Mozart’s comic opera based on the second of Beaumarchais’s Figaro trilogy is one of opera’s most popular works and is often placed at or near the top of the list of the genre’s best works. The 29 year old composer wrote the opera for Vienna to a libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte. Da Ponte managed to get his libretto past the censors while the play on which it was based was still on the interdict list.
The plot is more complicated than the Riemann Hypothesis. Despite a lifetime of attending performances I still can’t explain every detail without recourse to the libretto. Wagner’s Ring Cycle is easier to summarize and it takes place over generations. Figaro, by contrast, spans a single day. But complexity aside, audiences love it and they are the finally arbiter of worth – at least over the long term. Great as Figaro may be, I simple ignoramus that I am, prefer Rossini’s depiction of Beaumarchais’s first play of the trilogy. It’s coming up next month as the final telecast of the season. Besides, ranking great works of art is a fool’s errand. Above a certain level of achievement there is no order.
Richard Eyre’s production had been around since 2014 when it opened the season and when it first appeared on the HD series. It makes use of dark metal tubular structures which serve as each room of the action. They rotate as needed allowing the action to proceed seamlessly. They resemble giant birdcages and have an ominous presence out of keeping with the madcap story. When the Met resorts to its rotating stage I always sense that the director has run out of ideas.
Eyre set the action in 1930 Spain. Why? There was no reason. He just did it. Droit du seigneur was out of date in 1786 the time frame specified by da Ponte. What it was doing in pre-civil war Spain is mysterious. It serves as a plot device the Count uses as an excuse to bed Susanna.
The slapstick action sometimes exceeds the boundaries of da Ponte’s story. The Count dancing with Marcellina is an example. But most of the broad comedy was effective or at least okay. The audience seemed to like it.
The singers were all age appropriate for their roles. They were all effective in their roles. The female singers seem to have completely eschewed use of the chest registers as seems the current fashion. Their sound was centered on the throat.
Susanna was played by Ukrainian soprano Olga Kulchynska. She has been at the Met since 2019. She has a fine soprano that was used to appealing effect. Her acting, as was true of all the cast, was direct and winsome.
Federica Lombardi started at the Met as Musetta in La Bohème as did Kulchynska. She subsequently moved up to Mimì. ‘Porgi amor’ and ‘Dove sono’ were sung with grace and feeling, though as mentioned above more vocal support would have made her interpretation finer. She is a very attractive woman, but is taller than any of her colleagues – male or female. The height disparity was a minor distraction.
Sun-Ly Pierce was convincing as the hormone addled teenager Cherubino. She played the part with so much displaced passion that she seemed ready to embrace anything animate or still that crossed her path.
Joshua Hopkins was the philandering Count. He was vocally secure and played the unfaithful nobleman as a gruff nasty fellow who didn’t deserve the forgiveness he receives at the opera’s conclusion.
Michael Sumuel was Figaro. He was vocally impressive and used so much energy that he had to resort to a pocket handkerchief to stay halfway dry during the opera’s final scenes. In his Act 4 aria ‘Aprite un po’ quegli occhi’ he used a lantern to emphasize his warning as he denounces mankind.
The supporting roles were all well realized. Particularly noteworthy was Elizabeth Bishop. Her duet of insults with Susanna ‘Via resti servita, madama brillante’ in Act 1 was vituperative and telling. Susanna wins the argument by congratulating Marcellina on her impressive age.
German conductor Joana Mallwitz made her Met debut in this run of Figaro. She led a sprightly reading of Mozart’s zany (at least in this staging) comedy. She was in tune with action and performances.
The Marriage of Figaro is of the three supreme operatic comedies. The other two are Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and Verdi’s Falstaff. There are many ways to stage these three masterworks. Eyre’s Hellzapoppin knock-off works though it underplays the insight into human behavior that Mozart displayed in all his great operas. Worth attending the encore presentation if you’re a fan of Mozart’s operas.
Figaro………..Michael Sumuel
Susanna……….Olga Kulchynska
Count Almaviva……….Joshua Hopkins
Countess Almaviva……….Federica Lombardi
Cherubino……….Sun-Ly Pierce
Dr. Bartolo……….Maurizio Muraro
Marcellina……….Elizabeth Bishop
Don Basilio……….Brenton Ryan
Barbarina……….Mei Gui Zhang
Antonio……….Paul Corona
Don Curzio……….Tony Stevenson
Conductor……….Joana Mallwitz
Production……….Richard Eyre
Designer……….Rob Howell
Lighting Designer……….Paule Constable
Choreographer……….Sara Erde
I agree with all your points made here–except that I liked the stage-set somewhat better, at least through the acts set in the various rooms of the Count’s house. Surely they could have made the ‘outdoors’ setting of the last act a bit more outdoors-like ( = dropped down some tree-like structures, perhaps?).
It was a good ensemble performance; they all sang well and seemed plausible in their acting. The Countess came closest to ‘breaking through’ to real depth of feeling, I thought. I agree that the ‘updated’ setting is better ignored–I guess it’s more fun for the costume and set designers if they play around with the original concept (! ?).
I’m glad I went to see it.
Hello again,
There is no need to publish this comment, but I wanted to let you know how disappointed I was in the Figaro performance, although it was not the fault of the performers. I was unable to see the live Saturday performance, so I attended the Wednesday afternoon encore at my local Cinemark theater. From the Bloomberg commercial onward, I saw that the audio and video were not in sync. I hoped it was just that commercial, but alas the introduction to the opera was still off. I quickly ran out to the lobby to tell an employee who said he would tell someone else. I returned to my seat and watched about ten minutes of the performance, still with the singers moving their mouths after the lyrics were done. I left the theater again, saw the same employee who told me that management said it was a “known problem,” and that I could get my money back. I proceeded to the box office, got my refund, and left. I’m not sure why the theater continued to sell tickets to this performance, which was well-attended, if they had this problem, but I don’t think I’ll go to any more encores. I’d be curious if any other theaters had this problem.
Thank you for your excellent reviews and commentaries.
Mary Freeman