The Marriage of Figaro, Victorian Opera, July 18, 2012 ***

The Marriage of Figaro, Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, by Victorian Opera

Playhouse Theatre, Arts Centre, Melbourne; July 18, 20, 24, 28, 30, Aug 1 & 3, 2012

Reviewer: Kate Herbert on July 18

Stars: ***

 

The Marriage of Figaro is one of Mozart’s most popular operas and, although this production has some accomplished singers and a polished orchestra, Jean-Pierre Mignon’s direction is conventional and unimaginative, lacking the shifts in comic and dramatic tempo that characterise this opera.

Richard Gill deftly and assuredly conducts the lively Ludovico’s Band, a baroque ensemble that lends authenticity by playing Mozart’s complex orchestrations on instruments known during his period, providing a different tone from that of a contemporary orchestra.

The action takes place in 24 hours when Figaro (Andrew Collis) is to marry his sweetheart Susanna (Jacqueline Porter) but his master, Count Almaviva (Brett Carter) asserts his ‘droit du seigneur’, a rule permitting him to bed Figaro’s bride.

Carter’s tone is rich and strong as the Count, Tiffany Speight has fine vocal control as Countess Almaviva, Collis’s Figaro has velvety depth, Roxane Hislop’s Marcellina is fiery, while Jacqueline Porter’s Susanna is playful.

The production misses the requisite light and shade, often leaving the singers stranded without a convincing concept, style or interpretation to provide a solid base to the performance.

Perhaps the aim was to present the opera in a style closer to that of Mozart's era, but the singers too often simply stand and deliver Mozart’s fine arias, the relationships and characters are underdeveloped and the production does not effectively contrast or balance the potential for broad comedy with its more serious issues.

Kate Herbert

 

 Creative team

Richard Gill conductor

Director – Jean-Pierre Mignon

Set Designer – Richard Roberts

Costume Designer – Christina Smith

Lighting Designer – Paul Jackson

Assistant Conductor – Daniel Carter

Assistant Director – Cameron Menzies

Victorian Opera Chorus

Ludovico’s Band 

 Cast

Count Almaviva – Brett Carter

Countess Almaviva – Tiffany Speight

Susanna – Jacqueline Porter

Figaro – Andrew Collis

Cherubino – Dimity Shepherd

Marcellina – Roxane Hislop

Dr Bartolo – David Woloszko

Don Basilio – Jonathan Bode

Don Curzio – Daniel Todd

Barbarina – Emily Uhlrich 

Antonio - Oliver Mann