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HGO's Figaro a Perfect Fit Houston
Brown Theater, Wortham Center
04/15/2011 - and Apr 17, 20*, 23, 27, 30
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro
Patrick Carfizzi (Figaro), Adriana Kucerová (Susanna), Carlo Lepore (Dr. Bartolo), Susanne Mentzer (Marcellina), Marie Lenormand (Cherubino), Luca Pisaroni (Count Almaviva), John Kolbet (Don Basilio), Ellie Dehn (Countess Almaviva), Michael Sumuel (Antonio), Brendan Tuohy (Don Curzio), Kiri Deonarine (Barbarina)
Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Chorus, James Gaffigan (conductor)
Harry Silverstein (director), Carl Friedrich Oberle (set and costume designer) Michael James Clark (lighting designer)
Houston Grand Opera hasn't put a foot wrong this season, and the current production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro rivals the company's earlier Peter Grimes as the icing on a delectable cake. Impeccably sung, tastefully staged and energetically conducted, the opera leaves one hungry for more Mozart from this cast and crew. Three strong HGO debuts bode well for the future of Mozart singing, and James Gaffigan's conducting excites one for his future returns. If it were possible to make these four acts more perfect, HGO found a way.
Gaffigan's frisky, articulate handling of the overture forecasted the style that would predominate the evening. The orchestra handled the tricky score with aplomb, with delightful wind solos and vigorous brass fanfares peppering the precise, wonderfully balanced string cushion that pervades the opera. Bethany Self was witty and perfectly-timed in her fortepiano accompaniments to the recitatives.
The cast was incredibly well put together. Adriana Kucerová, in her HGO debut, sang with a creamy, youthful voice that matched her charming stage presence. She was a perfect foil to the Almaviva of Ellie Dehn, also a debut, whose brighter voice shone out in ensemble numbers and duets, and who captivated with a measured, superbly controlled "Porgi, amor." Susanne Mentzer's conniving Marcellina and Kiri Deonarine's naive Barbarina also inhabited their character's worlds perfectly. Marie Lenormand stole her scenes as Cherubino, with perfectly timed comic and lusty facial expressions. "Voi che sapete," that delightful, rambling aria, was another highlight of Act II which, in this production, stood as the apex of the show.
The men were equally strong. Luca Pisaroni, the third debut, impressed merely by his stature. His imposing height and flowing locks came straight off the cover of a Harlequin romance, and his large voice was kept in perfect reign, never becoming over the top, but carrying through the first three acts as a dominating force and then switching gears perfectly in the finale when his infidelities are finally proven. As Figaro, Patrick Carfizzi ran the perfect gamut from charm to deception, his bell-like voice stood out as a heroic presence in the cast. Carlo Lepore's Dr. Bartolo and Michael Sumuel's Antonio were excellent comic reliefs.
The staging was largely conventional, but suited the opera well. Sets were functional and symmetrical and featured subtle splashes of color. The final act was magically lit, almost seeming to come out of The Magic Flute.
This production highlights the remarkable consistency that we have enjoyed at HGO over the past several years. With it comes the news that general director Anthony Freud will be leaving the company after a triumphant run and reinvigoration of repertoire and casting. The search begins for a successor that can continue to draw together the talent as well as Freud has in his short tenure at HGO.
Marcus Karl Maroney
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