Opera Scotland

Barbiere di Siviglia 1980Scottish Opera

Read more about the opera Barber of Seville

This new production of the Barber was directed by John Lawson Graham with Alex Reid unusually responsible for sets as well as costumes. The whole effect was handsome and much more elaborate than the previous one. It owed something to the standards set in this repertoire by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. Ian Robertson, from Dundee, the company's chorus master, was conducting his first production for Scottish Opera, and spent five successful years in Glasgow, before taking up a position as chorus master with the San Francisco Opera.

These first four performances were in two of the medium scale venues that the company used regularly in those days, and the production had a further dozen performances in the new year in some larger theatres. Donald Maxwell sang the title role for the first time, and Bill McCue, who had sung Basilio many times in the previous staging, now switched to Bartolo, with Keith Brookes joining the company as Basilio. Graeme Macfarlane was a sweet-voiced young Australian studying in Manchester. He went on to a lengthy career on returning home. Later on, David Hillman would join up as Almaviva. He was, like Pat Hay, a veteran of many performances in the previous staging.

Additional tour dates to be added.