By: Wendy Sheard
The Marriage of Figaro is brought to us by Welsh National Opera, who offer a fresh and contemporary retelling of the story which Mozart composed as an opera in 1786 and was first performed in the UK in 1812. The human relationships depicted are as relevant today as they were then; conflicts between men and women, political tensions and social unrest, it’s all here, making this production feel edgy and relatable.
The set design is minimal and opulent at the same time, it is also beautifully engineered, moving and changing between the acts with little effort, taking us from room to room in the Spanish palace where the story takes place to the finale in a forest of pine trees. Props, lighting and the overall stage management ensure that this is an easy production to watch with very little to distract from the brilliant interactions between the characters. As its sung in Italian, I found the subtitles screen really useful as it helped me to keep up with the story and to better understand the subterfuge which takes place from the very first moment.
The performance starts with the magnificent overture which truly sets the scene, drawing the audience in and immersing us in the world of Figaro and Susanna, his fiancée, who are servants in the palace and thus the story begins. There are many twists and turns, convoluted plans to deceive and complicated relationships to keep pace with but ultimately, it’s a tale of love and lust.
The personality of each character is powerfully depicted through both the acting and the music; listen to the different tempos, the lightness of some pieces and darkness in others. There is the Count who is arrogant, controlling and a menace to all the women around him, the Countness, resilient, determined and also forgiving, Cherubino, a fun, young page who wants all women and they in turn want him, Marcellina and Dr Bartolo provide humour throughout and an unexpected twist in Act 3 which endears them to us. And of course, Figaro himself, our clever, quick witted hero and Susanna, his bride to be, an astute, witty and intelligent young woman who skilfully navigates the complexities of the world around her. Each character is cleverly linked and connected, carrying a layer of intrigue as they deceive each other along the way. The orchestra, wonderfully conducted by Kerem Hasan, is a character in itself, enriching emotions by offering its own voice to the dramatic and often comedic interactions unfolding before us.
There are many examples of dialogue taking place between the performers which overlap, repeat and underscore the farcical aspect of the storytelling. The quality of the singing is sublime, the combination of arias, duets and ensemble pieces are delivered by each and every performer to an amazingly high standard; given that the production is more than three hours long, this suggests super human skills and expertise.
The Marriage of Figaro offers something for everyone; an intro opera for a newbie like me as well as a multi-layered complex piece for the more knowledgeable opera goer.
So don’t miss out, enjoy and absorb this amazingly contemporary production which is nearly 250 years old!