Grant Dickson "Start the slander" BARBER OF SEVILLE (Rossini) 1980

From 1962 to 1971, the New Zealand-born bass Grant Dickson, appeared in many leading roles with the New Zealand Opera Company. He joined Opera Australia in 1972 where he appeared in DER ROSENKAVALIER, FIDELIO, MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, DON GIOVANNI, ARIADNE ON NAXOS, THE ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO, AIDA, FRA DIAVOLO, LA BOHEME, LA TRAVIATA, THE MASTERSINGERS OF NUREMBERG, THE BARBER OF SEVILLE and THE MAGIC FLUTE. From a performance at the Sydney Opera House, we hear him as Don Basilio with the Don Bartolo of Alan Light in the Act I scene which includes "La callunia" (here performed in English as "Start the slander". Stuart Challender conducts this performance from October 14th 1980. (The photo above shows Grant Dickson as Don Basilio in a lunch break in rehearsals!)