The Two Figaros Get West Coast Premier

By John Farrell, Curtain Call Writer

If you have never heard of Saviero Mercadante you aren’t alone.

Mercadante was a 19^th century composer who was a success in the romantic era, writing operas that featured bel canto singing and no more than usually improbable plots. He was a success in the first half of that century but has pretty much been forgotten in the 21^st century (in the 20^th, too, for that matter).

But he wrote one work that, at least for a few weeks this year, gave him a little bit of notice: The Two Figaros.In conjunction with Los Angeles Opera’s Beaumarchais Festival (Beaumarchais is the man who wrote the trilogy of Figaro plays that have been made into at least seven opera) Opera UCLA gave The Two Figaros its West Coast premier within the past two weeks, — only 180 years after the original.

The Two Figaros isn’t based on a Beaumarchais original. Instead it features many of the characters Beaumarchais created in his three revolutionary plays: Figaro and his wife Susanna, Count Almaviva and his wife Rosina and Cherubino are all there, along with newcomers Almaviva and Rosina’s marriageable daughter Ines and Torribio, who provides almost all the conflict in the opera.

One of the problems with this opera is that it doesn’t have the Beaumarchais touch: Figaro is less than likeable, the comic scenes of people being discovered hiding in closets are just a pale hint of the situations in The Barber of Seville by Rossini and The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart, two of the comic staples of opera ever since they were written. The libretto, written by Felice Romani, just isn’t clever enough.

But Opera UCLA gave The Two Figaros a delightful production that managed to smooth over the rough spots of the plot and gave their audience plenty of colorful spectacle and even more delicious bel canto singing. This especially is true of the amazing Terri Richter, who was Susanna in all the productions and Danielle Bayne, who sand the trousers role of Cherubino in last Sunday’s performance.

Richter has an amazing voice and knows how to use it, floating pianissimos, embellishing her vocal line with sheer brilliance, and giving Susanna real passion. Bayne sang with similar brilliance and managed her comic duties with fine timing.

Thomas Thompson was the first Figaro (the second Figaro was a disguise, a ruse used by Cherubino, just a plot device). He sang well, but for all his efforts couldn’t quite make Figaro the man of plots and fancy footwork he was in the original works. He was secondary to the plot, a character in search of a role. Nathan Granner was an effective Count Almaviva, and Julia Metzer brought character and a fine voice to Rosina, the Countess Almaviva.

Yuki Izumihara’s scenic design was more than charming: its bright colors made the music that much more accessible and lovely. Adam Alonzo’s costumes were worthy of a professional production. Joseph Colaneri conducted and got a great performance from his student orchestra, with Jessica Hall providing the continuo.

Now you know who Mercadante is, and maybe, just maybe, more of his works will be performed locally. He’s just part of the wealth of opera that is rarely, if ever, heard. (It’s all buried under Madama Butterfly and Il Trovatore.)