OPERA: Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. Basel Theatre. Til June 2010
This modern staging of Mozart’s opera buffa is delightful and provides a very humorous evening’s entertainment. It is a new production for the Basel stage. The Director sets the premise for the Count’s infidelities during the overture, when the newly decorated child’s room replete with large stuffed toys is cleared out and the servant Figaro and his beloved, Susanna, move in. Turning her back on the childless room, the Countess shrugs off her husband’s embrace and sets the scene for the couple’s marital difficulties.
The soloists were marvellous, each Aria delighting the audience, who responded with enthusiastic applause. In particular, there’s opportunity to hear Franziska Gottwald again, who sings the part of the page Cerubino. She’s a fascinating mezzo-soprano with a warm voice free of tremolo and the ability to be androgynous when the part requires it. We also heard already play Alcina in Vivaldi’s Orlando Furioso last year. Maria Boog, a great favourite on the Basel stage, sings Susanna. She not only has a fine voice but is a convincing actress.
The set-design is artistic and colourful, from the Alice-in-Wonderland oversize designer dressing room belonging to the Countess, and the garden replete with cacti - forewarning someone will get pricked when the lovers rendezvous.
Synopsis: Count Almaviva makes advances on Susanna, his wife’s maid, who is due to marry Figaro. The Countess plots with Susanna to humiliate him, by dressing up the page, Cerubino, as Susanna and agreeing to a rendezvous. There are cases of mistaken identity, lots of clothes swapping and hiding in cupboards; daring escapes into the bath-tub or off the balcony into the garden.
It is sung in Italian with German sub-titles.
Performances dates are: 2/8/13/22/25/30 May, 12/8 June. See www.theater-basel.ch
Joanne
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