Waltteri Torika’s pigging embodies the surprising topicality of Figaro’s wedding

The opening act of the Savonlinna opera festival, Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, on Friday, July 3. Directed by Francis Hübers based on Johannes Erath. In the main roles, e.g. Waltteri Torikka, Iris Candelaria, Henning von Schulman and Johanna Nylund.

“The can do whatever. Grabs the pussy. Do whatever.”

“I could shoot somewhere in the middle of Fifth Avenue [New Yorkissa] and I wouldn’t lose voters. Do you understand?”

“Only my own morality can stop me. I don’t need to international law.”

These three of the current president of the United States Donald Trump’s the statement came back to mind when I followed Walter Torikan skillful acting at the Savonlinna Opera Festival, which opened on Friday Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro – with the opera classic.

The Marriage of Figaro and especially the more pointed one at its base Beaumarchais’n the play criticizes the privileges of the rich in the late 18th century.

During the years of the super-rich’s hogwash (including Epstein scandal and the deceased Silvio Berlusconi Bunga Bunga Party come to mind) this opera is more current than ever.

Torikka is Count Almaviva, who is not as foul-mouthed as the current Trump. But he is two-faced.

Publicly, he claims to renounce the nobleman’s first-night right to the maid Susanna (Iris Candelaria).

But behind the scenes, he does everything he can to get the maid to have sex, even though she wants to marry Figaro (Henning von Schulman) with.

This is where the old familiar madhouse begins, where Susanna the parka has to bend to many things to avoid the count’s lecherous intentions.

Dresden 11 years ago, the famous Semperoper did everything it could to freshen up the familiar crazy mill.

John of Erath under the direction, the first act was pure Commedia dell’arte with harlequin characters on a wooden stage.

The second act was Rococo. In Dresden, a rococo theater descended from the ceiling as a stage, but in Olavinlinna, only rococo wigs and costumes and low-key sets (the wardrobe being the most important) were not really enough then and now.

The third act is a transition, and the end of contemporary theatre.

11 years ago, it also worked during the visit to Savonlinna, because Erath was able to get a well-rounded cruise dance under his direction with the joint playing of a strong ensemble from Dresden.

Now the steering was mainly warmed up with domestic power, and there was more idling and clumsy transitions than then.

It’s a shame, because the steering has been warmed up and even slightly renewed Francis Hüsers was the dramaturg of the Dresden visit already 11 years ago and he is remembered in Savonlinna as well Béla Bartókin Duke Bluebeard’s castle about a good guidance set in a modern prison.

A recurring problem with Savonlinna’s old controls is that you cannot reach the original level during the warm-up.

If you want to be at the top of opera festivals Martti Talvelan In accordance with the 1970 vision, a) more budget funds are needed, including the reduced public support, and b) a sharper grip on heating up the old controls.

Musically Savonlinna has generally done well, after all, the orchestra and choir of the opera festival have the best forces in our country. However, Mozart is extremely revealing even for small irregularities.

Conductor Andrea Sanguineti is also experienced and rich in ideas as a Mozart conductor, but The Marriage of Figaro the iconic prelude sounds a bit muffled and rhythmically lax.

Sanguineti, who led without a stick, shaped the famous arias with musical elasticity, but in other parts the rhythmic precision and purity of intonation would have required a tighter grip.

This was also reflected in the singers. Those favorite arias went well, even excellently, for almost everyone.

But between the arias there are all kinds of goodies, where, for example, the syllables are pounded harder than with today’s verbose rappers, and the comedy and effectiveness come from the irresistible rhythmic suction.

It was not experienced now.

11 years ago conductor Omer Meir Wellber first played the harpsichord himself, then the fortepiano and finally even the accordion Oskar Merikanton Summer evening waltz.

Of course, Sanguinet didn’t have to try the same. The fortepiano, let alone the Merikanto, could not be heard now, but in accordance with the original direction, a silly fragment Edith Piafin La vie en rose -chansonia stayed with us.

About singers Torikka has matured into a natural Almaviva both as an actress and a singer.

Iris Candelaria has often proven to be a strong stage character. That’s what she was now in the role of Susanna, even though the tone was a little more porous at first and the projection of the text a little less clear than I expected.

As an actress, she again convinced from beginning to end, and especially her last aria she sang excellently.

Henning von Schulman embodied the text as the vengeful Figaro in an exemplary manner and the voice carried it perfectly.

Johanna Nylund as the countess, she was more muted as a stage character due to the direction, but she sang delightfully cleanly and tonally. The roles in the small theater in the Landestheater Detmold have taken the lyric soprano forward nicely.

Promises were also raised by the most recent winners of the Timo Mustakallio competition, i.e. raikas Elsa Angervo Cherubino in the trouser role and bass Martin Iivarinen Antoniona.

Experienced mezzo-soprano Tuija Knihtilä has played the heaviest dramatic roles no matter how many times, but the deliciously firm timbre still bends to Mozart in an exemplary manner, as the role of Marcellina showed.

Basso Matti Turunen continued his firm and sure grips now in the role of Bartolo and there were no complaints about occupying even the smallest roles.

The Marriage of Figaro at the Savonlinna Opera Festival seven more times until July 25.