[Met Performance] CID:205600
Il Barbiere di Siviglia {307} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/2/1966.
(Review)
Metropolitan Opera House
March 2, 1966
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA {307}
Figaro..................Nicolae Herlea
Rosina..................Reri Grist
Count Almaviva..........George Shirley
Dr. Bartolo.............Fernando Corena
Don Basilio.............Giorgio Tozzi
Berta...................Gladys Kriese
Fiorello................Gene Boucher
Sergeant................Andrea Velis
Ambrogio................Peter Sliker
Conductor...............Silvio Varviso
Review of Irving Kolodin in the March 12, 1966 issue of the Saturday Review
Grist
Short of a new production with a thoroughgoing musical preparation, Rossini's "Barbiere" at the Metropolitan is fated to be what it was at its latest occurrence: a mixture of styles and objectives, with individual efforts predominating. The new performer of the evening was Reri Grist, whose Rosina was bright and stage worthy, marked, vocally, by a sure technic (especially at the top of her range) rather than a first-quality sound. In the middle and lower range it is reedy and without much substance. George Shirley performed an amusing Almaviva aided by Nicolae Herlea's bouncy Figaro, and Silvio Varviso kept vocal excesses to a minimum, even from such exuberant performers as Fernando Corena (Bartolo) and Giorgio Tozzi (Basilio). It could have been better, but also much worse.