SFist: Philistine: the Marriage of Figaro

PietB

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 20:47:15 -0800

I saw Figaro last night with the regular cast. Excellent seat for sound, on the aisle just under the balcony, thanks to a friend. I agree that Goodman's conducting was blurred and very uneven, with a fair amount of rushing and some parts almost preternaturally attuned to the singers -- definitely sounds as though there's a consistency problem from the comments above. Swenson was not in her best voice; I haven't seen her in a while and I was surprised at her bulk, which doesn't seem to be helping her top notes. Camilla Tilling as Susanna was a treat, with a soft bronze sheen to her tone, unforced volume, clear diction; her acting was good, as well, and I'm looking forward to seeing/hearing more of her. The letter duet in the second act was superb, as though the women were voicing two halves of the same thought throughout. John Relyea is serious eye candy, although the opening shot of his bare torso was almost blinding, he's so pale below the makeup line. Peter Mattei was somewhat restrained as Almaviva, I thought, although he certainly has the reserves; I couldn't make up my mind whether it was his natural style or the direction -- not disappointing, just not quite passionate enough in his jealousy and frustration. Claudia Mahnke has a sweet, strong voice for Cherubino, but she's so tiny it was like watching a sixth-grader trying to play with the grown-ups, all the women except Barbarina (Nikki Einfeld) are taller than she, and the men tower over her. I'd like to go back and see them again but there's not much chance.

cedichou

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 16:36:09 -0800

Mike: are you kidding me? I'm going to see it tonight!

sfmike

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 16:25:40 -0800

Not sure if you're in the mood to see TWO "Marriage of Figaro"'s in one month, but the "A" cast is definitely worth catching. Though John Relyea is no Nathan Gunn in the abs department (who is, outside of porno films?), he's still definitely a hunk-a-chunk with a great voice as Figaro. Peter Mattei as the Count just about steals the show. The women are all wonderful, and Catherine Cook does wonders with the tiresome part of Figaro's fiance/mother. (The parentage sestetto is awesome, Eric, and has the audience actually laughing loudly.) I also disagree with both you and Kosman about the conductor, Roy Goodman. I like the sound of his Mozart, a lot, and I tend to be pretty critical of most Mozart conducting.

Eric C.

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 13:48:57 -0800

I'm sorry to hear about the tempo/coordination issues -- can be especially vexing with Mozart! I hope those get ironed out by the time I see the show this weekend. Are there any creative touches or nuances during the sestetto in which Figaro's parentage is revealed? One of my favorite scenes, and I'm always on the lookout for beauty there.