A PEEK INSIDE THE ORIGINAL BARBERSHOP - IN SEVILLE.

Byline: Rick Mortensen Staff Writer

He sounds like James Earl Jones with a German accent.

It's easy to imagine Michael Hampe imparting his theories of music and drama to a class of eager college students. Hampe has directed intensive opera workshops at UCLA and USC, but what brings him to L.A. this month is his production of Gioacchino Rossini's ``The Barber of Seville.''

The German director, designer and teacher recently left posts at Dresden Music Festival, Cologne Opera and Ballet, and State Music Academy in Cologne to concentrate full time on directing opera, and he's been busy. His project with Los Angeles Opera came right on the heels of a production of ``Fidelio'' with San Diego Opera.

Still, Hampe makes time to direct opera workshops at universities in Japan, the United States and Europe. He studied cello at Syracuse University and acting at Falckenberg Drama School in Munich and completed a doctoral thesis on stage technique in Vienna. While few academics can make their theories translate to success in the professional world, Hampe's pedagogical background has proved to be an advantage.

Tenor John Osborn, who will make his L.A. Opera debut in the production as Count Almaviva, has worked with Hampe on three previous operas, and said it's always a stimulating and educational experience. Only 30, Osborn has played Almaviva in eight productions, but he said Hampe makes the role feel new.

``There's always that sense of familiarity, which is a big advantage each time you do it, although working with Hampe makes you feel like you've never done the role before, that it's all new and exciting,'' Osborn said. ``He's really a brilliant director. He's got more knowledge and insight into these operas than anyone I've ever met and has a really great way of communicating it to the artist.''

Russian baritone Victor Chernov agreed. One of the world's foremost Verdi baritones, Chernov has also made a name for himself in ``The Barber of Seville'' as Figaro, which he called his favorite role. This is his first time working with Hampe, and he praised the director's understanding of the ``body language'' required to convincingly pull off the opera. Hampe said Chernov's experience in the role is an asset to the rehearsal process.

``Naturally, we both have done 'Barber' very often, and we just catch fire, one on the other,'' Hampe said. ``It's a great, great pleasure. He takes things from me, I take things from him, so we both enrich our experience.''

``The Barber of Seville'' is based on the first play of a trilogy by 18th-century playwright Pierre-Augustin Charon de Beaumarchais. The plays, which center around the wily servant Figaro and his sometime master Count Almaviva, were frequently set as operas. The second play in the trilogy is the text for Mozart's ``Marriage of Figaro.''

In ``Barber of Seville,'' Figaro is a barber who helps Almaviva court and marry the fair Rosina by outwitting her overbearing tutor and guardian, Dr. Bartolo. Hampe said the twists, turns and near misses in the plot validate his belief that ``comedies are just prevented tragedies.''

``All great comedies have these wonderful ends where the audience and players alike sort of feel, 'Phew! We were lucky! We just made it by the skin of our teeth,' '' Hampe said. ``In 'Barber,' they are all quite cynical, quite ruthless characters, and they follow ruthlessly their own interest. ... Each character takes himself very seriously and the comedy comes out of the clash of intentions.''

In ``Marriage of Figaro,'' Figaro is Almaviva's full-time steward, and the plot centers around the Count's thwarted efforts to exercise an ancient right and sleep with Figaro's fiancee, Susanna, who is his wife Rosina's servant. Osborn said Hampe's version of ``Barber of Seville'' hints at the Count's future nastiness.

``He's a much lighter-hearted character in ('Barber of Seville'), but still, with the way Hampe has brought out the Count in this production, I can be really stern and almost unlikable as well,'' he said. ``The audience will notice. They will see the foreshadowing of the Count that comes out in 'Marriage of Figaro.' ''

While Mozart's opera dealt with an uglier side of Count Almaviva, it has a less cynical tone than Rossini's ``Barber of Seville,'' which was written 30 years later. Hampe attributed this in part to the French Revolution, which occurred between the two operas.

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE

Where: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 14, 16, 20 and 23; 3 p.m. Sunday; 1 p.m. Feb. 22.

Tickets: $30 to $170. Call [phone] or go to www.losangelesopera.com.

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Vladimir Chernov plays Figaro in the L.A. Opera's production of ``The Barber of Seville,'' directed by Michael Hampe.