Productions

Question 1

Figaro Miller - Susanna and Figaro relationship

Answer 1

• Veil instead of hat
• Playful side of relationship – chasing each other around; ‘ora si ch’io son contenta’ rising melodic sequence reflected by rolling around on floor together
• Both duets end up next to each other
• Important to set up their relationship because driving force of opera

Question 2

Figaro Miller Countess

Answer 2

• ‘porgi amor’ with kids at start of long seria introduction – gives context and deeper reason to her wanting to stay (more so perhaps than just sentimental femininity). Feels more real
• Body language leaning against divider

Question 3

Figaro Kušej general

Answer 3

• All drugged up to undermine genre
• Figaro was seen as being about class. Regietheater one throws away class to reveal that class is not excuse for all the problems in it.
• Throughout, Count and Countess translated as Almaviva and Rosina
• not contradicting libretto but definitely at odds with the music

Question 4

Figaro Kušej Countess

Answer 4

• Undermines genuine emotion with naked picture and split stage/bath
• Also shows her more real, vulnerable
• She is sexual with Cherubino which undermines sentimental feminine trope – much more action but also links it to the Beaumarchais play – more realistic?
• Ending: gives back ring and final chorus is performed ironically. Ridicules the improbability of the lieto fine and buffa tradition.

Question 5

Figaro Kušej Cherubino

Answer 5

• Sexual centre of relationships
• ‘si tremante’ biting lip, sexual
• After voi che sapete, Countess emphasises his ‘bella voce’ breathless and gets up to stroke his face
• Venite inginocchiatevi turned into sexual commands and ends with threesome
• Cherubino is the drug

Question 6

Figaro Kušej Violence

Answer 6

• Generally bringing out violence removes from comic tone but also perhaps uncovers inner truths – e.g. going off to war, rape etc. Made more possible by lack of class relations as Figaro has no factor holding him back against Count
• Outward violence of Se Vuol ballare with the gun – angry ‘si’ – goes against buffo style? (or does it)
• Focus on male rivalry rather than affection for Susanna – brings out gender issue
• Non più andrai
  o Changes who is on stage (Basilio and Count instead of Susanna)
  o Basilio repeatedly beats him up and blood everywhere (reminiscent of bloodstained girls just before)
  o Rain and bleak empty setting of room emphasises this

Question 7

Figaro Kušej Susanna and Figaro

Answer 7

• Lines performed ironically e.g. son contenta she throws hat on ground and rolls eyes
• End up stood on opposite ends of bar
• Dim lighting, no windows – dark tone undermines comic element

Question 8

Don G Productions

Answer 8

Kasper Holten 2014 ROH
Martin Kušej 2006 Salzburg

Question 9

Regietheater aims

Answer 9

• Regie - direction - at odds with libretto/score
• Regie dominates the drama and deconstructs the story
  Intention to visualise the perceived or suspected SUBTEXT of the opera
• Müller: paradox - ‘disparity between what is shown on stage by directors of Regietheater and what can be heard from the orchestra and the opera singers
• Kühnel: ‘ironic, satirical, cynical deconstruction of an opera’

Question 10

Holten Don Giovanni general

Answer 10

• goes with psychological deconstruction of ‘no-man’ - Kerman
• Don Giovanni doesn’t die - and final scene is cut
• Regietheater

Question 11

Holten Don Giovanni mania

Answer 11

• sexual desire linked to mania
• ‘phallic narcissism’ as means of surviving physic catastrophe
• Set is a labyrinth on rotating stage - illusion that world is constantly changing but he is constrained by it
• DG is self-destructive as well as a force of destruction
• Fin ch’han dal vino - Allanbrook says it’s his ‘sole unguarded moment’ so would expect to learn his character but instead is an ‘undanceable dance’
• contredanse associated with middle class - cuts across social order like Don G does
• He sings it standing in doorway surrounded by spinning projection of descending staircase - like at bottomless pit of his mania
• Ends alive, slumped against a wall: idea of isolation - Lawrence Lipking idea of isolation as ironic: abandoner finally abandoned

Question 12

Holten visuals

Answer 12

• Women’s names projected and covering everything - reminder of his sexual abuses
• Ink as key - linked to Catalogue list
• Elvira gown covered in black writing of names of conquests - evidence of seduction/rape
• Anna dress changed from pink to pink but poured with black ink after their first encounter

Question 13

Kusej DG general

Answer 13

• Don G sings first 4 lines meant for Leporello - ‘slaving away night and day for one which nothing pleases’ - idea that he is slave to his manic self or psyche
• Leporello/Don G relationship removes class boundaries - Leporello still constructs Don G’s narrative more than DG does himself (catalogue)
• End has Leporello killing Don G to save him from his madness
• Even though he dies (unlike in Holten), the meaning of his death is subverted by act and motives
• Hell as bright place
• Naked women image for overture