Opera Scotland

Nozze di Figaro 2015Budapest Festival Orchestra

Read more about the opera Marriage of Figaro

It's a while since Figaro was seen at the Edinburgh International Festival, and that single performance was an Usher Hall concert linked to one of Sir Charles Mackerras's recordings with the SCO.

This offering, at the same venue, rather than in a theatre, was described as a 'staged concert performance', which really does sound to be falling between two stools. However most of the singers listed are superb, internationally renowned artists, especially the three performers of Figaro and the Almavivas. Andrew Shore and Marie McLaughlin made welcome return visits. The Susanna, a late replacement for Ekaterina Siurina, was coming back to Edinburgh for the first time since she sang Papagena in the memorable performances of The Magic Flute conducted by Claudio Abbado a decade ago.

Granted the quality of the cast, this was a most enjoyable, if hybrid, reading of what many see as the greatest opera ever created.