Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro Wiener Philharmoniker & Erich Kleiber; Della Casa

• 1 Overture 04:08
• 2 'Cinque... deci... venti...' - 'Cosa stai misurando' 03:25
• 3 'Se a caso Madama la notte ti chiama' 03:59
• 4 Bravo, signor padrone...Se vuol ballare...Ed aspettaste 04:18
• 5 'La vendetta' - 'Tutto ancor non ho perso' 03:45
• 6 'Via resti servita' - 'Va là, vecchia pedante' 04:11
• 7 Non so più...Ah, son perduto! 05:54
• 8 Cosa sento!...Basilio, in traccia tosto...Giovani 10:32
• 9 'Non più andrai' 03:51
• 10 Porgi amor...Vieni, cara Susanna 08:10
• 11 'Voi che sapete' - 'Bravo! che bella voce!' 03:50
• 12 Venite! Inginocchiatevi...Quante buffonerie! 05:47
• 13 'Che novità!' 01:12
• 14 'Susanna, or via, sortite' - 'Dunque, voi non aprite' 04:03
• 15 'Aprite, presto, aprite' - 'O guarda il demonietto!' 01:34
• 16 'Tutto è come io lasciai' 01:15
• 17 'Esci, ormai, garzon malnato' - 'Susanna!... Signore!' 08:43
• 18 'Signore, di fuori' - 'Ah! signore... signor!' 09:18
• 19 'Voi signor, che giusto siete' 03:55
• 20 'Che imbarazzo è mai questo' - 'Via, fatti core' 02:18
• 21 'Crudel! perché finora' - 'E perché fosti meco' 03:20
• 22 Hai già vinta la causa!...Vedrò mentr'io sospiro... 06:28
• 23 'Riconosci in questo amplesso' - 'Eccovi, o caro amico' - 'Andiamo, andiam, bel paggio' 06:33
• 24 E Susanna non vien...Dove sono i biei momenti...Io 06:39
• 25 Cosa mi narri!...Che soave zeffiretto...Piegato è 07:41
• 26 Ecco la marcia...Eh, già, solita usanza 06:21
• 27 L'ho perduta...Barbarina, cos'hai? 04:37
• 28 Il capro e la capretta...Nel padiglione a manca 05:30
• 29 'In quegli anni in cui val poco' 04:06
• 30 'Tutto è disposto' 05:25
• 31 Giunse alfin il momento...Deh, vieni, non tardar... 04:49
• 32 Pian pianin le andrò più presso...Tutto è tranquillo 11:40
• 33 'Gente, gente, all'armi' 04:36
• Total Runtime 02:51:53

Info for Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro

Kleiber's conception emphasizes the comic aspects of this opera to the nth degree. Even the overture bubbles over with good humour. Kleiber then proceeds to build a series of comic climaxes that realize all the comic potential inherent in the score.

He begins with the barbs flying between Susanna and Marcellina, her older rival for Figaro's affections. The insults are tossed off with refreshingly casual abandon. The fun level raises another notch as the terrified page, Cherubino, desperately hides from the Count after being caught unawares in Susanna's room. In the scene capper, the Count is complaining about the way Cherubino carries on with every female in the palace. Why, just this morning he found the hapless page hiding under a table in a maid's room. He whips away a cloth to demonstrate just how, only to reveal Cherubino caught once again in the same compromising position.

This scene is topped by Figaro's explanation of just how he came to be in possession of Cherubino's commission. Kleiber's timing is simply perfect as he carefully molds the music to climax as Figaro sings the magical words 'Il Suggello' (the seal) which explains the entire nefarious goings on. Mozart's confluence of musical and comic climax must surely rate as one of the masterstrokes in all of opera and Kleiber realizes his conception to the max.

Just when you think it can't possibly get any better, Mozart produces the funniest scene of all as Figaro discovers that his arch nemesis, Bartolo, is in fact his father. And his mother is none other than Marcellina whom the Count had been hoping to marry off to Figaro so he can seduce Susanna. The Count is foiled again. No wonder the aristos didn't take kindly to this play which not only showed the lords and ladies constantly getting their comeuppance at the hands of the hired help but actually dared to suggest that all a commoner needed to palm himself off as a lord was a handsome set of clothes.

Siepi's Figaro always has a smile on his face even as he plans his master's downfall in the aria Bravo, Signor Padrone. For this Figaro, even revenge takes a back seat to having fun. His fiancé, Susanna, is made of sterner stuff and in Gueden's hands; she is not only smart (with a tongue to match) but also sweet and gentle.

In her star turn, Danco sings like an angel in Voi Che Sapete. This paen to women is the crowning jewel of the whole opera because of the sheer beauty of the melody. Seldom does a review of Figaro fail to mention how this aria was sung. It is the litmus test for a Figaro performance. Some cavil that Danco's soprano is too girlish and would prefer the traditional mezzo in the role of Cherubino. But when the Cherubino can float lines of such utter purity, all objections seem picayune. This Cherubino is truly dizzy from chasing after every female in the castle.

Not everyone agrees with me that the Kleiber is a desert island disk. I was frankly shocked to find a number of instant experts on Amazon dissing this venerable recording. The main objection seems to be that the German members of the cast sing Italian with a German accent, with the hapless Alfred Poell, who sings the Count, singled out for particular criticism. For myself, this is definitely a situation where ignorance is bliss. I can't speak Italian so this particular blemish is inaudible to me.

The really surprising objection is that the sound quality is subpar. I can't help but feel that some of the younger set suffer from a tendency to assume that new is always better and they have a built in bias against older recordings. This recording is simply beautiful and spacious. True, on the analog original there is a persistent hum, but that has been scrubbed clean on the album through the magic of the digital arts. (enjoythemusic.com)

Vienna Philharmonic
Vienna State Opera Choir
Erich Kleiber, Conductor
Hilde Gueden, Vocals
Cesare Siepi, Vocals
Alfred Poell, Vocals
Lisa Della Casa, Vocals

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