Met’s new “Figaro” cast adds seasoning, comedic spark to superb vocalism
If opera casting were a competitive sport, there would have been something unfair about the new singers the Metropolitan Opera put in front of the audience Saturday night in Le Nozze di Figaro. This season’s revival already featured fine singing and great chemistry from the first cast; and to that one can now add incredible experience and comedic skills.
Those are in the form of bass-baritones Luca Pisaroni and Adam Plachetka as Figaro and Count Almaviva. Not only are these two likely the best contemporary singers in those roles, and veterans of each, but they have also both sung both roles. They have them in and out and surrounded.
Unsurprisingly, both were excellent Saturday night, Pisaroni with a great quickness to his singing and expressive agility, so at ease in the music that he added little embellishments here and there. He is so natural in the role that his performance felt almost too casual at first. But each witty inflection from “Se a caso madama la notte ti chiama” on built into a fine portrait, and the Act III scene where he discovers his parentage was true high comedy.
Plachetka managed the tricky balance of pressing Count Almaviva’s smugness and bluster, but without buffoonery. Part of this was that he sang in a big fully articulated voice all night. His count is an intelligent, clever schemer and that makes his constantly being outwitted that much sharper and funnier. That intelligence came through when he responded to a set malfunction with a perfectly pitched non-verbal ad lib.
This cast also has the Met debut of soprano Jacquelyn Stucker as Countess Almaviva. As striking and elegant in the role—a real strength of this revival—as was Federica Lombardi, her singing was slow to develop on Saturday. While she sang with a substantial, translucent sound all night,“Porgi, amor” had some inexact intonation and a deliberate, hectoring style to the phasing that made it feel sluggish. Yet her ensemble singing that followed immediately was excellent, and “Dove sono” was precise and fluid.
The new Susanna is soprano Rosa Feola. She seemed a little mismatched against Pisaroni at first, not at the same level of energy and verve, but her performance grew all evening in vocal and comedic strength. Everything seemed directed toward the Act IV aria, “Deh vieni non tardar,” which was the finest vocal moment of the night. Feola’s voice is gorgeous, full, and easy, and the moment was deeply moving.
Not a new face, but new in the role at the Met was mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo as Cherubino. She was fantastic, the meatiness of her voice perfect in “Voi che sapete,” and using her height for ideal gawkiness as the addled and awkward teenager. The Met other debut was soprano Jazmine Saunders as Barbarina. Where Mei Gui Zhang was delicate in her performance, Saunders has a bigger sound and “L’ho perduta” felt grounded and assured, a fine complement to D’Angelo.
Joana Mallwitz conducts this whole run, and though she still has a couple problematic habits, the music was far better organized than on opening night. The big, complex vocal ensembles emerged clear and crisp, and the overall music- making was much more substantial and satisfying.
Le Nozze di Figaro runs through May 17. metopera.org
