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Le Nozze di Figaro
Metropolitan Opera House, Wed, December 18, 1985
Le Nozze di Figaro (287)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Lorenzo Da Ponte
- Figaro
- John Cheek
- Susanna
- Kathleen Battle
- Count Almaviva
- Jorma Hynninen
- Countess Almaviva
- Carol Vaness
- Cherubino
- Frederica von Stade
- Dr. Bartolo
- Spiro Malas
- Marcellina
- Loretta Di Franco
- Don Basilio
- Michel Sénéchal
- Antonio
- James Courtney
- Barbarina
- Dawn Upshaw
- Don Curzio
- Anthony Laciura
- Conductor
- James Levine
Review 1:
Review of John Rockwell in The New York Times
Opera: “Figaro” Cast Changes
The Metropolitan Opera introduced four newcomers into its new Jean-Pierre Ponnelle production of Mozart’s “Nozze di Figaro” on Wednesday night, among them the two principal male characters.
The most impressive addition to the cast was Jorma Hynninen, the Finnish baritone, as Count Almaviva. His is not the largest or most smoothly produced voice to essay this part. But it is solid enough, technically, and he made the right kind of dramatic showpiece of his big aria. His phrasing and declamation were constantly intelligent, and he looked sternly dashing as a stage presence. An excellent performance.
John Cheek, the new Figaro, was certainly serviceable, but less striking. This is a true bass-baritone performance, with the emphasis on bass. But Mr. Cheek’s voice sounded covered and dull much of the time, for all his industrious acting.
The other two cast changes were the relatively minor roles of Don Bartolo and Marcellina, taken by Spiro Malas and Loretta Di Franco. Mr. Malas got lost in his first act aria and took a while to recover, earning him one resounding boo from the audience. But otherwise he was amiable enough, as was Miss Di Franco.
Otherwise, the cast was headed by the radiant Frederica von Stade and Kathleen Battle and the more placid Carol Vaness, with nice cameos by Michel Sénéchal and James Courtney. James Levine was the warmly idiomatic conductor.
Search by season: 1985-86
Search by title: Le Nozze di Figaro,
Met careers
- James Levine [Conductor]
- John Cheek [Figaro]
- Kathleen Battle [Susanna]
- Jorma Hynninen [Count Almaviva]
- Carol Vaness [Countess Almaviva]
- Frederica von Stade [Cherubino]
- Spiro Malas [Dr. Bartolo]
- Loretta Di Franco [Marcellina]
- Michel Sénéchal [Don Basilio]
- James Courtney [Antonio]
- Dawn Upshaw [Barbarina]
- Anthony Laciura [Don Curzio]