Rating: 
Summary: Brilliantly Sung But Poorly Staged
Review: This disc is a well executed performance of Il Barbiere. The singing is of a very high quality throughout. Jennifer Larmore is simply fabulous as Rosina. Her rich and deep mezzo is surprisingly agile in the coloratura portions of her role, and her stage presence is a plus. Richard Croft's tenor is a little bigger than is heard in most performances, but that is another plus, because Count Almaviva shouldn't sound like a wimp. David Malis is a wonderful Figaro, mainly because he can act as well as sing. The rest of the cast perform well, and the pacing of the score under the baton of Albero Zedda is exactly what one would expect from a noted Rossini scholar. Which leaves the staging. Il Barbiere is a comic opera, and the libretto provides ample room for buffa action on stage by the cast. The delicacy and the comedic sense of this gem of an opera are simply overwhelmed by stage busyness, like people running around with banners, ladders, furniture and all sorts of things that detract sharply from the plot, the real action and the singing. I am glad that I have this DVD, because I like Il Barbiere and this is the best performance currently available on DVD. I have reviewed a fair number of operas here, and maintain that the DVD medium is the next best thing to live performance. The video here is excellent, but why, oh why didn't the sound engineers produce this in Dolby 5.1 rather than in stereo? I recommend this performance to serious opera lovers, but I caution anyone who is "testing the water". There are other operas available on DVD that make better first ventures than this one. I think that the crazyness onstage would spoil the opera experience for newcomers to the art.
Rating: 
Summary: I play it over and over
Review: This interpretation of Il Barbieri is not for the conservative crowd. It is a very imaginative presentation which I show to everyone that tells me he (or she) does not like opera. I showed it even to my grandchildren (7 & 9) and they just loved it. This particular presentation merits a chance by any non-opera fan. Althoough the sound is not the best (although it is alright), the visuals area F A N T A S T I C!
Rating: 
Summary: HOW TO RUIN AN OPERA
Review: This is one of those unfortunate situations where the opera is ruined by weird over-the-top production. The stupid never-ending antics on stage totally distract the watcher from the music and singing, which is for the most part so-so. The only saving grace - and she is gorgeous - is the Rosina of Jennifer Larmore. Her coloratura is fantastic, she is totally irresistible and is the (only) star of the piece. Richard Croft is passable, Alaimo is not at his best, the Figaro is barely adequate and Dr Bartolo is painful to watch. Oh, for a tenor like Raul Gimenez as Almaviva! Buy the DVD to watch Larmore - the rest is best skipped over.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent performance and production
Review: This is the fifth opera I've seen on DVD, all of which I rented. This one, however, is the first to so enthrall me that I immediately purchased a copy of my own. I, like other reviewers, found the simple set but constant activity exciting, greatly entertaining, and a wonderful addition to the opera itself. The Barber of Seville is a comic opera, and Dario Fo emphasizes this with action, costumes, and even subtle slapstick. I agree it's not a traditional opera production, but the magnificent performaces by all make it wonderfully entertaining and worth seeing many times.
Rating:
Summary: Hack work
Review: This production very disappointing -- vastly inferior to to the Nucci-Battle-Dara performance!
Bring in a "famous director" and you ruin the work.
Rating: 
Summary: Unusual "Il Barbabiere".....
Review: To be honest it is the hard to judge this production, just because in some degree it is not opera production. Opera production supposes to bring your attention to singing and staging and concentrate as close as possible. As you can see the opinion regarding this one are polarized so to be fair with it I will submit what I like and dislike with it.
I do like.
1. The performers are young and pretty. Ladies are pretty!!! Some are so pretty that I thought to ask for phone number. Rosita is beautiful and I can believe than this man fall in love.
2. The singing quality is good but it would have been much better if nothing will distract.
3. Here the lot of fantasy and refreshment, lot of action and tries to keep you in a good mood. There ARE some very nice moves that I never saw before and they work as intended.
4. Figaro is cool; he is artful, foxy and convincing.
5. Overall idea is good and if it will be fixed may be very enjoyable.
I dislike.
1. Terrible stage noises. Sometimes they are so terrible that ruin the singing and music. Most of the noises produce by clown staff and most of them are not necessary. Especially distracting is the balls failing in the end of Figaro's song. It had sounds terrible. Really I'm just wondering did the stage director have heard it before or he got his copy just like me from Amazon? By the way, have you tried to manipulate with 3 balls while you sing the Figaro's song? I hardly recommend to stage director to try, might be that will help to realize to him that it is not something that helps to sing and perform better. I don't know, might be some personal revenge took place, but it seem like stage director hopes to see the singers failing into the orchestra? What are the other reasons might be to non-stop moves of performers on the flimsy and noisy constructions?
2. Use the curtain, please! It is pain to see at people of technical staff trying with terrible noises to move huge pieces of stage decorations and sometimes fail to arrange them firmly from the first try. The best stage productions of MET, Alla Scala, Lyric Opera, CG, etc are use the curtain. BTW it makes some logic points.
3. Could somebody of opera team just kill this one who performs Dr Bartolo? If this will be done on stage in the middle of performance you will hear unbelievable applauses. I have tried to understand witch kind of voice does he has. Once he sounds bass, once baritone, and once lyric tenor. Only at the end of the performance I realized that he probably had the good one 20 years before or the main performer got cold and this one is substitute wardrobe's guy who likes the opera very much.
Rating:
Summary: BETTER than excellent: INGENIOUS !
Review: Video of a bunch of people on a stage singing can get boring--
NOT HERE ! DARIO FO EXCITES THE STAGE with live acting; AND
actually brings it closer to THE TRUE VERSION of the comic opera
Rossini intended. The Italian clowns interact with the performance and truely enhance it. The singing of Figaro's
"Largo al factotum" is the best ever recorded ! The singing
of the whole opera has an unusual LIFE to it, AND actually
sounds amazingly like the spirit of Rossini himself was inspiringeveryone ! Alberto Zedda conducts the orchestra in such a manner that it seems to have an amazing insight into the music.
Even the Overture is performed in a way I noticed certain tonalities I never noticed before. The balance between orchestra
and singer is so amazing you wonder if they aren't actually
communicating telepathically. Even the added actors must have memorized every note, and carefully planned each movement.
The recording is loud and clear --excellent !
IT IS MORE FUNNY THAN THE BUGS BUNNY VERSION-- AND
MORE TRUE TO ROSSINI THAN ANY OTHER VERSION.
I almost wonder if Salvador Dali inspired some scenes ?
SURREAL !
Rating:
Summary: Enchanting performance and colorful background scenery.
Review: Watching the performance in this video, it so justifies as the masterpiece of Rossini. The bubling comedy is performed with such excellent singing and enlivened with background activty by a sort of circus group, which give the performance a more colorful and extra-ordinary nuance as a comedy. It is especially amusing to see David Mallis singing as the roguish Figaro in such a clear splendid voice which enlivened the performance,as well as Richard Croft singing as the romantic prankish Almaviva in his sparkling tenor voice made this opera more enchanting, while Jennifer Croft singing in her rare half deep soprano voice made this masterpiece opera into perfection. I have seen other performances of this opera but has never enjoy watching and listening over and over again to the performance and all the arias and singers. On top of that, the shooting of the video and recording is also so perfect that it seems like we were attending a live performance. This video is really one which shall not be overlooked and forgotten.
Rating:
Summary: Sound quality less than expected
Review: While a fine opera, the sound was terrible. Too much scuffling of feet and many times the voices were drowned out by the orchestra.
Rating:
Summary: Marvelously Sung - a Little Busy: A lot of fun!
Review: While Dario Fo has gone overboard - populating every square inch of the set with extras and stage business - this remains, overall, a "fun" Barbiere.
Richard Croft should win an award for execution of all his stage pranks and physical demands while having to sing Almaviva's difficult music. "All'idea di quel metall" is one of the most eye-popping messes I've seen a tenor have to go through; racing up and down a flight of steps that is being wheeled around the stage in constant motion as houses appear and disappear around him, it really is a bit much. Croft never misses a beat and looks to enjoy the athletic aspects of the role Fo has laid out for him. This Almaviva is a perfect blend of arrogant machismo, comic timing, physical agility - like Errol Flynn with high notes.
Beautiful Jennifer Larmore is not given particularly exciting costuming here, but she too exercises all of the business Fo foists on her as well. Una voce poca fa is thrilling singing but the sideshow with her ladies in waiting is a bit much.
I wanted to like David Malis more as Figaro: a terrific actor, lithe and willing to risk life and limb, but the voice isn't quite right for Figaro: his coloratura work is all delivered in an aspirated manner, most noticeable in the Rosina/Figaro "Dunque il son" where Larmore's ability to sing it smoothly makes his aspirated runs sound choppy and out of tune.
After repeated viewings I've found fewer problems with this production and the Act I finale is absolutely mind boggling - impossible to top and produces a riotous ovation from the audience who have all been lathered up into a frenzy. Great fun!!!
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