Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich, 14 July 2024
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro
Witty, wicked and surprising: Mozart, the great expert on human nature, with his maybe most humorous and at the same time most political opera. In his music you can feel every heartbeat, every breathlessness – and there is plenty of that in Le nozze di Figaro. In his production at the Bavarian State Opera, which premiered earlier this season, director Evgeny Titov and his team seek to explore the breaking points of humanity and why it always proves fragile.
Sexuality, desire and sexual harassment play a major role in Mozart’s opera, as one of the premises of the work is that the Count has abolished the “right of the first night”, but now desperately wants to sleep with the bride before Susanna and Figaro’s wedding, and will not shy away from any intrigue to achieve this. Abuse of power and the threat of sexual violence are also omnipresent in the work, despite all the comedy. However, the meaning of the many sexual elements in Titov’s production remains vague. Annemarie Woods’ set and costumes do not offer much to remember, and frankly, without good acting singers, the production would have been dead.
Konstantin Krimmel makes an intelligent Figaro, with a good sense of the subtle irony of the role. Louise Alder’s Susanna is full of life, with a luminous soprano and great stage presence. Mattia Olivieri’s baritone is also quite good, but somehow lacks the elegance and aristocracy required for the Count, which is, however, not much needed in this production. Avery Amereau makes a vocally solid Cherubino, but is rather anonymous on stage. The biggest surprise of the evening is Diana Damrau, who stepped into the role of the Countess with only a few days’ notice. Her voice has changed enormously in recent years and now has a warmth and clarity that suits the role perfectly, but she is also able to convey the emotional complexity of the Countess convincingly.
The Bavarian State Orchestra is in top form under the baton of Stefano Montanari, who was known as a baroque violinist before he became a conductor. His interpretation of the score is consistently convincing: every motif and accent is clearly emphasised and every note is captivating. The balance is also mostly right, apart from a few moments when he overshadows the singers.
