Erwin Schrott (Figaro); Miah Persson (Susanna); Gerald Finley (Count Almaviva); Dorothea Röschmann (Countess Almaviva); Rinat Shaham (Cherubino);
David McVicar’s spellbinding production of Le nozze di Figaro is set in 1830s post-revolution France, where the inexorable unravelling of an old order has produced acute feelings of loss. In the relationship between Finley’s suave, dashingly self-absorbed Count and Röschmann’s passionately dignified Countess, which lies at the tragic heart of the opera, the sexy ease between a feisty Figaro (Erwin Schrott) and a sassy Susanna (Miah Persson)is starkly absent, the tenacious spark between Marcellina (Graciela Araya) and Bartolo (Jonathan Veira) suggesting what might be rekindled. The production is superbly complemented by the beauty of Paule Constables lighting and Tanya McCallin’s evocative sets. Antonio Pappano conducts (and accompanies the recitatives) with invigorating wit and emotional depth.
“Here is a Figaro to put with the 1973 Glyndebourne production placed among the top five operatic DVDs. Figaro and Susanna are very much the centre here, and we like them not only because they sing and act well but because they are sympathetic in a modern way.” (Gramophone)
Extra features
The Magic of Mozart: Interviews with Antonio Pappano, David McVicar and principal cast. Cast gallery and illustrated Synopsis.