The Marriage of Figaro - NBR New Zealand Opera

There's something so comforting about a Mozart opera for both ardent fans and the uninitiated. It's the comfort in knowing that there will be something there that you recognise, some song you will have heard or hummed in the past. It's the comfort that you're not going into something completely blind!

While I consider myself relatively well versed in the craft, I must admit I went into Figaro having not heard or seen it before, and without doing any research. Understandably (or at least I think so!) I didn't know what I'd recognise, what to look forward to. No Queen of the Night Aria, no Nessun Dorma, what would I know?

Thankfully it didn't take long to set minds at ease; about 0.75 seconds into the overture you can breath a sigh of relief when you recognise the little ditty featured here in this NBR New Zealand Opera clip:


After that you will find three or four notable arias which you will have heard on the radio, in advertising, or in those dreadful packs of the "1024 best classics".

[At this point you may be asking which I'm referring to the company by the full name 'NBR New Zealand Opera'. Well as you can imagine it's quite expensive to stage an opera and the people at the National Business Review have been long time name sponsors. I dare say they are responsible for the very fact that we even have a national opera company! So credit where credit's due - thank you NBR!]

As for the performance itself, I daresay this is one of the finest that the company has staged. I don't believe I'm alone in this view as I was thrilled to see the Aotea Centre full to bursting point.

Many reviews will resort to, or even begin with, comments on the set and lighting to mask bad performances. I however have decided to mention this up front because the first thing you see when you arrive is a collosal wooden wall which functions as the curtain for our performance. Essentially a ranch slider, it is a masterpiece of set design, drifting to reveal or cover sections of the stage as required and allow for set changes behind it. The walls and floor also slide during the performance allowing for characters to remain on stage and the very rooms around to them to expand or contract depending on their importance to the scene. The lighting too is excellent particularly when it comes to the sun and the moon that stream into the many rooms that our story takes place throughout.

The soloists are all very, very fine singers and are gifted with an excellent sense of comic timing - after all opera is as much slapstick as it is drama. I thought all were superbly cast and carried their roles strongly, but I would like to pay particular compliment to the two sopranos. Nuccia Focile played the part of the Countess and her vocal control was immaculate. Most people don't realise that the harder thing in opera is not singing loudly, but singing softly and still achieving a clarity and tone that allows the audience in the very last row to hear. I believe Miss Focile is off to The Met shortly and imagine that this review was a large part of their decision to cast her. Emma Pearson as Susanna was spot on and, though her singing was better, reminded me in many ways of Rachel Griffeths in the film Very Annie Mary.

The orchestra were a well oiled machine, as always, and the chorus continue to grow from strength to strength, though admittedly this is not an opera that allows them much time to shine.

Clever costumes and an overwhelming sense of fun round off a splendid night out and I would encourage you all to get along to see it. My friend who accompanied me had never been to a live opera performance before and loved it. Trust me, you'll never find a better composer than Mozart to introduce you to the art.


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Full marks from me
[I have amended this score, removing half a mark after a friend and member of the chorus admitted to me just now that someone forgot to wear their hat on to the stage.]
[After careful consideration I have decided to restore one quarter of a mark because if this chastisement for failure to wear a hat is indicative of the NBR New Zealand Opera's expectations and desire for greatness, then my own hat, had I indeed remembered to wear it, would be off to them.]