A Night on the Town: the Opera in Toronto
Director Marshall Pynkoski’s comedic production of The Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart maintains the perfect balance of drama and music. There is a lot of detail in Opera Atelier’s recent production, asking the audience for their full attention to every flourish of this delightful romp. Getting the chance to view the performance from box seats in the Edwardian atmosphere of Toronto’s historic Elgin Theatre added to the fun.
Mozart’s first of three masterful operatic collaborations with librettist Lorenzo da Ponte had a rough debut in Vienna in 1786, because the opera was in Italian rather than Austrian court-friendly German. What would have disturbed the Austrian court even more was Toronto’s version – performed in English. Each singer had clear pronunciation and the subtitles (in English) were often unnecessary and distracting.
The Marriage of Figaro is about a young couple, Susanna and Figaro, trying to have a successful wedding day, despite the madness that enfolds. Susanna and Figaro are head servants in Count Almaviva’s court. The Count is trying to enforce an old tradition that states that he is allowed to sleep with the bride on her wedding night, before the husband is allowed to. As he continues finding excuses to delay the wedding ceremony, Susanna, Figaro and the Countess decide to hatch a plan that will expose his scheming. The Count tries to make Figaro legally marry an old woman, who ultimately turns out to be his mother. Through Figaro and Susanna’s clever manipulations, the Count’s love for his Countess is restored and Figaro and Susanna are happily married.
The costume design by Martha Mann was breathtaking. All of the bodies on stage were clothed in such a dazzling fashion that even the servants looked like royalty. Susanna, played by Carla Huhtanen, was a feast for the eyes every time she took the stage. Huhtanen has a very expressive face, fit for theatre. Beginning her career in Italy and France, Huhtanen has become a regular with the Opera Atelier in Toronto.
On the other hand, Canadian performer Olivier Laquerre, playing the role of Figaro, needed some work on his overall projection. With the quietest voice of all the performers on stage, it was hard for the audience to be convinced that this was indeed the magnificent Figaro. In concert, Laquerre often sings Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Magnificat and St. Matthew Passion, as well as Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. One of his upcoming projects includes his return with the Symphony Nova Scotia, in Mozart’s Requiem.
The Countess played by American soprano, Peggy Kriha Dye, complimented Huhtanen very well on stage. Their fine voices are featured in several well balanced duets in this production. Dye started her training at the Julliard Opera Centre and continued as an Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera as well as appearing in many elegant operatic roles since then.
The great Count Almaviva was played by baritone Phillip Addis, who embraced the role and made it his own. Addis had clear projection and pronunciation, as well as an obvious comfort with the stage. Addis, who thrives on dramatic flair, will end this season with his Paris debut at l’Opera Comique in the lead role of Pelleas et Melisande.
Last but certainly not least, is little Cherubino played by Wallis Giunta. Providing the audience with comic relief as she switched genders, Giunta was delightful, particularly in her male role. Cherubino was a joy to watch as he scurried across the stage trying to figure out his feelings for the great Countess and singing love songs to her. Giunta has made her debut on stage in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Carmen. She completed an Artist Diploma in 2009 at The Glenn Gould School, and plans to achieve more title roles in upcoming productions.
The small but powerful orchestra that accompanied the performers on stage was outstanding. Old instruments that were standard of the day when the opera was performed were used. One audience member remarked, “I enjoyed this performance because it was in English so I could understand it. The music was very good, especially the French Horns.”
Another spectator of the evening said, “I enjoyed the opera very much. It was lively, energetic, colorful and entertaining through music, song and dance, and the venue was beautiful. Even though most people love Bach and Beethoven, my favorite composer is Mozart. The Marriage of Figaro has historical meaning in Mozart’s life. It was radical, funny and truthful to the current day when it was first performed.”
All aspects of this opera came together to create a fabulous evening out in the city. Mozart’s music is so moving that the end of overture and the opening of the curtains brought me to tears. Rapturous applause at the end suggested I was not alone in my enjoyment of this timeless classic: The Marriage of Figaro.
*The last names have been changed in order to keep the interviewees anonymous.
