Marriage of Figaro gets new production

Classical Music

By Alfredo Cernadas Quesada

Good news for opera and Mozart lovers; a new staging of one of his masterpieces, The Marriage of Figaro, is taking place in the Margarita Xirgu Theatre, quite a favourite venue for independent opera performances. Such as this one, a true labour of love conceived by Andrés Tolcachir and his brother Claudio in what will hopefully be a first step in a future series of more operas. Andrés, the conductor, is doing quite an interesting career in Europe, from where he returned to help his brother materialize this project. Claudio Tolcachir, a busy and successful young actor (theatre, films, TV), teacher and director, is in charge of the régie. Sets and costumes have been entrusted to Lautaro Perotti, who also has quite a varied curriculum as designer and actor and collaborated with Claudio in several theatrical endeavours.

The young cast has been hand-picked after auditioning over 110 applicants. Unlike other similar local opera productions, the same singers sing on the two performances. Which, after all, is not that much of a great deal. If other singers can perform (and survive) several days in a row in such demanding works as Miserables, Dracula or Chicago, why can’t these singers do Mozart? Mainly this composer, who wrote so well for the human voice. The present version holds a surprise: for the female trouser role of the teenager Cherubino, which is usually sung by a mezzo or soprano a man has been cast. But not a tenor or baritone, as in sometimes the case with Gluck’s Orpheus, generally sung by a mezzo or contralto. The Tolcachir’s Cherubino is a countertenor, which gives visual and aural credibility to character. And, as in the original performances, the roles of Bartolo and Antonio and Basilio and Don Curzio will be sung by the same singers. A special word must go for the very informative programme, which shows an unusual respect for the public.