Night to remember

Il barbiere di Siviglia; Tosca
Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera hasn’t had much luck or judgment in recent years in presenting Verdi, though, for various reasons, some of them interesting, his operas do seem to be at the present time recalcitrant to great productions, or for that matter good recordings. Pre- and post-Verdi Italian opera, or to be accurate Rossini and Puccini, have been faring rather better, and the round-up of Italians with which the season has concluded has landed one triumph and another near-triumph, though both have the disability of annoying sets and not particularly helpful producers.

The first night of the revival of Il barbiere di Siviglia has already passed, and rightly, into operatic history. Joyce DiDonato, who was giving the most glorious account of Rosina, tripped and fell in Act I, but unobtrusively enough for me not to notice (nor did anyone I’ve spoken to), and carried on just as gloriously. Before Act II someone came on to announce that she had sprained her ankle, but would continue, using a crutch. The audience, which had been very excitable from the start, applauding most arias as though they were present at an especially impressive Murray rally on the Centre Court, erupted ecstatically, and we were rewarded with an impeccable display of coloratura and naughtiness.

A couple of days later the papers informed us that she had actually broken her fibula. DiDonato is a major star, and we should see very much more of her, though it’s hard to envisage her singing any role better than this one. Yet the audience seemed even more enraptured with the pyrotechnics of Juan Diego Flórez, who certainly has a nonpareil technique, but a voice which is to me unpleasantly nasal and unarguably very limited in expressive range.