More thoughts on the Competition - Figaro

Over the last few days I've been concentrating on Figaro. As always with Mozart operas the more you get into it the more fascinating and wonderful it becomes. I've known this opera since childhood and conducted most of it at one time or another (though I regret that I have never conducted fully staged performance) but still every time I look at it or read the libretto I notice some nuance or detail that had not registered before.

I've been listening to various recordings, including two with Karl Bohm conducting. Bohm's tempi are usually delightfully measured, slow compared with some modern versions. His DG recording from 1968 is beautifully recorded and sung, but as is often the case the tempi are slower than a live recording I have of his. 

This has only re-inforced my opinion that I don't have a set of tempi for an opera that are "mine"; I like to work with the singers, find out what they can bring to the role, and take it from there. In a recent production I spent a good deal of time persuading some principals to take more liberties and do more rubati to make their singing more expressive. At first they were quite taken back, but once a relationship of trust had been built the results were excellent. If I were to do the same opera with a different cast I'm sure it would turn out differently.

How this will apply in Bulgaria will be interesting to find out. Will the judges be looking for conductors who can lead the singers, or those that be sympathetic and adjust to them? An opera conductor nees to be able to do both in the right places!

I am very much looking forward to the competition, it will be a chance to show what I can do. I hope someone notices!

FG