Le Nozze di Figaro
W.A.Mozart
Stage direction : Claus Guth
Dramaturgy: Ronnie Dietrich
Stage and costume design: Christian Schmidt
Choreography: Ramsès Sigl
2006 Salzburg Festival DVD Deutsche Gramophon
The talent of Claus Guth lies in his fantastic ability to add depth and darkness to an otherwise very silly vaudeville-esque plot. Each character is given more layers than the libretto states, from the most obvious (Figaro or Il Conte) to the most unexpected ones (Cherubino for instance). Not only that, but Guth creates a very cohesive and clear, yet infinitely personal and detailed vision of Le Nozze.
The dramaturgy of Ronny Dietrich is very logic to start with, but Guth takes it to a higher level with numerous thoughtful details, either poetic - the feathers falling from the sky when Figaro cuts Cherubino's hair (first portayed in the introduction as the angel puppeteer with small feathered wings) in Act 1 "Non più andrai, farfallone amoroso", or funny - the entrance of Il Conte threatening his wife with an axe in Act 2 "Tutto è come il lasciai" recitativo for instance.
Furthermore, Guth is brilliant at dealing with trios. He creates a unique and colorful synergy between the three characters all the time, that transcends Da Ponte's words, adding codes to structure his whole concept - such as the recurring posture of the two dominant characters surrounding left and right the weakest one.
Guth's general idea is that the characters' lives are intertwined even closer than what the libretto suggests, and that everyone is the puppet of Destiny - the Cherubino-twin angel in his vision. Each apparition of the Destiny - even when the little angel throws himself out the window or comes in on an unicycle - is very relevant and true to the concept, often even poetic.
You are drown to this production, overall even more accomplished and mesmorizing than his hynotizing Don Giovanni for the 2008 Salzburg Festival. It's such a joy to be able to see such a successful production, such a rare feeling for me - and I should know, I neither like Mozart nor Netrebko and I still bought the DVD.
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3 comments:
Thank you for all this consice and meaningful description of this performance.
What is that you do not like in
Netrebko and Mozart?
Best wishes.
In short: both are uneventful (read: lifeless).
Although I must admit Netrebko is not as bad as Mozart ... :)
Netre is not my favourite singer either, whereas Mozart is.
Who are your favourite composers, Extatic?
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