Above: Stacey Alleaume at Susanna and Tommaso Barea as Figaro. Featured image : Ekaterina Morozova as the Countess. Photo Credit : Prudence Upton.
It was a genuine thrill to have seen the current Opera Australia’s season of The Marriage of Figaro begin with such flair this week on Mozart’s birthday.
Luminous sets, lush costuming and a lively cast whose adroit caricatures are accompanied by a keenly paced realisation of the score make this revival production an impressive treat and capable salute to Mozart’s famous work.
The Opera Australia principals and chorus work effectively with conductor Andrea Molino in solo, dialogue, ensemble and patter singing numbers. They rise as a formidable ensemble to conquer the vocal challenges within Mozart’s expansive work.
The relentless pace and twists and turns of the onstage story were allocated well across the sets by Revival Director Andy Morton. Our treasured favourite musical moments, with knife-edge shifts in emotion, so well mastered by Mozart, are allowed to resonate sans overly hectic action marring the much-anticipated operatic hits.
The score’s fluid Mozartean filigree is clearly delivered. Despite rapid tempos, the instrumental and vocal tapestry is exquisitely woven as the opera hurtles through its span of over three hours. Charming and colourful fortepiano continuo provides period-music excellence, textual emphasis and constant variety as the tale turns with beautiful directness across the opera’s architecture.
Above : Stacey Alleaume as Susanna, Richard Anderson as Dr Bartolo and Sian Sharp as Marcellina. Photo Credit : Prudence Upton.
Acting and deft timing in the many scenes of situational comedy, satire and sadness are solid across the movie-like depth of set. The sensibilities and feelings surrounding location or rank are afforded fine visual representation.
Lavash court sets are provided courtesy of designer Jenny Tiramani’s vivid depiction of 17th-century Seville and feisty feudal estate characters. The atmosphere supplied when wedding day light streams in and stretches into night as designed by David Finn are mesmerising and are also stunningly filmic.
Even audience experiencing Mozart’s work or opera as an entertainment choice for the first time will be instantly engaged by the stage chemistry of servant-class heroes Susanna and Figaro. Stacey Alleaume’s always seamless, versatile voice with a high register smoothness you could dance in is gallantly matched by Tommaso Barea’s Figaro.
This paramour is engagingly sung, danced and proclaimed. From opening scene dialogue and then propelled by an energetic ‘Se vuol ballare…’ (If you want to dance, Sir Count) his secure range and characterisation exudes joy in a well-paced portrayal. His well nuanced, eloquent energy saves the full, big notes for just when they are needed.
Above: Tommaso Barea as Figaro, agnes Sarkis as Cherubino and stacey Alleaume as Susanna. Photo Credit : Prudence Upton.
Susanna’s aria ‘Deh vieni non tardar’ (Oh come, don’t delay) as she waits to entrap the cheating Count in the garden is a beautiful pause in the busier action. Alleaume’s soaring phrasing and smooth impatience here in front of the curtain during Act 4 brings this famous moment to old and new fans alike with fine intimacy and lets them marvel at a special soprano moment courtesy of the composer and this promising Australian star.
The dramatic focus is strong in Ekaterina Morozova’s abused and tortured Countess. Her Act 2 ‘Porgi Amor’ (Grant, love, some comfort) is heartbreaking and skilfully interpreted with beautiful colour and building up of vocal shapes. We marvel at the blend in the dictated duet ‘Sull’aria…’ (On the breeze .…) between this version’s Countess and Susanna.
The Countess’ lamenting of her marital sadness in ‘Dove sono I bei momenti’ (Where are they, the beautiful moments) is also expertly acted and graded to allow us to relish each stage of this song afresh.
Sinister, menacing strength is a signature feature of Mario Cassi’s performance of the womanising Count. He is another male principal voice commanding the stage with appropriate aplomb and with the chameleon sensitvity which Mozart’s melodic arcs of varied hue demand.
Above Mario Cassi in the role of Count Almaviva. Photo Credit : Prudence Upton.
A perfect foil to his dark daring is the brilliant buffa duo Sian Sharp as the spinster-with-a-history Marcellina and partner in crime and passion, Richard Anderson (Dr Bartolo). The lecherous singing teacher Don Basilio (Benjamin Rasheed) is a scintillating third wheel to this comic couple. He stirs up many scenes with brilliant diction, stage presence and penetrating singing voice full of bitchy sass.
The comic thread of Agnes Sarkis’ dynamic Cherubino never loses impact throughout. This character is given virtuosic voice and sports an equally virtuosic inflection of infatuation at all times. The much loved pants-part’s canzonetta ‘Voi che sapete’ (You ladies who know what love is…) has sweet spontaneity and a real naïve freshness. A mentionable characterisation to mirror this is the impressive voice and village-swagger of Danita Weatherstone’s Barbarina.
Many exciting elements on stage at the Dame Joan Sutherland Theatre combine to swell the success of this treasure’s revival, rich with so many musical and theatrical ingredients supplied by Mozart. The interpretation here of a tasteful yet racy melange of emotions, action and comment is the stuff popular and all-appealing opera is made of. This work’s inclusion in the current season is quite a jewel in Opera Australia’s already bedazzled post-pandemic crown.
The Marriage of Figaro plays at the Sydney Opera House until February 18.