Apparently the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, was sighted at the first night of the Royal Opera House’s revival of Mozart’s The Marriage Of Figaro. Whether this was a reflection on the opera’s themes of betrayal, the difficulty of knowing entirely who you can trust and marital infidelity, or simply a man of excellent taste enjoying an evening out, is for those more concerned with realpolitik than us. Regardless of the blessing of Mr Clegg, this is a high-class production of one of the great operas, helped immeasurably by the conducting of Sir Colin Davis, making a rare but welcome comeback to the Opera House.
Mozart’s The Marriage Of Figaro is one of the standards of any opera house’s repertoire, with one of the most famous overtures in history (a mainstay for countless films and TV series). The plot is loosely based on Beaumarchais’ 18th century farce, as Figaro (sung here by Erwin Schrott) wishes to marry his betrothed Susanna (Eri Nakamura), but is frustrated by the machinations of the Count (Mariusz Kwiecien), who wishes to revive the old tradition of jus prima nocte, or first night rights to his wife. And then there’s the frustrated Bartolo (Robert Lloyd), who seeks revenge on Figaro for wrongs real or imagined…
David McVicar’s lively staging (first produced at Covent Garden in 2006) is clear and fluent throughout, uniting the opera’s shifts between (literal) bedroom farce and more heartfelt moments, especially in the performance of Annette Dasch as the wronged Countess. The singing is of the highest quality throughout, and Davis’ conducting is passionate and beautifully attuned to the comedy and passion. This is worth making every reasonable effort to see in its short run.
Until 3 July. Royal Opera House, Floral St, WC2. www.roh.org.uk
