Washington Nationwide Opera's The Marriage of Figaro: Each Candy and Good for You

An all-star solid, a brand new music director, and a returning stage director gave us Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte’s The Marriage of Figaro (1786, Le Nozze di Figaro) in full measure.  Washington Nationwide Opera’s manufacturing, working by means of November 22, supplies all the pieces you may want from basic opera buffa.  The expression on my face modified with the drama on the stage, however the smile in my coronary heart started with the primary notes of the overture and lasted by means of the standing ovation on the finish.  Entertaining, rewarding, enriching, this one checked all of the bins, basic opera at its greatest, artwork that entertains and embeds itself in your coronary heart!  Kudos to WNO’s Creative Director Francesco Zambello, Normal Director Timothy O’Leary, and everybody concerned for bringing this treasure to DC in such fantastic vogue.

Mozart and Da Ponte collaborated to supply three operas, all nonetheless fashionable as we speak: along with Figaro, Don Giovanni (1787), and Così fan tutte (1789).  As was the case with all their collaborations, there may be extra afoot than comedy; the social change rippling by means of society at the moment was additionally a goal of the operas.  The ruling class on the time didn’t take nicely to such themes in efficiency artwork, and such works confronted roadblocks in attending to the stage.  Within the pre-opera speak by Ken Weiss, Principal Music Coach of the Cafritz Younger Artist Program, he identified that by making Spain its setting, as an alternative of Vienna the place it was first carried out, and modifying Beaumarchais language from the play (The Mad Day, or The Marriage of Figaro) that the opera is predicated on, allowed Figaro to get previous the censors and the emperor.  There’s one other well-known opera(s) primarily based on a Beaumarchais play, The Barber of Seville, containing lots of the identical characters at an earlier time.

In Figaro, the wooing of Rosina by Rely Almaviva in The Barber of Seville is now previous, and the Rely has been messing round; Countess Rosina is distraught.  Rely Almaviva now needs to mattress Susanna, his spouse’s servant, supposedly justified by droit du seigneur (proper of the lord).  Figaro, servant of the Rely and Susanna’s husband to be, joins forces along with his betrothed, the Countess, and a love-struck web page, Cherubino, to outwit the Rely.  Dr. Bartolo, whom had tried to maintain Rosina for himself within the earlier chapter, and Marcellina, his housekeeper, are a part of a sub-plot, with Don Basilio, Don Curzio, Barbarina, and Antonio all making appearances.  Plots and subplots are begun and go astray, and hilarious surprises abound in classical opera buffa fashion, which is to say, in classical commedia dell’arte fashion.  Regardless, it was a superb plot system for Beaumarchais to make the purpose fairly clearly that the Aristocracy had extra management over their topics, even their our bodies, than must be granted; this was an argument roiling aristocracies of the continent at the moment.  It permits Da Ponte and Mozart to carry us to the conclusion that each rulers and topics are flawed human beings and that love conquers all, with the one path ahead being to ask for and provides forgiveness and transfer on.  Because of the distinctive likability of the music and the themes of human susceptibility to transgression, the recurring want for forgiveness, and the righting energy of affection, we proceed to embrace The Marriage of Figaro.

Did I point out the all-star solid?  Figaro has 4 main roles, seven substantial supporting roles, and a refrain.  The phrase for this solid total is stellar.  Lyric soprano Joélle Harvey proved to be an ideal Susanna, in each singing and appearing.  She has a lovely voice, sings expertly, and is a charmer on stage.  This was her first look with WNO; she was a late addition to the solid when the beforehand scheduled soprano needed to withdraw.  Ms. Harvey has beforehand garnered excessive reward for her Susanna on the Royal Opera Covent Backyard and for her Pamina on the Met Opera.  The position of the Countess was sung to perfection by worldwide celebrity soprano Rosa Feola.  She sang with unbelievable feeling and wonder in a task that’s the emotional middle of the opera.  Her “Porgi, amor” mourning her husband’s infidelity was touching.  She and Ms. Harvey sang a drop-dead stunning “Sull’aria”, an all time favourite of mine.  Ms. Feola, who has starred at each the Met Opera and La Scala, appeared as Juliette for WNO in 2023.  Bass-baritone Le Bu, who is comparatively new to main roles in staged opera, impressed from his first look on stage with a robust, commanding voice; we seem to have a brand new main expertise on our palms.  He gave us a extra reactive than reflective Figaro however carried out nicely total.  He’s within the Lindemann Younger Artist Growth Program on the Metropolitan Opera.  In 2022, he received the Met Opera Laffont Competitors and in 2024, received the celebrated worldwide Operalia competitors.  The Rely was performed by baritone Will Liverman, well-known to opera followers in DC, Philadelphia, and NYC.  He sang superbly, giving us a decided, offended Rely when foiled, then displayed a extra interesting vary of feelings within the second half of the opera. 

A shock casting by Washington Nationwide Opera for the position of the younger, hormone-driven Cherubino was one of many causes I used to be trying ahead to attending this efficiency.  Mozart wrote this half for a mezzo-soprano in a pants position, a girl taking part in a person’s position.  As a substitute, WNO solid extremely regarded countertenor John Vacation, who has the tessitura to sing the position.  He has a lovely voice and sings with precision.  Mr. Vacation was humorous, efficient, and constantly wonderful within the half, and I loved him as including a novel component, although I nonetheless choose it as a pants position, at the very least if it isn’t Mr. Vacation.  The remaining performers in supporting roles even have spectacular biographies.  Bass-baritone Sir Williard White and mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Bishop not solely sang nicely however have been a reasonably charming pair along with being amusing.  Tenor Rodell Rosel as instructor Don Basilio was a real hoot as the point of interest of humor.  Soprano Lauren Carroll, a Cafritz Younger Artist, as Barbarina, tenor Hakeem Henderson, a Cafritz Younger Artist, as Don Curzio, and bass Kevin Thompson as Antonio, all contributed considerably to the efficiency.  Mozart is a grasp at composing ensemble singing.  Figaro at occasions contains not solely duets and trios however ensembles of 4 to 7 singers.  This solid, with their tight singing, carried out the ensembles in a extremely pleasurable vogue. 

This efficiency was Robert Spano’s first as confirmed Music Director for WNO, although not his first as conductor.  Beneath his path, the Washington Nationwide Opera carried out Mozart’s rating superbly.  By way of quantity, coordination with the singers, and emphasis, I loved each minute and by no means felt something was askew.  I loved the WNO refrain led by Steven Gathman which primarily stayed within the background for this efficiency.

Director Peter Kazaras additionally directed this manufacturing staged by WNO in 2016.  The set, at occasions, was spectacular, with columns and lighting; kudos to set designer Benoit Dugardyn and lighting designer A. J. Guban.  The colourful interval costumes by Myung Hee Cho have been pleasant, including to the manufacturing’s attraction.  The circulation of the four-act opera, altering units with the motion, supposedly accomplished on simply in the future, was nicely executed by Director Kazaras.  The have been many small touches that conveyed the humor and the feelings.  I may need appreciated the Rely’s contrition to be a bit of extra successfully offered.  The adjustments created from the 2016 manufacturing have been nicely thought-about.

I’ll add a few of my textual content from a earlier report on this opera: “The previous saying is that energy corrupts, and absolute energy corrupts completely; energy has been corrupting mankind since Adam and Eve.  Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, nonetheless, additionally noticed that human beings are able to magnanimity, reform, redemption, and plain silliness, in addition to corruption, however most significantly, they understood that the therapeutic grace is love.  The group’s profound perception that human goodness is a piece in progress, coupled with their eager humorousness, offered us with tales during which we will see and giggle at ourselves.  Shade these tales with Mozart’s potential to write down music of nice magnificence and attraction that absolutely illuminates the human coronary heart, and classics emerge, beloved in all ages.” 

There are a number of works of efficiency artwork in addition to opera that I watch again and again.  With the vacations approaching, I consider “It’s a Great Life” with Jimmy Stewart, which additionally tugs at my heartstrings each time I watch it.  Stay opera is a bit of totally different; no two performances are the identical.  By attending an opera repeatedly, one hopes every time that the group will get it proper, so it may be loved as anticipated or in a brand new approach, whereas having fun with what new performers carry to the roles.  WNO’s 2025 manufacturing of The Marriage of Figaro supplies simply what we wish, nice music, nice singing, and a efficiency that enlightens and touches the guts.

The Fan Expertise: Washington Nationwide Opera scheduled performances of The Marriage of Figaro for November 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22.  Cafritz Younger Artists carried out all roles for the November 15 efficiency. Performances are sung in Italian with English supertitles proven over the stage.  The efficiency lasted about 3 hours and quarter-hour with a 25-minute intermission.  Pre-opera talks are given within the Opera Home one hour earlier than performances. 

The digital program guide The Marriage of Figaro is on-line and may be accessed at this hyperlink.  Soprano Yaritza Vélez is listed in this system as Susanna.  Nevertheless, she needed to withdraw and the position, as famous above, is performed by soprano Joélle Harvey. 

As a heads up, WNO’s new 20 minute operas of the American Opera Initiative incessantly promote out. Get your tickets for January 24 early.  WNO will carry out the household opera The Little Prince on Dec 12-14, Tremonisha March 12-22, The Crucible March 19-29, and an operatic model of West Aspect Story on Could 8-23.

Kennedy Heart parking is usually plentiful, with charges round $25 per day, with a small low cost for Kennedy Heart members when reserved forward of the day.  The Metro to Foggy Backside and the free crimson Kennedy Heart buses, working from there to the Kennedy Heart each quarter-hour, are a superb possibility.  There is a bonus in arriving a bit early.  KC incessantly has a number of performances on its totally different levels overlapping, which might create visitors jams and typically safety checks when VIPs attend.

There are snack stands in the primary foyer, and on the Terrace degree, the KC Café affords meals cafeteria-style at reasonable costs; fantastic eating is obtainable on the Terrace degree within the Roof Terrace Restaurant; a reduction is obtainable to KC members.  Meals and drinks besides water aren’t allowed contained in the opera home, however you should purchase reusable capped containers along with your drinks you can take inside. Take the container again with you in your subsequent KC go to to get a reduction in your drink.