Le nozze di Figaro

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Le nozze di Figaro to libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Directed 2006 by Claus Guth for the Salzburg Festival (Haus für Mozart).   Stars Anna Netrebko, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, Bo Skovhus, Dorothea Röschmann, Christine Schäfer, Marie McLaughlin, Franz-Josef Selig, Patrick Henckens, Oliver Ringelhahn, Florian Boesch, Eva Liebau, and Uli Kirsch (mute role). Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker and Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master Andreas Schüller). Continuo: harpsichord, Stefan Fottfried; cello, Franz Bartholomey. Stage and costume design by Christian Schmidt; choreography by Ramses Sigl; lighting by Olaf Winter; directed for TV by Brian Large. Released  2008, disc has 5.1 PCM and 5.1 dts-HD sound. Grade: B

This opera hardly needs to swallow a pep pill. But Guth added one with the mute role of Cherub---a cute, mute angel who wanders about being charming. We liked stupid cupid OK, but among seasoned opera lovers there was controversy over our poor power to add or detract.

Please help us by writing a comment that we can place here as a mini-review of this title.