I topped off a week of activity by going to the Met's new production of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro". I sat in our usual preferred location, far to the side of the auditorium, with a partial view of the stage, but right above the orchestra. The sound there is wonderful; you can hear every detail of the orchestra, and the singers are quite present, as well. And in this case, the playing of the orchestra as conducted by James Levine was absolutely breathtaking. It is almost impossible to describe in words how it sounded; every detail was filled with nuance, both highly crafted and alive with energy. The singers were decent, but when the opera got to the ensembles, they were really spectacular. For me, that is when Mozart's operas really shine; again words fail me when I try to describe his incredible creativity and invention in these large scale numbers.
Oh, and the production. I usually don't pay much attention to the sets. It was set in 1930's Spain, and there were rotating things. But the ensemble acting was great, and one should never underestimate the skill involved in staging the action when you have seven characters on stage doing different things. And it was faithful to the libretto, which really matters.
Is "The Marriage of Figaro" my favorite opera? Quite possibly..
The set:
My view of the pit (during intermission):
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