David McVicar brings out the best in a young cast for this eleventh revival of his 2006 production of Mozart’s glorious Marriage of Figaro. As he has shown in many other productions, McVicar combines total respect for the intentions of the original composer and librettist with a knack for sensing the strengths of the individual … Read more
In the fall of 1922, New York City was rocked by a riot over hats. A fashion rule decreed that no one could wear a straw hat beyond Sept. 1. Summer was over and it was time to put the straw hats away. Some disagreed and the accepted cutoff time crept to Sept. 15. Any … Read more
Since it appeared in 1790, Cosi Fan Tutte has been the most controversial of Mozart’s comic operas. For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was rarely seen in Europe’s opera houses, particularly in Britain where its sexually risqué plot was seen as conflicting with Victorian morality. Now that we are more relaxed about … Read more
When French-Canadian director-designers André Barbe and Renaud Doucet first produced their version of The Magic Flute at Glyndebourne five years ago, it aroused much controversy. The plot, in any case, is the least convincing of all Mozart’s operas but Barbe & Doucet’s treatment deliberately adds to the confusion. The delightful additions made this time increase … Read more
There are essentially three types of opera director: those who stick as faithfully as possible to the original composer’s and librettist’s intentions; those who add a few touches of their own to enhance or modernise the original; and those who try to adapt the original into a vehicle for their own ideas. Simon McBurney is … Read more
