More polish than sparkle in Covent Garden's Figaro

Le Nozze di Figaro - Royal Opera House, 2 July 2008

I usually prefer to go to shows on opening night. On the downside, there may be little problems that will get ironed out later on, and first night nerves may mean singers aren't at their technical best. But the Royal Opera House generally allocates enough rehearsal time to make 'settling down' redundant.

The real difference between the first show and the later ones is that performers are always conscious of walking a tightrope between triumph and failure, and the fear of tanking it first time round can introduce a frisson that may not be recaptured in later shows. Anyone who's seen the difference between a final rehearsal and the opening show will know exactly what I mean.

This night was mid-run, and although every aspect of the performance ran as slick as greased owl pewp, there was an indefinable lack of sparkle. That's not to say it it was in any way flawed or disappointing, just easier to admire than to love.

As far as individual performances went, it was yet another occasion this season that the bus pass brigade have snaffled the performing honours from the hot young thangs. Tonight it was Robin Leggate's deliciously camp Don Basilio, Robert Lloyd's gravely comic Bartolo and Ann Murray's feisty Marcellina who made the most impact.

Kishani Jayasinghe's spirited Barbarina could have been up there with them and further, but her otherwise lusciously creamy voice developed a scratchy cast towards the end. Nothing more than a touch of tiredness I hope - not only does she perk up every production I've seen her in, however small her part, she also has the makings of a truly memorable voice.

The big revelation was Anna Bonitatibus. She's already shown her versatility recently in London in the poles-apart roles of Zerlina at the Barbican and the low-mezzo Medoro in Handel's Orlando at the ROH. And here she made an utterly convincing Cherubino, all knock knees and unmet eyes. Her crystalline vibrato-free tone was convincingly boyish, definitively Mozartian, and her Voi che sapete was the moment of the night.

She outshone Aleksandra Kurzak's sparky Susanna and Barbara Frittoli's dignified Countess, even though they were perfectly judged, and evenly enough matched for the element of conspiratorial sisterhood to ring true.

I warmed more to Peter Mattei's baffled and put-upon Count than Ildebrando D'Arcangelo's manipulative Figaro, despite D'Arcangelo's dense velvety ear-caressing tone. That's partly a function of David McVicar's subtly dark production, which plays with the audience's sympathies in a rather more even-handed way than usual.

Superficially, it's conventional enough for the fustiest of audiences, with its period look and very literal adherence to text. Although it doesn't skip any of the comedy (all of which is genuinely funny here, not remotely teeth-gritting), he doesn't shy from exposing the self interest of the protagonists at every moment either, and the undercurrent of rumbling discontent, the lower orders rattling the bars of their cage, is more than usually apparent. 

Talking of bars, I was seriously impressed that certain thirsty orchestra members managed to survive the 90 minute second half without a rest break after their copious interval refreshments at the White Lion. But then again, perhaps it contributed to the relaxed, unhurried sound Charles Mackerras drew from them. Despite his unrelentingly furious pace, there was wit and charm in abundance, and the finely-nuanced response of the orchestra does them great credit.

It says a lot for production standards that the only blemished performance was canine. The Count's 'hunting dog' (though he looked more like a slipper-chewer to me) entered tail-first, tugged at the leash for his minute on stage, and danced a circle of joy the second he was released back.

I do love animals, especially with gravy, but as ever if [insert composer] had really wanted a [insert species] in [insert opera], don't you think he would have written a part for one?

 

 

Comments

[Michael]

I'm not sure I agree about the lack of sparkle - I thought this was a vastly superior production than the one there a couple of years ago, which was a bit dull - here I thought the cast really sparkled - especially Kurzac as Susannah and Sophie Koch, who played Cherebino - 'Voi che sapete' was sung so delicately and pianissimo that it almost had me tears.
I can also see why Mackerras has such an unrivalled reputation - the orchestra sounded better than ever, and several times I picked up bits in the score that I'd never heard before. Overall, I really enjoyed it and shall be trying to get some cancellation tickets next week for a reprise! :)

Michael

[inter mezzo]

if you saw Sophie Koch as Cherubino, you were there on a different night from me, and it's very hard to compare something as indefinable as 'sparkle' between two different shows. Your experience may simply demonstrate the first point I made, which is that the same production can vary night to night (and of course a change of cast makes a huge difference too).

I don't happen to agree with the newspaper critics of this production's first outing. Their reports were all based on the first night; I was there later in the run as well, and it did settle over time. The DVD of the first run cast shows just how good they were.

It's been interesting recently to read comments on here and other blogs (and hear first hand) about the very varied experiences of people who've seen more than one Don Carlo show. Tiredness, illness, the odd cast change can all make a huge difference in the overall experience.

[Ed]

Interesting comments - a quick one from me - on Frittoli. I don't think there was anything wrong with her, but neither did I find much right. Her dove sono was rather beautiful (should she take the compliments, or Mozart?).. but I'd really be interested to hear thoughts on her performance.. However much I'd like to be, I've never been so impressed by her performances.

Always interesting to compare with past Countesses - she's not near Te Kanawa, and personally, I would prefer Roschmann.

[Michael]

Couldn't agree more, infact, even more weirdly, I went to see La Bohème in New York, the performance with Gheorghiu and Ramon Vargas that was beamed around the world. I cried like a baby (a bit embarrasing actually!)

When I returned to London, the local cinema did a 'repeat' showing of the performance, which left me completely cold - and it was the same performance! I think it was the close-ups, seeing Vargas, far from being skinny and seeing Gheorghiu's polished fingernails as poor dying Mimi that somewhat ruined the illusion!

[inter mezzo]

@Ed - I feel exactly the same about la Babs. A beautiful performance - and I didn't even notice the 'wide vibrato' that so bothered the critics. But at the same time there's something so frosty and self-contained there that it's hard to warm to her. Roschmann has that Teutonic intensity but at least she can open up a bit more

@Michael - the nail polish is loltastic - la Ange really is the last of a dying breed isn't she?

[Joe Horta]

As a point for clarification on a previous post: the role of Cherubino was played by Anna Bonitatibus from June 24th to July 8th.

[Furst]

This is kinda late to comment on this but I stumbled on the review and have a couple of points. I was actually at one of the performances last summer (with Koch) and agree with IM about pretty much all of it.

Frittoli's Countess, however, was something of a disappointment. Despite the fact that she's has sung her since the early 90s and has made just about annual appearances at the Met since the mid 90s, she's never sung it there. I have heard a chance to hear her in Vienna and at this performance at Covent Garden. On both occasions she was bellow her best vocally (I'd heard her in Cosi within a couple of months of both Figaros and there she handled the even more difficult vocal challenges with great ease). More problematic, however, was her dramatic presentation, alluded to here. I'm reluctant to to judge based on the few times I've heard her as I've certainly seen performers give more and less committed performances, sometimes in the same run, but she just did not seem to inhabit the role. This is the more frustrating because in respect of voice (at its best), looks, temperment she really should be THE Countess.