The guys dominate Le Nozze di Figaro at the Met.
by Paul J. Pelkonen
On Wednesday night at the Metropolitan Opera, Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro was the perfect medicine for a city suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and the nor'easter that howled outside, dropping five inches of snow on the city.
Figaro is an ensemble piece, one which is usually dominated by the Countess (Maija Kovalevska) her pert maid Susanna (Mojdca Erdmann) and the cross-dressing page Cherubino (Christine Schaefer.) However on Wednesday night, it was the conflict between Figaro (Ildar Abdrazakov) and the Count (Gerald Finley) that held the audience's attention--a battle of wits and class between two men experienced in another Mozart role: Don Giovanni.
The long string of arias and numbers in the first act seemed disjointed, despite Mr. Abdrazakov's rousing "Se vuol bailare" and "Non piu andrai." Matters improved in the second act, as the marital conflict between Ms. Kovalevska's Countess and Mr. Finley's Don raised the temperature of the performance through a series of tight, involving ensembles. Best of all was the Act II finale, as seven singers gathered in a coherent display of deliberate confusion.
by Paul J. Pelkonen
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| Bedroom comedy: Susanna (Mojca Erdmann) and the Countess (Maija Kovalevska) scheme with Figaro (Ildar Abdrazakov) in this year's Met revival of Le Nozze di Figaro. Photo © 2012 The Metropolitan Opera. |
Figaro is an ensemble piece, one which is usually dominated by the Countess (Maija Kovalevska) her pert maid Susanna (Mojdca Erdmann) and the cross-dressing page Cherubino (Christine Schaefer.) However on Wednesday night, it was the conflict between Figaro (Ildar Abdrazakov) and the Count (Gerald Finley) that held the audience's attention--a battle of wits and class between two men experienced in another Mozart role: Don Giovanni.
The long string of arias and numbers in the first act seemed disjointed, despite Mr. Abdrazakov's rousing "Se vuol bailare" and "Non piu andrai." Matters improved in the second act, as the marital conflict between Ms. Kovalevska's Countess and Mr. Finley's Don raised the temperature of the performance through a series of tight, involving ensembles. Best of all was the Act II finale, as seven singers gathered in a coherent display of deliberate confusion.
