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Le Nozze di Figaro
|
Composer |
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |
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Librettist |
Lorenzo da Ponte after Beaumarchais |
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Venue and Dates |
Vienna Staatsoper January 5, 7, 9, 12 (also on 20, 24 and 28 with different cast) |
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Conductor |
Philippe Jordan |
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Director and production |
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle |
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Performers |
Cherubino: Elina Garanca (5, 7); Michaela Selinger (9, 12)
Figaro: Wolfgang Bankl (5 Jan, replacing an indisposed Erwin Schrott); Erwin Schrott (7, 9, 12)
Susanna: Laura Tatulescu
Cembalo: Speranza Scappucci |
Il Conte di Almaviva: Simon Keenlyside
Production shots
What the critics say
Der Neue Merker (Renate Wagner)
Translated by Ursula Turecek
http://www.der-neue-merker.at/kritiken.php#7
Vienna State Opera: LE NOZZE DI FIGARO (5. 1. 2007)
Yes, the Mozart-year is over, and no, thank you, it did not spoil our pleasure in “our” Mozart at all. The proof: No sooner does the the State Opera proclaim its annual “Wiener Mozart-Tage” (in January because as all of us know Wolfgang Amadeus was born on a 27th January) than we are there. The State Opera had to announce no less than three re-castings in an email, it’s true, but in the end it seemed as if this evening’s impression had been achieved not despite of but maybe even because of the re-castings?
In principle: After the dry and cerebral “staircase-Figaro” at the last Salzburg Festival we are really happy to meet “our” gorgeous staging by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle again, where real people undergo real destinies that they are allowed to draw from the music and not from the obstinate concept of a stage direction (e.g. to offer Strindberg instead of Mozart like Claus Guth in Salzburg). Also a compliment to a place where you seldom send it, to the Stage Manager who had to bolster the re-castings: So thanks to Diana Kienast although we are not acquainted.
Where to begin? Maybe with the new, suddenly cast Susanna who – a Romanian born in the USA – got a two page-article in the State Opera’s magazine for her debut. Laura Tatulescu is an amazing 25 years young and was a Susanna who could approximate my two favourite interpreters (Reri Grist and Ileana Cotrubas, a long, long time ago) – she has the figure for the role, the sound of a bell with the tone of the soul and the instinct to play this character’s incredible complexity – being in love with Figaro, allured by Cherubino, a female’s instinct to resist the Count including the fierceness against the eventual defencelessness of women of her rank, the female loyalty against the Countess... It seems as if this young singer had the experience of a hundred Susanna-evenings, so secure does she stand in her role and on stage.
Krassimira Stoyanova stood in for Dorothea Röschmann and was an excellent Countess in many regards – quite apart from the fact that she was allowed to look much better in the beautiful costumes than in the unattractive white nightgown she had to wear at the first night of “Othello”. She is a young Countess, vocally too, but does not have any problems with the role’s perils at all, singing both arias in a nearly perfect way (except for the trills in “Dove sono”). Very funny when she suddenly wants to get rid of Susanna in the second act because she likes Cherubino so much...
No wonder because in this role it was Elina Garanca who once again stood on stage and she is perfect “in trousers”, a singer-actor who considers every nuance and creates characters of a piece. After her sensational Sesto and her wonderfully serious, internalized Octavian it is delightful to experience her in this breeches part now so jolly – and so pretty with her dirty-blond curls. She is no fidgeting Cherubino but in a ravishing mixture of being partly after every skirt, partly bashful and unconfident. A pleasure to watch her. By the way, her voice has such a bright timbre that we want to prophesy her a soprano’s career in the foreseeable future.
Of course Daniela Denschlag who last attracted by all means positive attention as Waldnerin in “Arabella” is far too young for Marcellina, the white wig not being of any help. Ileana Tonca, the emphatic Barbarina recommends herself for larger roles. To remain with the underparts: Ain Anger (Bartolo), Michael Roider (a comic Basilio), Eijiro Kai (Antonio) and Cosmin Ifrim (Don Curzio) delivered solid ensemble performances.
Wolfgang Bankl stood in as Figaro – in Viennese you would call him a massive “Lackl” (fella) which resulted in a sharp contrast to the wiry and slender Count. It is above all remarkable how competently Bankl deals with his great voice that possesses a solid depth. Finally, Simon Keenlyside’s Count was the evening’s centre and climax and not only because of his baritone being particularly capable of modulations. Without having to hammer it home with the aid of weird director’s-ideas, a well played “Figaro” like this one reveals that this whole piece is struggle – a struggle of all the weak (the servants, the subalterns, the women) against one who is strong undeservedly by the coincidence of birth, who possesses all the privileges, that is to say the Count Almaviva. And Keenlyside is a fascinating actor: He plays this man’s arrogance, his impatience, his unfriendliness and he becomes likeable only occasionally, because Mozart has provided his male characters with the magnificent foible to be at the mercy of women. Finally all of them can wind the Count round their fingers – from Barbarina via Susanna to his own spouse in the end. Keenlyside does not sing “Contessa perdono” on his knees but like a man who has become reasonable – and above this Mozart’s cosmos of humanitas vaults in an eternal glory of sound. Beautiful.
Particularly beautiful because Philippe Jordan at the rostrum and together with the Philharmonics, made the music of the bright, serene, celestial Mozart, without the artificial, violent “corners and edges” for which some conductors are famous. You don’t have to make Mozart “interesting” in such a way, he is on his own. You have to interpret him with love and when this happens, like on this evening, then there’s always “Mozart-year”.
Der Neue Merker (Martin Robert Botz)
Translated by Ursula Turecek
http://www.der-neue-merker.at/kritiken.php#2
Vienna State Opera: LE NOZZE DI FIGARO 7.1.07
New cast-combinations tempt interested people to visit the opera even when they have experienced a work very often already. This time curiosity started right with the conductor Philippe Jordan. He absolutely has a personal approach to interpreting Mozart: charged with energy, filled with tension, with tempo but also letting the animated passages die away beautifully. His interpretation is not historicizing, but it does much justice to the composer. The orchestra is always attentive and focused under his baton and achieves an excellent performance.
The troop of singers in the order of the cast list: Simon Keenlyside is an Almaviva of the first water at the moment. He is absolutely a member of feudal time’s master race, only the new zeitgeist of freedom gets in his way. His singing is always powerful and elegant. He has a splendid command of the Mozart-style. Very sadly Dorothea Röschmann had cancelled the whole series. Anyhow, as a comfort there was the best replacement as Countess in Krassimira Stoyanova, whose voice really sounds soulful and blossoms. In the harmonious way of “Dove sono” she was even more convincing than in “Porgi amor”.
Jane Archibald whom I have not come across yet had cancelled all the performances too. So Laura Tatulescu got her chance as Susanna. She acts well and blends in the ensemble optimally. She has a nice, balanced tone in her voice, only in the beginning was she almost too opulent in sound. Altogether a very positive performance. Her Figaro Erwin Schrott presents a virile, self-confident lad, appropriate for the role with a slightly “plebby” touch and anticipating the revolutions to come. His voice suits the role perfectly.
A dream of a Cherubino is Elina Garanca. In legato, phrasing and beauty of tone she is rather accomplished. Proofs for this are both arias. She acts the confusions of this boy’s feelings brilliantly: the fidgetiness, the self-consciousness and the intrusiveness.
We have to mention it again and again from time to time: In the last years the so-called underparts are very well cast almost every time (memory tells that this was by all means not always the case): Daniela Denschlag as Marcellina in her prime; Michael Roider as impertinent intriguer (but as almost always both of them without their arias); Cosmin Ifrim as Curzio with a noticably beautiful voice; Ain Anger is a Bartolo who is honestly glad about his recovered son – I thought this a nice idea as most Bartolos want to steal away; Eijiro Kai was the gardener full of power and alcohol; Ileana Tonca a dear Barberina with a nice voice.
At the end of the performance there was great unanimous applause and strong bravos, most of them for Garanca and Keenlyside; then for Stoyanova and Schrott.
One more thing: There are opera goers who very well notice Jordan’s personal style and among them are very few who don’t like it. This time it was just one who tried to boo. People hardly ever shout their discontent at a repertory-conductor. On the other hand there is often (not always) disapproval for bad performances and occasionally also for very good ones – here questions of taste, custom, tradition and “favourites” come into their own. Jordan will make his way, hopefully with the State Opera.
Wiener Zeitung (Markus Hennerfeind).
http://www.wienerzeitung.at/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=3895&Alias=wzo&cob=264522
Schon wieder Mozart – aber mit Freude
Der Standard (Daniel Ender).
http://derstandard.at/?url=/?id=2718397
Tönende Nachlese zum Feierjahr: "Figaro" an der Staatsoper
Oper in Wien (Dominik Troger)
http://www.operinwien.at/werkverz/mozart/afigaro7.htm
„Beginn der Mozarttage mit Figaro“
