Le Nozze di Figaro (Four Stars)

Of course people are calling this year’s edition of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) a grand retelling of a classic for this generation, but a better observation would be a comparison to films such as the Pierce Brosnan era Bond series or any of George Lucas’ flashy, showy works. Like these movies, the most recent edition of Figaro is so over-the-top, albeit through singing and orchestral flourishes, that every ten or so minutes you find yourself watching a spectacle instead of a scene.

For one thing, this season’s cast is phenomenal. Emma Bell and Isabel Leonard blow their parts, Countess Almaviva and Cherubino, respectively, out of any sort of realist water that could be holding them. They make these characters come alive (see Bell’s Act III aria “Dove sono.”) Also admirable is Denmark’s Bo Skovhus, who plays the often campy role of Count Almaviva in a straightforward fashion that lends itself incredibly well to the innate comedy in the character.

But the most striking thing is the set design. For any newcomer to the Met, or opera in general, the way that the sets pop from the stage will intrigue their mind, while the lighting and mood direction will woo their soul (I needn’t even mention the mind-obliterating set change between scenes III and IV.) It is these mammoth artworks that tie the ostentatious festival together and make it memorable.

All in all, Le Nizzi di Figaro will be one of your favorite productions of the year, even if you don’t like sitting through three and a half hours of opera. It is a treat and an extravaganza whose sum is truly greater than its (pretty great) parts.