Opera buffa prima donna soubrette (soprano or mezzo); a light, amorous tenor; a basso cantante or baritone capable of lyrical, mostly ironical expression; and a basso buffo whose vocal skills, largely confined to clear articulation and the ability to "patter", must also extend to the baritone for the purposes of comic duets. The type of comedy could vary, and the range was great: from Rossini's "The Barber of Seville" in 1816 which was purely comedic, to Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" in 1786 which added drama and pathos. Another example of Romantic "opera buffa" would be Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore" of 1832. While
Kimberly Barber Kimberly Barber Kimberly Barber (born December 21, 1959) is a Canadian mezzo-soprano and vocal pedagogue. She studied with Patricia Kern at the University of Toronto, graduating in 1983. She received a diploma in operatic performance from the university in 1985. She began her career as a member of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble, also in 1985. While maintaining a professional opera career, she has been teaching at Wilfrid Laurier University since July 2002 and is currently Coordinator of the Opera Program there. From 1989 to 1994, Barber sang with Oper Frankfurt in Germany. Barber made her New York City Opera