Le Nozze di Figaro-Non Piu So Cosa Son,Cosa Faccio

[beteltree]

Schaefer is a fantastic Cherubino!

[alflig1]

dio, che noia. che inutilità registiche, fatte apposta per disturbare cantanti e pubblico...

uff...

[MrPablo1103]

beautiful

[0smithf]

Wow this is Mozart meets Stephen Poliakoff, not sure what to make of it!

[dialectgirl]

Wonderful singing - no idea what the staging is about. But why do they always take the role away from the mezzos? Thanks for the upload :)

[jantigercat]

Unfortunately this staging of Figaro caused some headaches in my part...but nevertheless a wonder to behold!

[juerfromm]

christine schäfer singt anna netrebko an die wand

[danutpopescu1]

mozart was a genius. and singers are excelent.

[pescaresedamestre]

bravissima voce stupenda bellissima idea di portare la scna nei anni 50 ,belissime scene

[nigulat]

Bravissima! Just great!!

[iangatsby21]

So, why was this character totally just made up???

Wow...this Anna girl is like a combination of Maria Callas and Audrey Hepburn!

[ARTUROPVIOLA]

Interesting that Mozart and Da Ponte argued about the ending, and Mozrt stood firm in the forgiveness and reconciliation ... in which case, in Mozart's MUSIC and HEART, love never dies! Why in this production love should die ... I don't know why ..... in any case .... the singing is very very very GOOD!

[ahhnitah]

The singing is wonderful, the idea a bit silly... I guess i can kind of understand the point of it and see how it would appeal to some, but for me, nothing is better than the original

[chevrox]

it's like the crossbreed of Sound of Music and The Others

[mshellnj]

I do want to say that the cast is brilliant!

[mshellnj]

THIS IS CRAP!! I'm sorry - Mozart and Daponte were pretty bright fellow. If they wanted a boy to walk around with wings on the entire opera and touch people, they would have written him into the opera. - The "Cupid" does nothing to illuminate the story - not to mention the ridiculous ending of the opera with Cherubino dying!!!! I am so tired of productions like this being called "amazing" and that "it seems only enlightened minds can wrap their ideas around it... "

[g4thz]

The angel represents, I think, love. He's about the way love can affect our actions, which is why, throughout the production, he is constantly manipulating people, causing them to become attracted to various people, etc. At the end, during the finale, you'll notice he has lost all of his power. He can't move anyone... except, of course, for Cherubino. All of the other characters have found their soulmates, so to speak. They can't be moved. But Cherubino's still with Barbarina...

[g4thz]

... he hasn't found the person he is meant to be with. And he is, therefore, still affected by this dangerous power.

You'll notice that Cherubino is dressed like the angel, which underlies their similarities. Cherubino is also the youngest of the main characters, and maybe that's why he isn't hooked up at the end: we know that his relationship with Barbarina doesn't last. And maybe his "death" is a foreshadow of the third part of this story.

(this was to patrickjohn84)

[g4thz]

oops, not to patrickjohn84 but to mshellnj, sorry!

[mshellnj]

G4thz - Your observations are most likely all correct. I was never under the impression that Figaro needed "help." Adding an Angel who, as you say, manipulates people people seems rather superfluous - considering this opera is one of the greatest ever written. As far as foreshadowing Cherubino's eventual demise on the battlefield - seems a little premature and over the top. Just my 2 cents. But nice having an intelligent conversation with you!!

[drakkonami]

The director seems to be leaning towards Monteverdi's plot/libretto style a little... it seems to me...

[Baccalaureus79]

It's not Cherubino who dies, but love. I don't like the idea either, especially because this opera is supposed to be funny and comical, not scary.

[g4thz]

Is it comical, though? Does the Countess choose to stay with the Count because of her true love? Does she really forgive him? Or is this just what was expected of her by society? Does she really have a choice?

That changes the meaning for me.

[patrickjohn84]

After watching the DVD the surrealism carried over into my sleep causing me to have some strange dreams. I thought it was great, hahaha!

[kove00]

where can I find the dvd? thanks for any advice...

[patrickjohn84]

I bought mine at Borders but I think you can also find it on Amazon.

[hillevifan]

I kno its amazing isnt it! it seems only enlightened minds can wrap their ideas around it...

[stephlikes2sing]

choreography lol

i can see the meaning behind the whole cupid thing (looking like an older cherubino -- that's kinda cool, especially since the angel is able to metaphorically remove her blindfold to cherubino's love, so to speak... that might be a bit of a stretch though) but i'm not too fond of it. i like the more modern costuming though.

[solsticio82]

me encanta que aca todos se ponen y dicen " no es buena cantante" y bla; bla bla??? cuantos estudian canto? creo que ninguno!!! ( yo si lo hago; ACLARO)

[freyjagirl]

What's up with the interpretive dance at 0:45?

[VanVitot]

She is not a very good singer, and after all i can't understand what's happening... There shouldn't be an angel and a young boy with Cherubino... but only Susanna...

[KatherineXIX]

The only explanation is that this entire production is a complete joke. They wanted to see how horrible they could make it and have people still like it.

[Satirike]

LOL, i have to agree :]

[da3nchantr3ss]

im posting my new pics

[g4thz]

I love the ending!!!

[MiChiamanoMimi1]

Maybe a bit too fast. Rubbish production. Beautiful singing.

[enrico1979]

...maybe Cherubino have to attend an italian course

[FuechschenAlt]

It´s absolutely fantastic from around 2:00, when Christine Schäfer slowly moves down to the ground and her singing gets more slow and quiet second by second....brilliant!!!

[yulisaaa]

like this version of aria, but not the production.

the guy playing as cupid...wow! he's extremely handsome. He could be an angel! ;-)

[redrumax]

Cupid is a god. ;)

[cleareyedwolf]

Omgosh, is that Anna Netrebko (spelling?) as Susanna?

[DessayBestSinger]

yes, is that a problem?

[olympicfreak678]

Hell yes it is, WAY TOO DARK.

[aeru9]

No, nothing TO DARK. Susanna isn`t a Soubrette, she`s a lyric soprano, like Netrebko.

I really like Netrebkos Susanna ( I like Netrebko only in Mozart ). And I like her dark voice, I like dark voices more for Mozart! Not heavy voices, but dark voices.

[olympicfreak678]

She's far too on the spinto side of the full lyric (not LIGHT lyric) to be a Susanna. The colour of her voice doesn't match this role's lightness and etheralness in such arias as in Deh vieni. You're right, Susanna is a LIGHT LYRIC SOPRANO. Anna Netrbko is a FULL LYRIC, like any ideal CONTESSA would be. I think she woudl make an interesting one, just she is not as good at Susanna. I LOVE dark voices. One of my favourites is Vesselina Kasarova anyway. But when Susanna is darker ...

[olympicfreak678]

... than the Marcellina, there is a serious problem. Have you seen the duet Via resti on here?! The characterization is interesting, but the voice choices are ridiculous!

[aeru9]

oh yes...Marie McLaughlin was a great Susanna and Despina, but here...No, she was ill that night, she is a great Marcellina too in the version with Jacobs (you can find it on youtube). I like dark voices for Susanna, but this is only miy oppinion...I like a lyric soprano too for the Donna Anna in Don Giovanni.

But I think, Netrebko would be a great Contessa, Elvira and Fiordiligi. How do you think about Schäfer as Cherubino?

[olympicfreak678]

I don't like the tempo, first of all, whcih I know is out of her hands. Second, she slurs her words a little too much for my taste. And plus, I like darker sounding more boyish CHerubino's. YOu know, the kind that sound in between puberty. I am more biased to the mezzos, I know it. I was fine with soprano Cherubino until all three women started having a three way during Venite Igniosomething or other. Susanna's first aria. That just did it for me, I thought this was to be a silly opera.

[cleareyedwolf]

Omgosh, this is so weird. I hate when they get weird on opera. Artistic is one thing. This is a bit much...

Sidenote: It's so funny that you can tell that it's Christine Shafer (spelling?) even with the blindfold. :) She's so distinctive...

[hillevifan]

yes your right- spelling is schafer not shafer :)

[BeppoBrehm]

umm, nope, it's 'Schäfer'

[redrumax]

It's totally stupid and disgusting.

[cleareyedwolf]

Yes, thank you!! This is definitely one of the worst productions of Nozze that I've ever seen.

[g4thz]

I think it's cool. When operas have been seen so many times the same way, someone needs to shake them up. Sure, it may ruffle some feathers...

[Satirike]

roflmao Salzburg productions are so funny...in a bad way.

[Sochilinda]

She is just fantastic. I believe the only one in this production that is really the whole deal. I just LOVE her. BRAVA!

[lomoto69]

Outstanding singing!!! I love this aria. Plus the guy playing as cupid (I suppose that's who he is portraying) is hot (well at least I think he is). lol

5/5 stars!

[polarqueen]

that was...weird. Good singing though.

[Frenrichnermorti]

you're... retarded... the song's about love numb nuts... therefore, cupid is absolutely necessary, especially if he's hot.

[serRudyll]

then explain why cupid is hugging figaro during "se vuol ballare" ^^

[minirausch]

he's not hugging figaro, he's blinding and manipulating him. it's figaro being a jealous bastard.

[olympicfreak678]

I figured out why she has a blindfold! So she can't see such an ugly production!

Wait, never mind. She fully saw she was making out with another girl in the second act.

[KatherineXIX]

TWO other girls! JUST what Mozart would have wanted!

[olympicfreak678]

My thought exactly. Makes me sick.

[mfuz99]

Seems kinda hard to watch the conductor with a blindfold on. ;0

[drbarbarabaker]

I tried to figure this out, too, and I decided that the Cherubin was magically controlling the behavior of the humans, and without his influence they all went back to normal.

[anaerobicrespiration]

Haha! Christine is great, but can anyone explain this interpretation to me? It's a bit over my head...

[allysoma]

who is the winged character supposed to be?

[Frenrichnermorti]

cupid? the song is about love.

[Petestube33]

Christine Schafer is a treasure. Wonderful singer. Superb as Konstanze in Mozarts Abduction From The Harem .

[Zeitschichten]

Hi Stanncie! What did you find weird in terms of the acting?

[Ethratian]

I watched this performance last year 7 times (because I worked at the Salzburg Festival as I do this year) and bought the DVD. In my opinion the role of Ulli Kirsch (the Cherubim) is senseless, it would have worked without him. This year Figaro is played again, it's the same production but another cast (instead of Netrebko, Schäfer, Skovhus, D'Arcangelo and Harnoncourt there are Damrau, Jankova, Finley, Pisaroni and Harding).

[Ethratian]

The singing can match the performance of last year but only in some cases. Damrau and Finley are very good but reserved too, Jankvoa is not bad but she and Schäfer are dimensions apart, Pisaroni isn't bad either but I prefer D'Arcangelo. Concerning the conductor I've to say that I adore the way Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts and in my opinion Daniel Harding is the worst member of this performance.

[norcalrobbie2]

Harnoncourt messed up this opera with his tempi. He was trying to hard to say something "new." I'm a fan of his, but his tempi are just plain strange. I think the set looks nice. But the direction is ridiculous. The little angel man has to go.

[ares7768]

That's what I thought... It makes sense.

[stanncie]

the singing is great but the production is more than a little odd! I laughed all the way through at the weird acting

[tanasibilio]

Christine Schäfer's talent, charisma and commitment are a treasure. Everything she does, she does it no holds barred. Even the idiotic Paris Figaro of last year is worth seeing for her hilarious "homeboy" Cherubino. This Salzburg production is odd, and there does seem to be some confusion on the part of the creative staff about the comedy--they forgot it--but there is real beauty here, and Schäfer is the main font of it.

[Ethratian]

In my opinion this is the best performance of this aria.

I know very well that there are many people that don't like this performance and prefer other singers.

[Evitasoprano]

I think you're right. She's fantastic.