| The delight is all in the music |
Welsh National Opera |
| Welsh National Opera- The Marriage of Figaro , Donald Gordon Theatre, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff , February 9, 2009 |
The programme announces “Le nozze di Figaro - Opera buffa in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart“. The subtleties and genius of Mozart’s music, where every phrase so perfectly underscores the action was delicately and extremely skilfully interpreted by Michael Hofstetter. As a concerto for orchestra and human voice the musicality of the evening was very satisfactory. Listening to the romantic overture with my eyes closed I later wondered if this might not have been the best way to enjoy the whole of the piece. The purity of Rebecca Evans opening act 2 aria was a sheer joy. Here she is sad and yearns for the true love of her philandering husband the Count Almaviva. The production does its moments of wistful beauty very well indeed but very scant attention is given to that key word in the opening sentence above “buffa”. This is a comedy and we all needed to have lots more fun.This delight is all in the music. If Spanish director, Lluis Pasqual, who is highly regarded at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona with whom this is a co-production did hear this delight he has certainly not been able to pass it on to his performers. We do get some brave attempts but because we are never totally convinced by the farcical situation the characters all find them selves in all verisimilitude is lost and we give up having any concern about the final happy outcome of these complex events. The Opera opens with Figaro, nicely sung by David Soar but with only the dullest of twinkling in his eye and too much stiffness in his body, measuring a room for a new bed which he will share with his bride to be, Susanna. Rosemary Joshua endows the role with a sparkling soprano that blends so perfectly with the strong clear singing of Rebecca Evans. Susanna is worried that the room is too near that of the count who has decided to revive his feudal droit de sieigneur, the right of a lord to take the virginity of any bride from within his bailiwick. There’s no evidence that such a situation ever existed but it was an invention of Pierre Augustin Beaumarchais from whose play Lorenzo da Ponte’s libretto was taken. Figaro resolves to get even with the Count. Enter Marcellina, the Count’s house keeper, older and broader in the beam than the attractive Susanna, to claim her rights. Figaro had promised to marry her in return for money that she has lent him. She’s accompanied by Dr Bartolo. Again Sarah Pring and Henry Waddington sing warmly but are only able offer some slightly self conscious comedy. Then we meet Cherubino , a page of the household, sung deliciously by Fiona Murphy and she is able to give us a touch of the fun in the story. He has a shine for young Barbarina, given a sweet and cheery performance by Sophie Bevan, but the Count takes exception to this and tries to send the young man off to the army. Letters are exchanged, the leading ladies swap dresses, Figaro pretends it is he who has jumped off the balcony, not Cherubino and does a funny limp! Marcellina and Dr. Bartolo turn out to be Figaro’s long lost parents. There is almost a pantomime ending with two weddings then a final show down in the enchanted pine forest. Paco Azorin does give us an interesting and captivating set. The Count begs for and is given forgiveness by his wife and there is some exciting and robust singing from all the principals bringing it all to a lively close. There is a whole lot of farce there but the failure of the production to properly acknowledge this made it a very long sit. Without the full acknowledgement and playing of the “buffa” the art is incomplete. |
Reviewed by: Michael Kelligan |
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