Jonathon Miller's production of Le Nozze di Figaro gets a starry cast led by Ildar Abdrazakov in the role of Figaro and Gerald Finley as the Count.
The Production
The current production of Le Nozze di Figaro returns to the Met after a 3 year absence. The production by Johnathon Miller had its premiere in 1998 and was immediately recorded on live television. Jonathon Miller who made his Met debut in 1991 directing Kata Kabanova and is known for his straight forward approaches to Opera. Sometimes he tinkers with relationships and settings but with this opera he sticks to the basics. For this production he keeps the work in the 18th century and lets the score tell the tale Mozart’s way. For the last run in 2009, Gregory Keller oversaw the stage direction and changed some scenes from their original staging. For example Figaro now sings “Se vuol ballare” while spit-polishing the Count’s boots and Cherubino no longer disrobes behind the Countess’s screen. According to critics, the balance of subtlety and slapstick were moved slightly toward comic broadness.As for the production's sets and lighting, Miller clearly designed it with with sensitivity to both the time span and the highly stylized fashions of the day. For example Miller used bright lights in Acts I and II to denote day time, and warm candle light with dark filter of blue light for Acts III and IV. While the staging isn't the most evolutionary production to come to the Met, audiences have loved it for years and this year with its exciting cast should not be an exception.
