The Figaro on this occasion was bass Riccardo Fassi – his Mozart debut was as recently as 2014 as Masetto ( Don Giovanni in Como). (Interesting to note that da capo arias often had a decorated A1 section, too, always naturally delivered.) Most importantly, this sense of cast cohesion found its ideal counterpart in Pappano’s grasp of Mozart’s larger processes, with the trajectory of each act, and indeed the four acts in toto, tracked with the hand of a master. Underpinning this was an orchestra absolutely alive with the vivacity and tragedy of Figaro, and Antonio Pappano proving himself to be a fine Mozartian (and a fine fortepianist in the recitatives, too).
I am not privy to rehearsal times (and aware of at least one substitution), but the cumulative effect of this ensemble tactic is only to the advantage of Mozart’s masterpiece. Indeed, this felt very much like a company performance of Figaro with all characters interacting with the fine-tuned timing and confidence familiarity brings. This time round, a whole bunch of demonstrably fine singers and actors, but no stand-out, crowd-drawing names. Costumes are finely managed and appropriate for the chosen period although this time round, Don Basilio seemed to morph into something of a Charlie Chapin-tribute, at least from something of a distance.īut there was a big difference between casts. The combination of Tanya McCallin’s sets and Paule Constable’s lighting is the apogee of operatic expertise as the opera moves from the morning brightness of the first act through to the nocturnal shenanigans of Act IV. McVicar sets the opera in 1830’s post-Revolution France. I covered the previous incarnation in 2019, with Sir Simon Keenlyside as the Count and Julia Kleiter as the Countess, conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner (review click here).
Sir David McVicar’s production at Covent Garden is by now known to many and often celebrated.
Sir David McVicar’s Le nozze di Figaro © Clive Barda There has been a good crop of Le nozze di Figaro’s over the last six months or so in the UK: firstly, Opera Holland Park’s magical production (I reviewed the Young Artists’ Performance click here), then HGO’s effervescent staging in Highgate ( click here). (CC) Riccardo Fassi (Figaro) and Giulia Semenzato (Susanna) © Clive Barda United Kingdom Mozart, Le nozze di Figaro: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Sir Antonio Pappano (conductor/fortepiano continuo).
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