Madrid, April 21 and 30, 2022.
It is widely known that Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro is one of the most celebrated operas worldwide. However, the enthusiasm it raises in the Teatro Real in Madrid, has no equal in the rest of Spain: since its re-opening in 1997, it has been scheduled five times: 1997, 2003, 2009, 2011 and 2014. The last three ones, in a span of time of just five years, in the staging by Emilio Sagi, in DVD by Opus Arte. These re-scheduling raised some protest in several Madrid opera-goers because they considered these repetitions were depriving the chance to other less frequent titles. As I am concerned, I have seen this work there since 2003, then in the staging by Marco Arturo Marelli.
This run of performances has something of special, because this is the first opera in Madrid after the lift of compulsory mask wearing indoors (of public sites: theatres, schools, office...). For the first time, we can see our complete faces in the shows. On April 21, the opera house hosted the dress rehearsal for Under 35 people, with the dress rehearsal of the second cast. In addition, a party awaited for the young spectators after the performances, including free beers and a DJ session.
I attended the Under 35 performance of the second cast and another one featuring the first cast.
This 2022 "revival" is the sixth time Teatro Real stages Mozart's masterpiece. However, this is a complete turn of page, as this is the first time it is seen on its stage with a modern, non-traditional production. Lotte de Beer's provocative, radical staging at the Aix-en-Provence festival was initally scheduled, but it was replaced by another one less disturbing: the famous production from Salzburg Festival by Claus Guth, premiered in 2006 with a stellar cast. Guth's vision of this opera exposes the scheming, lustful and unreliable relationships between the main characters, depriving it from the lavish layer of 18th Century gowns, wigs, halls, dances and gardens. Back in 1780s, this opera was a real scandal for the Austrian nobilty, for watching on stage a comedy mocking and exposing fiercely their private reality. Today, it became a costumbrist, funny comedy, specially if we bear in mind the Ancien Regime image when thinking of it. Guth tries to bring back the subversive side of this work. The sets are the big staircase, and a wide, white but totally empty room of Almaviva's palace. No further decorations, modern (probably 1940-1960s styled) costumes by Christian Schmidt, who reinforce the idea of a contemporary approach. The adults dressed with sobriety, the youths like students. Lightning by Olaf Winter give beautiful images like a blue light in Act 2, or the projected shadows of the trees surrounding the house, with the leaves moved by the wind, during the famous Susanna's Act 3 aria. One of the best examples of this psychological exposing is the Porgi Amor, when the Countess, stricken after noticing her husband's infidelity, she lets, inmovilised by grief, her coat fall over and over again, and Susanna has to put her coat on constantly. Or the Nuptial March, now represented as an argue between Almaviva and the Countess and no march visible at all.
Another original, and also comical innovation is the presence of a character, an angel, invisible to everyone but the one who pulls the strings of the plot: Cupid, Love, or simply the Angel, dressed like a student, like Tadzio in Visconti's Death in Venice. He is almost omnipresent, and one of the most famous images from this staging is the drawing (projected in the wall) of the character's names, elabourating a complicated diagram of their messing relations, erased and rewritten again by him. At the end, once the characters are recovered from the ecstasy of the events happening in Act 4, the couples are reunited, but now they are able to see the angel, who is firmly rejected by them. Only Cherubino lets him to give a kiss in his mouth, before leaving the stage, much to his dismay.
Ivor Bolton conducts the Teatro Real Orchestra with a correct rendition, but not as inspired in the past. The Overture sounded firmly in some parts, specially at the end, but somewhat unbalanced in volume. In the rest of the performance it reached a correct level, accompaigning the singers, but also with tempi sometimes slow (overture) or faster (Voi che sapete). Strings sounded as well they sounded in last Don Giovanni or The Magic Flute, but the percussion and brass had their best moments in the Voi che sapete, the wedding march or the finales. The Chorus sang well their brief interventions.
First cast, April 30, 2022.
André Schuen as Almaviva has an overwhelming presence and a big-volumed, well-projected voice, with a powerful tone, specially in his Act 3 aria, despite the fact he had to carry the angel in one shoulder. Quite a challenge. Joan Martín Royo, in the second cast, was a well acted and sung Almaviva, with a nice version of his Act 3 Aria.
María José Moreno was the Countess in the first cast. When I was 15 years old in early 2003, I saw a splendid soprano as Susanna, the best of a cast featuring Barbara Bonney or Pietro Spagnoli. It was Moreno. Now, 19 years later she sings the Countess, still with a beautiful voice, fresh in sound, and delightful. However, it is clear she is a bit lighter for this role, something visible in the Porgi Amor. The Dove Sono was the real height, using her experience to convey the sadness, uncertainty and nostalgia for the romantic past. Here, her beautiful voice fitted into this portrait, with some excellent fraseggio and high notes in the da capo. Miren Urbieta-Vega's one in the second cast is more lyrical, darker in her tone (specially in Porgi amor), but she gave a tender version of the Dove Sono, even putting some coloratura.
Vito Priante was a great Figaro, with a big-volumed voice, excellent projection and nice singing. He portrays a vigorous, agile servant. A pleasant surprise. Thomas Oliemans was a correct Figaro, better acted than sung, despite his great version of Non più andrai, but lacking some grace in other moments.
Julie Fuchs as Susanna has a nice, powerful, firm voice. Her tone is lyric, very pleasant to hear. And as actress she is very committed. Elena Sancho-Pereg has a beautiful, nicely-voiced lyrical soprano for the second cast. Her tone is youthful, charming, despite being somewhat lighter for the role, however she gave a tender, sweet rendition of her aria Deh vieni, non tardar. As actress, she gave the profile for the role, as she is a very beautiful woman. Her portrait of the cute, intelligent and crafty servant was very convincing and funny.
Rachael Wilson in the first cast was a nice Cherubino. Maite Beaumont was the best of the second cast, with her amazing Cherubino: a beautiful, velvet-like mezzosoprano voice, with a generous volume, and an accurate portrait of an effervescent teenager, conveying the lack of confidence and naughtiness of her role.
Monica Bacelli has an aged voice for Marcellina in the first cast, despite it can be heard without any problem. Gemma Comma Alabert as Marcellina gave a remarkable performance with a powerful voice and great tone.
Fernando Radó and Daniel Giulianini were nicely sung Basilios for the first and second cast, respectively.
Alexandra Flood was a correct Barbarina, with a dark tone, more dramatic than light. Christophe Montaigne had to disfigure his tone to sing a repulsive Bartolo, according to the staging, so it was good. Moisés Marín as Curzio and Leonardo Galeazzi as Antonio were at the same good level.
The German actor and dancer Uli Kirsch has been involved in several operatic productions, like Willy Decker's for Britten's Death in Venice (in which he performed Tadzio) or like this one, which he premiered in 2006. Like the Angel, he delighted the audience, with his acrobatic agility and his omnipresence, which was sort of comical, and all of this alongside his youthful appearance, he became the soul of this production.
Second cast, Under 35 preview
The Under 35 audience applauded with passion and seemed to enjoy every bit of the work, laughing a lot with the plot, even in such moments as Contessa, perdono. The general audience last night was a bit cold, but started to enjoy from Act 2, and they welcomed the cast, specially Moreno and Fuchs. Mozart is back. Pre-Covid normality seems to be back too. Is happiness also back? Who knows, but at least the happiness given by Nozze is back for sure!
My reviews are not professional and express only my opinions. As a non English native speaker I apologise for any mistake.
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