Herbert Fritsch’s production of “Il barbiere di Siviglia” premieres on Tuesday. He told the “press” that it wasn’t about fooling around, but about extremes of expression. And that he can’t read notes.
Die Presse: What is a Rossini Buffa for you? A joke? A comedy? A burla like in “Falstaff”? Or as they say in Vienna: a hunt?
Herbert Fritsch: I like the Hetz very much because it has to do with speed, and that really works with Gioachino Rossini. I don’t even think about comedy when I’m working on a format. For me it’s about the feelings, the emotionality that comes up. I get involved with that – without thinking about what will come of it in the end. For example, the mechanics of Rossini music must go through the whole body like in pop or rock’n’roll dancing. The eye always listens, tone and voice have to match the optics, resulting in lines and characters that the singers have to create. That’s why I don’t have any props. It’s all pretty abstract, the singers have to rely on themselves.
You actually come from acting. Do you now prefer opera as a format?
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