Review: THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO at Opera Wroclaw

This opera buffa composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is the piece produced by the Wrocław Opera as part of the Opera Of The Young program after Don Giovanni and Cossi Fan Tutte. Director André Heller-Lopes put on a very classic show with superb set design by Renato Theobaldo. It is red and gold, intense, full of depth and density of the castle rooms. In the final act, the castle turns into ruby wood. Still magnificent. Kerosene lamps arranged around the revolving stage added 100 points to the charm of the scenography. We actually felt the intentions of the castle delicately illuminated by an old-fashioned light source.

The plot is quite complicated but the main characters, Susanna (Hanna Sosnowska-Bill) and Figaro (Krzysztof Baczyk) lead the story perfectly. She is fresh, light, playful, has a kind of youthful energy that fills the room. And she sings like an angel. Her fiancé is powerful, a bit ruthless, ready to achieve his goal at any cost. The goal is to love, and who would object to that. Among the main characters there is also Count Almaviva (Lukas Barack), his wife (Gabriella Pace), Cherubino (lively played by Aleksandra Opala), Marcelina (Barbara Baginska), Bartolo (the great Dariusz Machej), last but not least, vital and surprisingly fun Aleksander Zuchowicz as Basilio.

There are many different threads and twists, lost child, romance, betrayal, debt, blackmail, revenge, cheating, the play is from the 18th century but has a Bold And Beautiful vibe. It's good, it's dynamic and thanks to a scenography, a beautiful music, and amazing voices it's a real pleasure to watch it. The singing is like a blissful deep sea, with a deep dark touch. Very convincing.

The icing on the cake is the choir. They are heard and seen. Looks like they're having a lot of fun and they're perfect in their role adding much energy.

There's plenty of grand gestures (literally and production-wise), gorgeous set design, and the second act is even more jaw-dropping. With a red atmosphere, more humor and a faster rhythm, we are even deeper in this story. The orchestra is virtuously led by Bassem Akiki (next to his great talent and artistry, I'm a huge fan of his glittering suits).

Everything has its place and the director made sure that we were in the theme from the first to the last moment. I like classic and it's the kind you don't see much in theaters today, it really reflects the era of court conspiracies and where love trumps everything. A small time travel without cutting corners.

Photo: T. Golla

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