OperaMetro (OM) had the privilege of interviewing Steven Condy (SC), who stars as Dr. Bartolo in Rossini’s ever popular Il Barbiere di Siviglia. It was a pleasure strolling on the Princeton University campus, chatting with him about his upcoming performances later this month.

OM: Thank you, Steven, for your time!

SC: My pleasure!

OM: OK, Rossini…Il barbieri di Siviglia…have you performed the role of Bartolo before? If not, what are the challenges in learning the role and performing it? If so, what would you say was the most difficult challenge in mastering the role? What is his personality?

SC: This is my 32nd production and opens with my 115th career performance of the role. The challenges are balancing the vocal requirements with the comic physicality. It’s important to remember that Rossini was a “bel canto” composer so the beauty of the voice needs to be paramount even though it’s a farcical comedy.

OM: Are there other Rossini comedies (or Donizetti comedies) that you have performed in?

SC: I’ve performed a lot of Rossini in my career including Don Magnifico in La cenerentola, Taddeo in L’italiana in Algeri, and Don Profondo in Il viaggio a Reims. Donizetti roles include Don Pasquale, Dulcamara (L’elisir d’amore), and Sulpice (La fille du regiment).

OM: Generalizing: is this genre (bel canto comedies) a favorite performing choice for you (and why) or are there other genres: Mozart operas? Verdi (which ones)? French operas? Verismo operas? 20th century operas? Operetta?) that are more to your liking? Why, for each?

SC: Most of my work has been in all the comic repertoire. Mostly Italian, some English and a little French. After Bartolo, the next role I’ve performed the most is Verdi’s Falstaff. Falstaff is the role I enjoy the most and I’m honored to have performed it as much as I have. Why comic roles? I’ve always had a good sense of humor and they are the roles I’ve been offered the most. The old adage goes, “Dying is easy; comedy is hard.”

Steven Condy as Dr. Bartolo in ***Il Barbiere di Siviglia***

OM: Aside here: Falstaff is one of my all time favorite operas! Steven, I’ve always wanted to ask these things: briefly, how long, from start to performance, does it take to learn a role like Bartolo?

SC: I’ve been doing this role for over 30 years and I’m still finding new things to try. It’s hard to say how long it takes. Learning and memorizing a role like Bartolo depends on the person; some can do it in a year, others in few days. Thirty years ago, the tempo of my patter singing (singing lots of words very fast) was much slower than it is now. The real process of learning the role – really getting to know the character – begins AFTER your first performance. The challenge is to not do it the same way twice.

OM: When we’re young we all have big career dreams, but as we mature the list of “this works, wow! I can do this!” narrows as the list of “nope, not working, not going there” lengthens and fades. At what age, through what experiences, did you have the dream of singing on stage in a difficult and exacting musical repertoire? But the work that goes into the profession…has snags, right! Looking back, what advice would you give a young dreamer about on-stage performances and the profession, in general? Agents? Coaches? Voice teachers?

SC: I tell my students: if you can be happy doing something else, go do it. Starting and maintaining a performance career is very difficult. You need to really love what you’re doing because opera is a lousy lover. The learning process should never end; there is always something you should be working on to do better. If you ever think to yourself, “I have arrived,” that’s the day you should quit.

OM: When you’re not singing opera, briefly, what are your other musical preferences: performances on stage? Favorite artists? Favorite shows? Favorite plays?

SC: When not singing opera, I work as the Music Recruitment and Events Coordinator at Cairn University in Langhorne, PA, where I also teach and run the Opera Theater program with my wife. And when I’m not working there, the American Songbook is playing in my car. Jazz standards, big band, Frank Sinatra, Mel Tormé, Rosemary Clooney, Jo Stafford – this is my guilty pleasure.

OM: I have the same guilty pleasure. My soundtrack growing up. When you’re not singing at all, what do you do to relax, take a break from it all?

SC: I enjoy spending time with my wife, building things and working on small house projects, which usually involves trying to be MacGyver.

OM: I know what you mean. Thank you, Steven, in advance, for your wisdom, words and observations.

The Princeton Festival’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, performed by a stellar cast, is on Friday, June 16 at 7 pm, Sunday, June 18 at 4 pm, and Tuesday, June 20 at 7 pm. The performances are in the Performance Pavilion. Complete information, including tickets, can be found at Princetonsymphony.org/festival.

Support your local opera!!! All the best, OM