‘Marriage’ unites Newport and NYC
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it’s not too much of a stretch to say that Bugs Bunny’s versions of the “The Marriage of Figaro” and “The Barber of Seville” were testaments of the enduring popularity of Mozart. An updated, though much less silly, version of “The Marriage of Figaro,” or “Le Nozze di Figaro” will live stream directly from the Metropolitan Opera in New York City to the Newport Performing Arts Center this Saturday, April 26.
The profoundly humane comedy is a remarkable marriage of Mozart’s music at the height of his genius and one of the best librettos ever set. Conductor Joana Mallwitz makes her Met debut, leading an extraordinary cast in this comic masterpiece. Bass-baritone Michael Sumuel stars as the clever valet Figaro, opposite soprano Olga Kulchynska as his betrothed, the wily maid Susanna. Baritone Joshua Hopkins is the philandering Count, soprano Federica Lombardi is his anguished wife and mezzo-soprano Sun-Ly Pierce takes on the role of the adolescent page Cherubino.
In adapting a play that caused a scandal with its revolutionary take on 18th-Century society, librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte focused less on the original topical references and more on the timeless issues embedded in the frothy drawing room comedy. Seville, the setting of “Le Nozze di Figaro” and its prequel “The Barber of Seville,” was famous in Mozart’s time as a place filled with hot-blooded young men and exotically beautiful women sequestered behind latticed windows. The current Met production of “Le Nozze di Figaro” places the action in the 1930s.
Mozart’s outstanding score mirrors the complex world it depicts. Standout solo numbers include the Countess’ two arias, Cherubino’s “Voi, che sapete,” Susanna’s “Deh, vieni, non tardar” and Figaro’s arias, the angry Act IV diatribe against womankind, “Aprite un po’ quegli occhi” and “Non più andrai,” in which not even the most buoyant and memorable melody in the world can entirely hide the character’s sarcasm.
The production, sung in Italian with English subtitles, begins at 10 am with a run time of approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes, with one intermission. Tickets range from $12 to $28.
The Newport Performing Arts Center is located at 777 W Olive Street. For more information, go to coastarts.org or call 541-265-2787.