The Marriage of Figaro, The Mayflower (From Daily Echo)

The Marriage of Figaro, The Mayflower

3:11pm Saturday 14th March 2009 in

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THERE are many who would consider Mozart’s masterpiece The Marriage of Figaro to be their favourite opera, and the packed auditorium at The Mayflower would seem to confirm this – but one wonders what they made of this production.

Musically it was superb, as one would expect from Welsh National Opera.

But one wonders whether the current trend for taking operas out of their chronological context marred the enjoyment of some of the opera’s devotees.

This latest production places the opera fairly and squarely in the 1930s. But The Marriage of Figaro is quintessentially Regency and Rococo – not Art Deco Who could blame anyone for ‘losing the plot’ at some point in this mixed up world where the page Cherubino is played by a woman who is then ‘disguised’ as a woman?

But the joy of this opera is that you can allow the plot to wash over you and simply take delight in Mozart’s glorious music.

Highly acclaimed soprano Rosemary Joshua was superb as Susanna and Rebecca Evans as the Countess was equally expressive, especially in the two wonderful soprano arias Porgi Amor and Dove Sono.

David Soar was a fine Figaro, his powerful baritone bringing an authoritative air to arias such as Non Piu Andrai.

Jacques Imbrailo, as the scheming Count, also put in an excellent performance, delivered with conviction.

This opera contains some of the greatest music ever written by Mozart, and Welsh National Opera more than does it justice.

The Marriage of Figaro is performed again at The Mayflower tonight.