Le Nozze di Figaro

5

Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro is the quintessential Glyndebourne opera. It opened the house in 1934 and had been performed 597 times before this new production’s (Glyndebourne’s tenth) opening night. On the surface, this production is witty, beautifully sung and acted, wonderfully conducted and played and looks great (a revolving set moves the period action along nicely, save for an unfortunate breakdown before the final scene), but seems to break no new ground. And yet, beneath the surface it absolutely does – its innovations are subtle but potent.

This production, by the all-female team of Mariame Clément (direction), Julia Hansen (designs) and Paule Constable (lighting), accentuates the venal nature of each of the male characters. The Count is violent to the point of regularly smacking his wife in front of others. Cherubino, the page, is a creep who never takes no for an answer, demanding kisses – but never consent – from every woman he comes across. Figaro is a true buffoon, oblivious to the many hints and signals his fiancée Susanna and the Countess give him. Don Basilio, the music teacher, is so decrepit he stoops to a near 90-degree angle. All of this is in the text – the interpretation is faithful and nothing has been updated – but it’s been pushed much further than in Glyndebourne’s last two productions (Graham Vick’s, largely set in a rehearsal room, and Michael Grandage’s, updated to the 1970s).

Audience sympathy is therefore entirely with the female characters in this opera of sexual politics and intrigue. The Countess and Susanna are at the heart of the action – constantly outsmarting the men while maintaining their dignity.  Barbarina’s lost pin aria in Act 4 is given full showstopper treatment, and even the devious Marcellina is depicted as wilier than usual. In the opera’s final moments, the Countess asks her husband to forgive everyone, but it’s clear she can’t and won’t forgive the Count – he’s undeserving.

However, this is by no means a sour, sober production, as much of it is laugh-out-loud funny. In Act 1, Susanna vigorously sews her wedding cap timed perfectly to the beat of the music. Marcellina must hoick her petti skirts all the way up to retrieve Figaro’s IOU from her tights. And as Act 3 begins the Count is taking a bath on stage, his two naked feet popping out of the water before the rest of him, leaving the post-dinner interval audience in hysterics.

Musically this is Glyndebourne at its absolute Mozartian best. The four principals are all ideal for their roles, with voices that blend effortlessly in the big ensemble numbers. The stand-out amongst them is Louise Adler’s Countess, who blends coquettish charm with real pathos, no more so than in her stunning rendition of Porgi Amor in Act 2. It helps that all four are of similar ages, which means the power dynamics are purely class-based. The minor roles are equally well cast, with standouts including Adèle Charvet’s convincing Cherubino, Elisabeth Boudreault’s lusciously sung Barbarina and Ru Charlesworth’s hilarious Don Basilio.

Riccardo Minasi conducts an energetic and detailed account of the score and is always sympathetic to the singers. The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment play with gusto and make their period instruments sound refreshingly modern.

This is Five Star Glyndebourne  – musically brilliant, funny and subtly thought provoking. And in this battle of the sexes, women come out on top.

Festival – Glyndebourne

Le Nozze di Figaro

Opera buffa in four acts, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte

Conducted by Riccardo Minasi

Production by Mariame Clément

Designs by Julia Hansen, Lighting by Paule Constable

Cast includes Michael Nagl (Figaro), Johanna Wallroth (Susanna), Huw Montague Rendall (the Count), Louise Adler (the Countess)

Playing until 21st August 2025

Running time: 4 hours 25 minutes including 90-minute dinner interval

Photo credit: © Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photography by Richard Hubert Smith