What a difference a good conductor, new voices, and a creative revival stage director makes. The Met’s revival of Sir Richard Eyre’s 2014 production of Le nozze di Figaro, updated to a mid-20th century mansion of a wealthy aristocrat in Seville, looked and sounded fresh and fun, which is the essence of Mozart’s masterpiece, the original “Upstairs, Downstairs” as a social satire of the class system and sexual politics. This revival emphasizes the sexual interactions of the characters, sometimes violent but never crass, and we, the audience, cannot help but see the behavior of the rogue Count Almaviva not so much as harmless fun but as sexual harassment in its clearest form, an example of an opera written over 200 years ago being truly universal and modern at its heart.
The cast of singers, all energetic and eager, were obliged to play their parts under the direction of revival director Jonathon Loy. As the overture began, the open stage with several ornate circular structures representing rooms in the mansion began to come to life. A topless maid, scurrying away after a night spent with the Count, no longer seems very shocking. The sets and staging were not as awkward as they seemed at the première; this time they aided and enhanced the music and story of the opera with better blocking and directing of singers. Conductor Harry Bicket led a stylish, taut and efficient performance without sacrificing the lush melodies and harmonies of Mozart’s score. His tempo was just right, with enough variation to keep us engaged, and his dynamic control was superb, allowing singers to float their lines above the music. The complex ensemble singing at the end of Act 2 was performed with exquisite beauty, deft balance and control. Linda Hall, on harpsichord, played with unusual strength and clarity. I respect Mr Bicket’s determination to maintain the continuity of music, not affording the audience many opportunities to interrupt the drama with applause after aria, although some arias did deserve – and received – applause.
Veterans of the production, Luca Pisaroni as Count Almaviva and Rachel Willis-Sørensen as his the Countess, showed fine interpretations of their roles, both in voice and in acting. Pisaroni, tall and imposing, was at times hilarious and bossy, his smooth, unforced baritone tracing Mozart’s melodies with ease, except for one high note in his aria. Willis-Sørensen’s Countess was no less subtle, her emotional turmoil and hurt written all over her face. She nailed her two difficult arias with spot on intonation and legato, although high notes sometimes sounded thin and hollow. Her middle register, on the other hand, was rich and creamy, a perfect vehicle for the Countess’s melancholy. Serena Malfi, reprising her Cherubino, made good use of her bright voice with appropriate ardor, naiveté and cunning.