Glimmerglass Opera Festival 2010 – Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro

Reviewed by Paula Citron

Glimmerglass Opera Festival's listless The Marriage of Figaro is not for people who are Figaroed out.

The operative word is beige – beige derelict set, beige Edwardian costumes, beige conducting by David Angus. Designer Donald Eastman's rationale for the dilapidated palace is that Count Almaviva is a bad home owner, just as he is a bad husband. It doesn't wash, Donald. The count has just been appointed Spain's ambassador to London. The guy is not chopped liver.

Canadian Leon Major skilfully directs the opera as a play. His stage business includes a lot of lively detail such as an adorable physical fight between Figaro and Susanna. Major also cleverly uses the character of Don Basilio as a roving peeping Tom.

However, Angus' paint by numbers musical treatment sabotages the good singing and direction. A uninteresting orchestra coupled with a terrible set and dull costumes – boring!

The Marriage of Figaro continues at the Alice Busch Opera Theatre until Aug. 22. THE NEW CLASSICAL 96.3 FM.

The Marriage of Figaro
Glimmerglass Opera Festival
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conducted by David Angus
Directed by Leon Major
Starring Patrick Carfizzi, Lyubov Petrova, Mark Schnaible, Caitlin Lynch and Auhelia Varak
Alice Busch Opera Theatre
Cooperstown, New York
Jul. 17 to 22, 2010