgt der mozartisch installierte Schlussgesang: die „Precauzione inutíle“ wird erklärt, und: Liebe und ewige Treue gewinnen. Die vielen originellen Regieeinfälle dieser Buffa lassen sich bei einem einzigen Besuch gar nicht alle erfassen. [...] Die beliebte Inszenierung bescherte dem Staatstheater ein ausverkauftes Haus. Riesenbeifall für einen beglückenden Abend im leichten Genre. Die Oper wird noch bis in dem März gegeben, bei anhaltendem Erfolg aber sicher noch einmal aufgenommen.
Manfred Langer
Der Opernfreund
28 December 2011
(review of the revival)
“very amusing”
eine sehr vergnügliche, sehens- und hörenswerte Produktion, die aus dem fast ausverkauften Haus mit großem Beifall bedacht wurde.
Manfred Langer
Der Opernfreund
6 December 2014
(review of the revival)
PRESS QUOTES ANTIBES (NICE)
“extremely imaginative”
Il Barbiere di Siviglia has enchanted the spectators of the Anthéa theatre. [...] an extremely imaginative production
La Gazette de la Côte d’Azur / Métropol Azur
“bravo shouting and standing ovations”
Bravo shouting and standing ovations [...] I have often seen the Barber of Seville, but never the three hours went by so fast
Rivièra Côte d’Azur Zeitung
“an explosion of phantasy”
This staging of Il Barbiere di Siviglia is an explosion of phantasy and lets the audience explode out of pleasure.
performArts / Editions de l’Art
“très imaginative”
L’Opéra dépoussiéré
Ainsi, loin du conservatisme, des préjugés et des conformismes, Le Barbier de Séville marie humour potache et clins d’œil à de délirantes audaces scéniques. Dans une mise en scène très imaginative de Michiel Dijkema et des costumes pleins d’humour signés Claudia Damm, cet opéra interprété avec malice donne autant à voir qu’à entendre ! [...] Quel plaisir de se laisser porter par une distribution endiablée et de haute volée ! Tout est savamment en pagaille, teinté d’absurde avec la truculence des échanges et l’imbrication savante de croisements des personnages. Ce Barbier de Séville a explosé de fantaisie comme il a fait exploser le public de plaisir.
Caroline Boudet-Lefort
9 December 2013
performArts / Editions de l’Art
review performance Antibes