The Santa Fe Opera revived Laurent Pelly’s 2021 production of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro”. This review is of the fourth of nine performances of Mozart’s opera scheduled for the 2025 season.
Ailyn Pérez’ Countess Almaviva
[Photo:: Ailyn Pérez as the Countess Almaviva; edited image of a Ken Howard photograph for the Metropolitan Opera, courtesy of ailynperez.com.]
At Santa Fe Opera’s fourth performance (July 31, 2025) of its revival of Laurent Pelly’s production of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro”, soprano Ailyn Pérez assumed the role of the Countess Almaviva, which she is now scheduled to perform for the remainder of the Santa Fe Opera season.
She joins a superb international cast that includes Italian bass Riccardo Fassi as Figaro, French baritone Florian Sempey as the Count Almaviva, Chinese soprano Hongni Wu as Cherubino, and Italian bass-baritone Maurizio Muraro as Doctor Bartolo. American singers , in addition to Perez, include Liv Redpath as Susanna, Lucy Schaufer as Marcellina and Steven Cole as Don Basilio.
Although I have reviewed a dozen Pérez performances, this was my first opportunity to hear her sing a Mozart role. Her delivery of the Countess’ showpiece arias “Porgi, amor” and “Dove sono” was revelatory, a beautiful, vocally expressive insight into the bereavement the character feels after the Count’s infidelities.
Perez, a graduate of Philadelphia’s Academy of the Vocal Arts, has an impressive repertory. She was the first artist in Santa Fe Opera history to sing the role of Marguerite [Review: Santa Fe Opera Gets Gounod At Last – Hymel, Pérez Soar in Spectacular New Production of “Faust” – July 1, 2011] Among her other roles are Violetta [Review: Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello Star in Cincinnati Opera’s “La Traviata” – July 26, 2012 ] Desdemona [Review: O’Neill, Pérez and Vratogna Impressive in Houston Grand Opera’s “Otello” – November 1, 2014 ], Tosca [Review: Ailyn Pérez , Michael Fabiano, Alfred Walker, Soloman Howard Excel in a Memorable “Tosca” (with a Post-Finale Surprise) – San Francisco Opera, September 5, 2021] and Rusalka [Review: Ailyn Perez Leads Vocally Splendid Cast in Pountney’s Alternative Vision of “Rusalka” – Santa Fe Opera, July 26, 2023.].
Riccardo Fassi’s Figaro
[Photo: Figaro (Riccardo Fassi, right) embraces his fiance, Susanna (Liv Redpath, left); edited image, based on a BronwenSharp photograph for the Santa Fe Opera.]
Performing the title role was Milanese bass Riccardo Fassi in his Santa Fe Opera debut.
A physical performer, Fassi excelled iin the hilarious situations that composer Mozart and librettist da Ponte created, such as the discovery that he was the son of Marcellina, the woman who was trying to enforce a contract of marriage with him.
Fassi performed his three major arias with flair – The first aria is the cavatina ‘Se voul ballare’, the first act song of defiance at the Count Almaviva’s designs on his wife-to-be, Susanna. The second is Figaro’s middle aria, ‘Non piu andrai’, sung to the page boy Cherubino, that is the most famous aria in the opera. Cherubino has reluctantly received a commission in Count Almaviva’s regiment (designed to get him out the Count’s way). Fassi sang the big aria with spirit. The third aria is the final scene’s ‘Aprite un po quegli occhi’ – his plea to men to be smarter in their dealings with wily women.
Liv Redpath’s Susanna
[Photo: Liv Redpath as Susanna; edited image of a BronwenSharp photograph for the Santa Fe Opera.]
Singing Susanna, the longest role in the Mozart repertory, is Minnesota soprano Liv Redpath. The role requires not only vocal brilliance, but endurance, both of which Redpath displayed.
Redpath’s Susanna has duets with Figaro, with Marcellina, with Cherubino, and with both the Count and the Countess Almaviva. In addition she has a trio with both the Count and Countess. She also sings two solo arias, most notably her nicely sung final act aria ‘Deh vein, non tardar’.
Redpath has excelled in performances in roles of self-assured young women, such as Gretel [Review: A joyous “Hansel and Gretel” in Doug Fitch’s enchanting production – Los Angeles Opera, December 9, 2018], Zerbinetta [Review: Santa Fe Opera’s Delectable New “Ariadne auf Naxos” – Santa Fe Opera, July 28, 2018] and Zerlina [Review: Stephen Barlow Creates an Elegant New “Don Giovanni” Production – Santa Fe Opera, June 29, 2024].
Florian Sempey’s Count Almaviva
[Photo: Florian Sempey as the Count Almaviva; edited image based on a BrowenSharp photograph for the Santa Fe Opera.]
Like Fassi’s Figaro, French baritone Florian Sempey’s Count Almaviva was the occasion for his Santa Fe Opera debut.
It is Count Almaviva rather than Figaro, who is the center of all the plotting that goes on in this opera. The Count has his eyes on Figaro’s bride-to-be Susanna. The Count is angry that the Countess Almaviva has made him give up the “droiit du seigneur”, the supposed right of a nobleman to spend an amorous night with any man’s fiancé, prior to her wedding. He was determined to break up Figaro’s and Susanna’s marriage so he could pursue Susanna directly. The Countess, Susanna and Figaro involve themselves in plots to prevent the Count from succeeding in any of his schemes.
Sempey was a strong presence, vocally and dramatically, in his performance of this unsympathetic character. Sempey’s praiseworthy delivery of the Count’s principal aria ‘Vedro mentr’io sospiro’, revealed the Count’s twisted thinking. The aria’s text reads, in effect, why should my servant Figaro be happy and sexually satisfied with a woman that I desire myself?
All the Count’s plotting is foiled in due course. This is a comedy, one of the funniest in the operatic repertory, and scene after scene involves the Count’s various schemes going awry. Sempey’s aggressive demeanor thoughtout the opera heightened these comic situations.
In the opera’s final scene, the humiliated Count has a five measure solo ‘Contessa perdono’ to plead for his wife’s forgiveness (granted in the Countess’ five measure solo that follows). Sempey sang this brief note of resignation memorably.
Hongni Wu’s Cherubino
[Photo: Hogni Wu as Cherubino, edited image, based on a BronwenSharp photograph for the Santa Fe Opera.]
Chinese soprano Hongni Wu portrayed the page, Cherubino. Wu gained my sympathy early, affectingly performing two of Mozart’s most famous arias, ‘Non so piu, cosa son, cosa faccio’, sung to Susanna and ‘Voi, che sapete’ to Susanna and the Countess. Wu showed the comic skills required to play the impish page, who is often in hiding or disguise.
Wu has amassed an impressive resume that includes graduation from the Manhattan School of Music, winner of the Metropolitan National Auditions and membership in the young artists’ program at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
In 2022, she made her San Francisco Opera debut as Bao Chai in a revival of Sheng’s and Hwang’s “Dream of the Red Chamber” [Review: A Pleasing Revival of “Dream of the Red Chamber” at San Francisco Opera, June 14, 2022].
A few weeks later, she made her Santa Fe Opera debut as Comrade Chen in an opera world premiere [World Premiere Run Review: Powerful Performances from Mark Stone and Kangmin Justin Kim in Ruo’s and Hwang’s Compelling “M. Butterfly”- Santa Fe Opera, August 3, 2022].
Maurizio Muraro’s Doctor Bartolo and Lucy Schaufer’s Marcellina
[Photo: Lucy Schaufer (left) as Marcellina and Maurizio Muraro (right) as Doctor Bartolo; edited image, based on a BronwenSharp photograph for the Santa Fe Opera.]
In his Santa Fe Opera debut season, Italian bass-baritone Maurizio Muraro sings the role of Doctor Bartolo. Muraro is a specialist in the comic ‘buffo’ roles, such as occur in the operas of Mozart, Rossini and Donizetti. He performed Bartolo’s aria ‘La vendetta’, with its passages of patter, masterfully.
Muraro’s past performances of iconic buffo roles include his performances as Rossini’s Doctor Bartolo [Review: Daniela Mack, Alek Shrader, Audun Iversen and Maurizio Muraro Sparkle in San Francisco Opera “Barber of Seville” – November 14, 2013] and Donizetti’s Pasquale [Review: Maurizio Muraro Leads An Appealing “Don Pasquale” Cast – San Francisco Opera, October 2, 2016].
For this performance, Muraro was teamed with Illinois mezzo-soprano Lucy Schaufer, also in her Santa Fe Opera debut season.
A decade ago, I saw Schaufer in two of the “Nozze” roles, although in two different operas. She was Susanna in Corigliano’s Figaro-centered “The Ghosts of Versailles” [Review: Los Angeles Opera Launches Ambitious New Production of “Ghosts of Versailles” – February 7, 2015] and a month later was Marcellina [Review: New Faces for “Marriage of Figaro” – Los Angeles Opera, March 21, 2015].
Later that year, I saw her create the role of the elf, Ib, in the world premiere of Mark Adamo’s Christmas opera, “Becoming Santa Claus” [World Premiere Review: A Lavish Dallas Opera Production for Mark Adamo’s “Becoming Santa Claus” – December 4, 2015].
Steven Cole’s Don Basilio and Other Cast Members
[Photo: Don Basilio (Steven Cole, right) acts as the agent for the Count Almaviva (Florian Sempey, bottom left) who is hiding under a chair; edited image, based on a BronwenSharp photograph for the Santa Fe Opera.]
Neatly playing the sleazy Don Basilio in his Santa Fe Opera debut season is New York tenor Steven Cole. Don Basilio is only one of the many character tenor roles in Cole’s repertory, that includes Britten’s Flute [Review: Incandescent “Midsummer Night’s Dream” – Houston Grand Opera, January 25, 2009].
Santa Fe Apprentice Artists performing included Italian bass-baritone Mattia Venn as Antonio, District of Columbia tenor Andrew Bearden Brown as Don Curzio, California soprano Isobel Anthony as Barbarina. and Georgia soprano Mariah Berry and New York mezzo-soprano Mary Beth Nelson Zaros as the Bridesmaids.
Maestro Harry Bicket and the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra and Chorus
English conductor Harry Bicket, who serves as Santa Fe Opera’s Music Director, conducted. The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra performed Mozart’s music superbly. The Santa Fe Apprentices, under the leadership of Utah Chorus Director Suzanne Sheston, comprised the opera’s impressive chorus.
Director Laurent Pelly’s Production
[Photo: Susanna (Liv Redpath) is silhouetted against the sunset over the Tesuque Pueblo, next to the production’s watch mechanism; edited image, based on a BrownwenSharp photograph for the Santa Fe Opera.]
French director Laurent Pelly’s concept in creating the production is that the play on which Mozart’s opera is based, “Le Mariage du Figaro”, was created by a watchmaker’s son, Pierre-Augustin Caron, who purchased a noble title, becoming the Comte de Beaumarchais. His plays viciously satirized the French nobility, and are regarded by historians as contributing causes of the French Revolution.
Pelly, building on Caron/Beumarchais’ watchmaker roots, and Pelly’s longtime colleague, French designer Chantal Thomas, created a scenic design that represents the workings of a watch. As each scene progresses, a watch mechanism appears to move the scene.
When this production premiered, my review contained a discussion of Beaumarchais’ role in the French Revolution, and Pelly’s and Thomas’ ideas about the produciton’s scenic design. (See [Review: A Clockwork “Marriage of Figaro” Delights – Santa Fe Opera, July 23, 2021]).
Recommendation
I recommend this production and cast enthusiastically.