LINCOLN CENTER

Metropolitan Opera House

Le Nozze di Figaro - Mozart

"The Met season opens with Music Director James Levine conducting a new production of Mozart’s eternal masterpiece, directed by Richard Eyre, who sets the action in a 18th-century manor house in Seville during the 1930s. Dashing bass-baritone Ildar Abdrazakov, our Figaro, leads a dazzling cast, including Marlis Petersen as his bride, Susanna, Peter Mattei as the philandering Count, Amanda Majeski as the long-suffering Countess, and Isabel Leonard as the libidinous pageboy Cherubino. Designer Rob Howell (Carmen, Werther) utilizes a revolving set to keep the story bubbling along."

"A sparkling new production... joyful music-making... The youthful cast dug into their roles with gusto and sang with style... A memorable performance of Mozart's immortal comedy." (Associated Press)

"A swiftly paced, playful evening... Eyre skillfully built the comic ensembles to climaxes that made you laugh out loud... A happy Marriage at the Met." (Wall Street Journal)

"A ravishing, intricately wrought evening of music, humor and emotional depth... An evening like this is the strongest argument for the continued vigor of the Met." (New York Magazine)

"James Levine, making his first appearance on an opening night in four years, led an appealing cast and the great Met orchestra in an eloquent, richly detailed performance of this multilayered Mozart masterpiece." (New York Times)

Ildar Abdrazakov "brings a dark, solid voice and stylish phrasing to Figaro"... Peter Mattei as Count Almaviva is "terrific. His voice has depth, body and lyrical allure." Amanda Majeski's voice "is ample and expressive...she sang with nuance and taste and made a vulnerable countess." As Susanna, Marlis Petersen's "singing is clean and beautiful, but also unusually textured and plush for the part." (New York Times)

“Isabel Leonard, a young mezzo destined for a stellar career, has to be the most engaging [Cherubino] since Frederica von Stade”(Bloomberg).