Even if you’ve already seen and enjoyed the Met’s current production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia, there’s a compelling reason to catch it again — namely, Joyce DiDonato, who’s taken over the role of Rosina. No disrespect to Diana Damrau, the dishy German soprano who launched this production last fall, whose portrayal I thoroughly admired. But I enjoyed the performance on Wednesday night (March 14) even more.

To begin with, it appears that I agree with Rossini’s choice to cast Rosina as a mezzo: the richer, darker timbres mix well in ensembles with the light, fluid tenor of Almaviva, the dusky baritone of Figaro and the basso bluster of Dr. Bartolo. DiDonato hit her high notes comfortably, but she’s also got a low end to die for, and her technical control throughout her range is remarkable.

Factor in DiDonato’s alert, spunky performance — every bit as lithe as Damrau’s but more comfortable and humane in characterization — and the revival wins hands down over the premiere. Previously, I’d seen DiDonato in pious (Heggie’s Dead Man Walking at City Opera and Trinity Church), playful (Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at the Met) and pathetic (Handel’s Hercules at BAM) modes. Her comedic instincts caught me by surprise: tonight’s boisterous tone suited her well. No two ways about it: DiDonato is a sublime performer and a major star.

As for the rest: Bartlett Sher’s spare staging leaves a lot to the imagination; since the element of surprise was absent on a return visit, the singers had far more weight to carry. Thankfully, everyone was up to the task. Juan Diego Flórez, as Almaviva, was physically friskier this time around; vocally, he was a marvel, with only an instance or two of pinching in climactic passages. Peter Mattei’s Figaro is truly a star-making role, and he was even funnier and more compelling this time; surprisingly or not, he claimed the evening’s lustiest ovation. John Del Carlo’s Dr. Bartolo gained nuance and thereby earned greater sympathy. As Don Basilio, John Relyea’s performance was technically superior to that of Samuel Ramey in the premiere; even so, there was something to Ramey’s comportment that made Basilio a bigger character last November than he was tonight.

Playlist:

Rob Schwimmer – Beyond the Sky (NuNoise)

Album – Debajo de la Avalancha, Vol. 1 (DelHotel download)

Bonnie "Prince" Billy – The Letting Go (Drag City)

The Bad Plus – Prog (Do the Math/Heads Up, due May 8)

Giacomo Puccini – Tosca – Zinka Milanov, Franco Corelli, Gian Giacomo Guelfi, Covent Garden Opera Chorus and Orchestra/Alexander Gibson (Royal Opera House)

Dept. of Good and Evil feat. Rachel Z – Dept. of Good and Evil feat. Rachel Z (Savoy Jazz)

Marnie Stern – In Advance of the Broken Arm (Kill Rock Stars)

Menomena – Friend and Foe (Barsuk)

Marillion – Marbles Live (Impact)

Thomas Tallis – "Why Fum’th in Fight?"; Ralph Vaughan Williams – Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis; Symphony No. 5; Serenade to Music – Atlanta Symphony Chamber Chorus and Orchestra/Robert Spano (Telarc, due April 24)

SlowSix – Private Times in Public Places (IfThenElse)