THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO: Opera Buffa, Heavy on the Buffa

figaro0001Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro may be the world’s most beloved opera. Singers love to sing it. Musicians love to play it. And, most importantly, audiences love to see it.

Every city seeking a local opera culture will soon produce this great treasure of civilization.

Early Chicago saw Colonel James Mapleson, the great English opera impresario, bring his company to the city’s Opera-house in 1878. For his opening night he chose, of course, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.

Marie Roze, Mapleson’s wife, was to sing Suzanna, and Minnie Hauk, Cherubino.

Both divas, however, set their eyes on the prima donna’s deluxe dressing room.

Hauk arrived at the theater early on the afternoon of the performance to arrange her trunks and costumes in the star’s quarters. An hour after she had finished and gone, Roze’s maid and husband appeared on the scene, moved Hauk’s things out, and put Mme. Roze’s in. At about five thirty Hauk’s agent appeared backstage to check on arrangements, only to discover the switch. He immediately returned his client’s things back where he thought they belonged and padlocked the door.

That evening Roze arrived at the theater first. She immediately ordered a locksmith, had the dressing room unlocked, and Hauk’s things tossed out. When Hauk arrived to see her rival sitting in her dressing room, she was so furious she stormed back to her suite at the Palmer House and refused to sing. Since it was too late to change operas, Figaro began without Cherubino. Mapleson, meanwhile, went over to the Palmer House to try to soothe Hauk‘s temper, finally convincing her to return to the theater. She joined the cast on stage midway through the opera, to glare at Susanna for the rest of the evening.

The Lyric Opera Company’s current production of The Marriage of Figaro puts its abundant hijinks on its stage, in a production which highlights the buffa in this opera buffa.

The young conductor Henrik Nanasi energetically leads an even younger cast, featuring the rich-voiced Adam Plachetka as Figaro, Brindley Sherratt and Katherine Goeldner as the mature Bartolo and Marcellina, and Rachel Frenkel as the production’s favorite character, Cherubino. And Amanda Majeski delivers the Countesses’ “Dove sono’” with lovely feeling.

It is always good sit in the beautiful Civic Opera House surrounded by Mozart’s magnificent music.

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