Opera Australia’s Figaro plays it perfectly for laughs
No wonder Paolo Bardogna is one of the world’s funniest comic opera performers. He has it all: impeccable timing, cheeky charm and a Chaplinesque way of shrugging off setbacks.
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And on top of all of that he has a formidable bass-baritone to complete the picture. So it is hardly surprising that this accomplished Italian performer shines again in the title role of Mozart’s hugely enjoyable revival of The Marriage of Figaro.
Not that he has it all his own way in this production. Our own Stacey Alleaume, as Mozart’s smartest and most endearing heroine, Susanna, gives him a good run for his money as she fends off the unwanted attentions of the philandering Count Almaviva while conspiring to make it to the altar with her beloved Figaro.
The cast is outstanding, Mozart’s music weaves its spell and, helped by excellent costuming, lighting and set design, the production romps along to a satisfying conclusion.
What makes Bordogna so endearing is his ability to find the humanity in characters who might otherwise be dismissed as mere nincompoops. A lot of this requires technique but he brings it off with much more: an assured manner, an energetic presence and an easy wit.
MAGICAL
His voice is a satisfyingly versatile instrument, capable of handling rapid switches in key while negotiating some of Mozart’s more dense recitatives.
And then there is that elusive, almost magical quality, exemplified by the first-act aria Non più andrai (No more, you amorous butterfly), when Figaro playfully teases the young Cherubino about the pleasures he is about to abandon as he is sent off to war.
Like Bordogna, Ukrainian baritone Andrei Bondarenko has made his mark with this opera, in the latter’s case as the lecherous count. Bondarenko offered a brooding stage presence, being no stranger to the role. He has performed the part in St Petersburg, in Madrid and has recorded it for Sony Classics.
One of the highlights of this OA production was his soulful and contrite Act 4 rendering of Contessa perdono (Countess, forgive me).
Australian audiences will remember Bondarenko’s Sydney Opera House debut under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy in 2012. He also played the count in Opera Australia’s 2015 production.
Russian soprano Ekaterina Sadovnikova, as the count’s neglected wife, provided strong support. her rich soprano oh-so-carefully restrained in Act 2 as she laments her husband’s infidelity, Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro (Grant, love, some comfort).
Australian-Mauritian soprano Alleaume made a big impression on opening night in her role debut as Susanna, an interesting choice given that she once confessed to Limelight magazine she thought Mozart was overrated as a composer.
Regardless, she proved herself more than capable in the role, her voice as big as her frame was small, imparting a sweet charm and a sharp wit.
Talented mezzosoprano Anna Downsley made an appealing innocent as Cherubino, the page with a wandering eye, a role traditionally performed by a woman.
All up, a rousing start to the season, with an outstanding cast.