“Let them eat cake!” A revolutionary Barbiere at DNO

By Nicolas Nguyen, 12 November 2018

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“With his sunlit tenor, superb coloratura and his easy top, René Barbera made a memorable Almaviva”

Reviewed at Dutch National Opera and Ballet, Amsterdam on 10 November 2018

Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia

Dutch National Opera

Maurizio Benini, Conductor

Lotte de Beer, Director

Julian Crouch, Set Designer, Costume Designer

René Barbera, Count Almaviva

Nino Machaidze, Rosina

Davide Luciano, Figaro

Misha Kiria, Dr Bartolo

Marko Mimica, Don Basilio

Tomeu Bibiloni, Fiorello

Julietta Aleksanyan, Berta

Nico Weggemans, Ambrogio

Martin Mkhize, Officer

Chorus of Dutch National Opera

Nederlands Kamerorkest

The Dutch National Ballet’s Hans van Manen in Carré

Mark Vicente, 30th April

Dutch National Ballet give an exemplary account of a quadruple bill comprised of the late Hans van Manen’s works. It’s a wonderful tribute to the great master choreographer.

*****

Weinberg’s The Passenger at Dutch National Opera

Clare Varney, 17th April

Tobias Kratzer's 2024 Munich production makes its way to Amsterdam, proving that Weinberg's opera has the power to transfix.

****1

Dutch National Ballet's reimagined La Bayadère triumphs

Mark Vicente, 26th March

Dutch National Ballet's new production of La Bayadère does away with the ballet’s problematic gestures and movements, allowing the choreography to truly shine.

****1

Michel van der Aa’s Theory of Flames: defining opera for a modern age

Clare Varney, 6th March

British singers Mary Bevan and Roderick Williams lead the cast in Dutch National Opera’s latest ground-breaking opera, merging live music with pre-recorded film and electronics.

****1

Dutch National Ballet brings much needed heat to this winter season

Mark Vicente, 10th February

The Dutch National Ballet helped shake off those winter blues with a mixed programme that highlighted ballet’s love affair with Latin rhythms and movement.

****1

Semele at Dutch National Opera: myth, desire and fantasy

Mengguang Huang, 23rd January

Guth’s Semele turns myth into a contemporary domestic drama, where desire becomes obsession and illusion consumes reality. Handel’s music remains the true engine, driven by a thrilling, physically intense ensemble.

****1

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Nicolas Nguyen

Nicolas is a French Amsterdammer, e-commerce professional and a bit of an opera buff. His experience in the area of music is that of a dilettante. His passion for the opera and vocal music comes from his love for both music and languages which are so perfectly combined in these art forms.

“Let them eat cake!” A revolutionary Barbiere at Dutch National Opera