In the opera world, where being true to a libretto is considered unforgivably boring, and using traditional scenery and costumes very dull, sometimes nothing is more pleasing than seeing a conservative production. Lucky for many opera connoisseurs, some directors still see a certain value in good old traditional opera staging and try to prevent its ultimate modernization by preserving the original feel of the works that they choose to stage.
Much to the delight (and relief) of the audience, the dazzling production of Mozart's timeless comic gem Le Nozze di Figaro that I saw at the Baltimore Lyric Friday night turned out to be the quintessence of classical tradition. A fruit of close collaboration of stage director Bernard Uzan, scenic director Allen Charles and lighting director Donald Edmund Thomas, this production boasted everything an opera buffa calls for: breathtaking scenery painted in every shade of blue and gold, exquisite period costumes, head-spinning ensembles, elegant dancing, and of course, the omnipresent gleaming light, deceitful enough to cover up conspiring heroines, but apparent enough to unveil their jealous heroes. However, above all, this production boasted the most essential feature of any opera buffa: a genuine youthful spirit generated by a dynamic troupe of emerging opera stars. To everyone's surprise, there was not one single older artist in the whole production. Even the "old" love birds, Stephen Morschneck's Bartolo and Madeleine Gray's Marcellina, were young, fit and quite good-looking!
Even though some arias and duets lacked technical precision, the genuine emotion and exuberant humor of the artists quickly made up for what looked like a mere lack of performing experience rather than a serious flaw. All the six principals, united by a powerful team spirit, performed with sizzling energy and irresistable charm.