On November 11, The Marriage of Figaro opened at Minnesota Opera at the Ordway Performing Arts Center. The show was headed by Richard Ollarsaba as Figaro, and Angela Mortellaro as his bride, Susanna. The Countess was sung by South African soprano Johanni Van Oostrum. Her luscious high notes filled the hall. Adriana Zabala sang an energetic Cherubino. Count Almaviva, Jacques Imbrailo, was appropriately slimy, but lacked palpable outrage and anger in the first two acts.

This being the quintessential ensemble opera, secondary characters occasionally stole the spotlight. Nadia Fayad as Marcellina was a bitter, lusty woman of a certain age, and Andres Acosta as Don Basilio/Don Curzio stood out with his physical comedy. It is interesting to note that there are five current Resident Artists, and four former Resident Artists in the cast. Minnesota Opera certainly keeps it in the family!

The production was seen at Opera Philadelphia last spring and designed by. The set consists of a large unwieldy set piece that appeared one dimensional, but actually has four sides that can unfold and spin around. The singers could even enter the rectangle and open the doors in the panels (providing for cleanly executed and surprising entrances). Alluring because of its individuality, it was very limiting for the drama onstage. Large spaces of the stage were unused, therefore sections of the performance were very confined and static. There was a scarcity of other set pieces, during the first act the whole the only thing on stage was a four poster bed.

A very interesting aspect of this production was the introduction of a dream sequence after the Count’s aria. The other male servants appear wearing Don Giovanni-esque masks and smash engraved portraits of the Count’s noble forefathers. For the customary wedding march and dance, the entire chorus came out wearing the black masks and mocked the Count. A very effective political statement, the Count was fuelled until the end of the opera by the knowledge of his world, literally crumbling around him.

Even with the dark elements, the piece did not lose its comic lightness. It was still an evening full of laughs and slapstick, but the more serious aspects were brought forth. Along with this unexpected episode, Mortellaro’s characterization of Susanna in the final two acts deviated from the common chipper portrayal of this sassy maid. She was a bride-to-be who truly didn’t want to go along with the Countess’ plan to trap the Count. “Crudel perche finora” was full of pain, and her “Deh vieni non tardar” was regretful and sorrowful. But of course, everything comes out alright in the end, and for another unusual aspect of the night, the whole cast ended up in their undergarments (and no socks) by the finale.

The Minnesota Orchestra had a fine sound, but lacked energy that ultimately bled on stage. I am sure this will be corrected as the run goes on. There were some moments in the staging that interrupted the flow of the music, most noticeably in the act two finale before “Voi signor che giusto siete”. Musically, many characters did enjoyable ornaments in their arias and there was the customary cut of Marcellina and Don Curzio arias. Personally, I thought the tempi in the final act were a little fast, not giving time for the audience to savor the long awaited melodies.

Minnesota Opera played to a full house on opening night and has limited availability as the run goes on, a wonderful introduction opera for newcomers!

Minnesota Opera’s The Marriage of Figaro runs through November 19. For details and ticket information, follow our box office links below.