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The Review - MUSIC - Classical & Jazz with TONY KIELY
Published: 3 July 2008

Upstairs downstairs carry on

REVIEW: LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
Royal Opera House

EVER welcome, Mozart’s masterpiece The Marriage of Figaro is concluding the round of classical operas at the Royal Opera over the next three weeks.
The revival of David McVicars’ glorious 2006 production brings some much-needed fizz and sparkle to London’s fitful summer, Mozart making up for the sun’s poor performance to date.
By moving the opera from the late 18th century to a grand chateau in the 1820s, McVicars’ production is less Carry On buffoonery, more Upstairs Downstairs characters and tensions.
Oddly enough, the shift in emphasis serves to down-play the pending marriage of Figaro to Susanna and his infamous marriage contract with Marcellina.
Instead, the baiting of the Count becomes takes over as the dominant theme holding the disparate acts together.
And what a wonderful Count is presented by Swedish baritone Peter Mattei in his ROH debut.
There is almost a Boris Karlovian touch to his towering presence from the outset; instilling an element of fear along with the jesting among the Downstairs people and his long-suffering wife.
Tortuous plotting to trap the Count is carried off magnificently, the finale to Act Two rising to the occasion as one of Mozart’s greatest ensemble compositions.
Polish soprano Aleksandra Kursak is out of this world as a delicate Susanna; Italian soprano Barbara Frittoli excels in her great “Dove sono” recitative/aria; and Italian mezzo Anna Bonitatibus makes for a delightful Cherubino.
Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (pictured), the Italian bass-baritone making his Covent Garden debut as Figaro, produces some fine singing to take on the challenge from the Count for the central role.
That it all ended well on the night was fortunate as conductor Charles Mackerras took time to get into his stride, the overture leaving too much to be desired and the orchestral playing still weak into the first act.
But the application of the Mackerras touch became all too apparent in the great ensemble pieces and underpinned the difficult final acts.
Even so, more orchestral rehearsal would not go amiss, Charles.
SEBASTIAN TAYLOR

* Le Nozze di Figaro, Royal Opera House July 5, 8, 10, 12, 16, 19. 020 7304 4000.

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