Mozart,  The Marriage of Figaro: Soloists, chorus & orchestra of English National Opera/Roland Boër. London Coliseum,  Thursday, 2.11.2006 (CC)

 

 

Victoria Simmonds (Cherubino) Lisa Milne (Countess Almaviva) Marie Arnet (Susanna)

ENO‘s new Figaro is directed by Olivia Fuchs, who makes her Coliseum debut. This is also ENO’s first production of Mozart’s masterpiece since 2001. The idea this time is to set the comedy in the  early 1930’s, in a quintessentially English frame. This is ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ set to sublime music in a way that guarantees  bucketloads of laughs and which reflects the Master/Servant divide so strongly at the heart of Mozart’s original – but just how deep does this idea go? Time and time again there was a niggling doubt that if I were to see another performance in this run then it would all seem more than a little contrived …interestingly, Act 4 was set in what can best be described as a fantasy version of the woods of Verdi’s Falstaff. This worked well, the slightly macabre edge reminding us of the more serious undercurrents that subtly disturb Mozart’s sparkle.

 

Interventionist production was apparent straight away as a gardener ‘watered’ fake pink flowers as the orchestra tuned. The stage furniture also told of the master/servant divide, with bells for each room so the lackeys could be summoned by the gentry at any time. The stage was set for some fizzing action. The use of space as the opera progressed was impressive, with the stage being divided expertly. A pity, then, that the conductor (and fortepianist) Roland Böer’s tempi frequently appeared just under the tempo giusto, often robbing the music of its intrinsic vivacity. ‘Se vuol ballare’ was a perfect case in point on an aria level; on a larger, more structural level, long portions of Act 2 in particular suffered. Ensemble, too, could stray (particularly in Act 4, but there were examples in each act).

 

 

Jonathan Lemalu (Figaro), Jonathan Veira (Dr Bartolo)

 

Yet to balance all this there was plenty to admire. The idea of recitatives accompanied by fortepiano is one that always appeals – and not just because I love the sound of that instrument! The fortepiano’s tone carries to the furthest reaches of the opera house and its dynamic range seems ideally suited. The cast had much to recommend it. (Bear in mind that this is the ‘first’ cast – in the New Year the principals will change.) Jonathan Lemalu’s Figaro stole the show. Lemalu is a first-rate bass-baritone and his vocal command was stunning throughout. He acts well, too, and certainly made a superb team with his betrothed, Marie Arnet’s Susanna. What impressed was his diction and his real assimilation of his character – his ‘Military’ aria was absolutely superb. As for Arnet, there have been more coquettish Susannas than this, but Arnet chose to underline her character’s humanity; the Figaro/Susanna duets were always pure joy.

 

Victoria Simmonds took the role of Cherubino (here in bell-boy costume). Her ‘Non so piů’ sat in the inevitable shadow of Koženŕ, so recently heard at the Barbican, and Simmonds’ take was nowhere near as virtuosically breathless as her more famous colleague’s. But Simmonds has real talent, that much is certain. The Count and Countess were Mark Stone and Lisa Milne. Mark Stone impressed greatly as the Don in the 2004 Giovanni (see review). The Count seemed less his thing, though, although this particular Count was certainly a master of smarm (shades of the Giovanni?). Lisa Milne has greatly impressed in the past, but her Countess was rather warbly, especially in ‘Porgi amor’ – or here, ‘Hear my prayer’; ‘Dove sono’ was similarly less than 100% steady.

 

Of the smaller parts, Jonathan Veira was a slightly weak Basilio (looking a bit like Bernard Cribbins, I thought!) while Claire Debono was a delightfully cheeky Barbarina. Debono appears to be something of an early music specialist, going on her biography, and her light but confident voice shone when given the chance. The experienced hands of Graeme Danby (the gardener, Antonio) and Diana Montague as Marzellina provided a reminder of just how strong a company ENO really is.

 

So, definitely one to catch. I just wonder how resilient the production actually is, for all its cleverness. The relocation of the action makes another link, in addition to the gentry/servant one already explored: the feel of a comedy of manners, indeed at times of slapstick, moves the opera in the direction of Gilbert and Sullivan, something English National Opera are famously good at.

 

 

Colin Clarke

 

Pictures © English National Opera / Alastair Muir 2006