Le Nozze di Figaro

Neville Marriner, Conductor

Ruggero Raimondi, Lucia Popp, Jose van Dam, Barbara Hendricks, Agnes Baltsa
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Librettist: Lorenzo da Ponte

Marriner's Figaro is a more affordable and equally pleasant alternative to the Solti. The cast is just as strong, the performances are very lively, and for the most part the conducting is superb.

I love to listen to Ruggero Raimondi sing. His diction is wholly unique; he has a way of rolling the sound around in his mouth that is really awesome. His Count is beautifully sung and well-acted, in a manner that is slightly less sympathetic than Thomas Allen but just as successful.

I'm convinced Lucia Popp can do anything. Her performance as Susanna on the Solti album is so wonderful, but the Countess is a vastly different character. When I saw that this CD featured her in that role I was prepared to be disappointed, because the roles are so radically different that I couldn't imagine anyone doing really well in both. I needn't have worried - Popp's voice isn't as weighty as Te Kanawa's, but she makes up for it with excellent acting. "Dove Sono" (my favorite Countess aria) is gorgeous.

Barbara Hendricks's performance as Susanna is very enjoyable. Her manner is a little more impish than Popp, but less so than Anna Moffo. It's a nice level of balance - Susanna should be lighthearted but never smarmy, and this is done well here. Hendricks's voice is also full of emotion and complements Van Dam's quite nicely whenever they have a duet.

Jose van Dam makes a really superb Figaro. He acts well and has a truly gorgeous voice. "Non più andrai" displays a nearly perfect technical emphasis. His mellower tone is very different from the darker, really rumbling bass of Samuel Ramey on Solti's recording, but it's equally beautiful. I really can't choose a favorite between the two; both bring humanity to the character, both have great technique, and both sound great. The people who find Ramey to be a bit too lifeless (I disagree, but what-have-you) might find Van Dam more to their taste - he uses a bit more emphasis when singing, but never strays into the bellowing style of Taddei.

Agnes Baltsa lends a charming voice to the part of Cherubino. Her "Voi che sapete" is lovely, and "Non so più" would be equally so if it hadn't been conducted a bit too fast for my taste. (Obviously, that's not Baltsa's fault!)

In fact, the tempo of "Non so più" is my only reservation against Marriner's conducting. While I agree that the song should be rapid and trembly, it can be taken too far. This is more a matter of personal taste than an actual problem, I think.

The Solti recording edges this one out in my opinion, but only just; I plan to purchase both recordings in the near future. For those who dislike the Solti or can't afford it, definitely check this one out. It features an equally wonderful, but very different performance. If Le Nozze di Figaro is one of your favorite operas, I would definitely pick up this recording somewhere.

Originally Reviewed:

21-Mar-03