Mozart - Le Nozze di Figaro - Gardiner - Ecco la marcia...

[Gydinglight12]

is the Salzburg production under discussion the one where the Count drug his wife around and was threatening her with an axe. I hated that one when I saw it on utube.

[onemorechain]

I got this DVD for Christmas and I've watched it practically every day since then. :) There's something so utterly charming about it, and I am floored by the Count's charisma and stage presence. His rage in Act 2 and his passion for Susanna (especially in the Crudel! aria) are very palpable and believable.

I've only seen YT clips of the ROH production, but I disliked it so much that I had to bleach my mind with more Gardiner immediately afterwards. :/

[palcika1]

My thoughts exactly! All the cast is amazing but Mr Gilfry stands out for me, too, he's so powerful.

[TheWisemonkey8]

Really lovely production. Thanks for this!

[FuzzyCerts]

I love this DVD to bits and pieces :)

[palcika1]

This was the only "perfectly perfect" opera performance on video I saw - until recently ;)

[FuzzyCerts]

Hehe - I know what you mean :)

I have to say, though, that the McVicar 'Nozze' from ROH with Erwin Schrott in the title role surpasses this one on almost all counts (one exception is Hillevi Martinpelto as the Contessa in this one - I definitely prefer her to Dorothea Röschmann). Still, I wouldn't want to give this one up :D

[palcika1]

Maybe sometimes I tend to talk too much, but, oh well...

I beg to disagree with you on that - the comic viewpoint should always prevail in this opera, it shouldn't be 'dark' in any way. That's what redeems the whole, and it's carried out very well here. That's why I love this performance. The ROH Figaro is, though it's intended funny enough, too, is too bitter, I think.

Maybe I'm just biased for comedy in general. I know I am.

[FuzzyCerts]

Nothing wrong with talking too much, I think :)

I agree with 100% on comedy! But I happen to think that the ROH Figaro is hysterically funny - unlike the M22 one from Salzburg (also Röschmann and Anna Netrebko as Susanna) - that was 3 hours of my life that I will never get back. It wasn't even exceptional music-wise - there's really no excuse for that travesty of a production!

If it was composed as a comedy, so it should stay!

[palcika1]

It was just a fear of talking sometimes too much that made me not to mention how I detested that Salzburg production...

Even though it couldn't take 3 hours of my time.

[patukott]

Ahhh, the Count`s sour face at the beginning of the ceremony:D:D