Figaro

Le nozze di Figaro was the opening performance of the Glyndebourne Opera House on May 28 1934.  It opened the 50th anniversary season on the same date in 1984, and was inevitably chosen to open the new Glyndebourne opera house on May 28 1994. 

This season's new production by Michael Grandage is the sixth in Glyndebourne's history, and its opening performance was the 486th by Glyndebourne.  The 500th will be the penultimate performance of the current season's run on August 20th.  So this is a work of huge importance to the house whose "resident composer" is Mozart. 

I am fortunate (and old) enough have seen all the productions of the last 60 years - my first was in 1958 (I think) with Elisabeth Söderström as Susanna.  So I attend any performance of this piece, wherever it may be, with the advantage and the disadvantage of intimate knowledge! 

First of all I should say that this production and performance gave me enormous pleasure.  There is a new master in the pit for Mozart (and much else I feel sure) at Glyndebourne, the recently appointed music director (from 2014) Robin Ticciati.  This young man's blossoming talent has been evident for a few years now.  But if ever there was proof needed that his appointment as Glyndebourne's music director was an inspired choice then this Figaro is it.  I feel that he will have as profound effect on the Sussex house as his magnificent Mozartian predecessors, Fritz Busch, Vittorio Gui, John Pritchard, Bernard Haitink, and Andrew Davis.

Building a perfect cast from all those who have sung in this opera over the decades at Glyndebourne is an impossible task.  For a start there have been too many "Hall of Famers" as Susanna, Countess, and Cherubino. Sciutti, Söderström, Freni, Cotrubas; Sutherland, Jurinac, Te Kanawa; Berganza, Mathis, von Stade......not to mention a probable future mega star, the current Cherubino Isabel Leonard. 

We should be more than content to have a really classy ensemble such as we saw this year welded together with total musical and theatrical coherence by Ticciati and Michael Grandage.  I am looking forward to this team's work in the future.........

All this Mozart excitement has rather eclipsed my memory of Monday's Ravel.  I enjoyed that evening too - the young woman who sang the Enfant was remarkable - Khatouna Gadelia.  And she was surrounded by a brilliant ensemble including all but one of the principals of the L'heure espagnole.  These included our old friends Elliot Madore and Kathleen Kim.  And the musical side was looked after of course - a Glyndebourne hall mark.  The really excellent Kazushi Ono with the London Philharmonic is as good as it gets. 

I return to London this morning and will be back in Chicago tomorrow evening.

Comments

[Richard Boyum]

While you were exploring beaches, threatening horses (by looking as though you might want to go for a ride) and attending some good music in England, we were closer to home at Glimmerglass Opera in upstate New York.

We are in for a great treat with Sean Panikkar this fall in The Magic Flute. His voice is the real thing and I believe that many will be thrilled with his performance as Tamino. Panikkar appeared as "Leader" in the Kurt Weill "Lost in the Stars." It is a great voice and super stage presence. And might I add that Eric Owens gave an incredible performance as Stephen Kumalo in the Weill work.

COT credits bubbled up in biographies of artists at the festival. Brandy Lynn Hawkins was in the song cycle double bill of a couple of years ago. She is in the ensemble at Glimmerglass this year and sang beautifully the important role of Irina in "Lost in the Stars."

Colin Ainsworth sang the male lead Renaud in the Lully "Armide." He was a great Jason in the COT Medee. The Lully is treacherous singing and Ainsworth has technique and sound to spare.

And though we arrived after the rehearsals and so did not see him, Eric Sean Fogel was choreographer for the controversial "Aida." It was a very dark look at the Verdi opera and it opened entirely new perspectives for the audience...and some of the audience was quite vocal in not wanting any new perspectives! Of course, Fogel was choreographer of the incredible "Moscow Cheryomushki" from last spring.

It was a good weekend...4 operas in less than 48 hours. No problem for the dedicated (and perhaps deranged) opera fan.

Rick Boyum/Chicago

[BD]

Oh hello Rick! Yes COT alums are all over the place - in Garsington and Glyndebourne this summer for example. It is good to see COT on these bios!! I think that the Flute cast is going to be very strong. Sean is great, but he is just one of a very strong team I hope.

I am on my way back to Chicago today.