Matrimonio segreto 1980Cologne Opera
Read more about the opera Secret Marriage
This was a superb and stylish production, beautifully conceived by Michael Hampe in a realistic eighteenth century context, which made this opera seem as worthwhile in performance as the Mozart and Rossini works with which it is usually compared so unfavourably.
There was an evident refusal to overplay farcical antics, with Fidalma shown as youthfully vigorous, and a realistic suitor for young Paolino. Given that Marta Szirmay's successful roles at Covent Garden at the time had been Klytämnestra and Mistress Quickly, this came as rather a surprise. Also there was no hint here that David Kuebler's sweet-toned tenor would soon become a dramatically powerful one, able to encompass Tristan with ease.
There was not a weak performer, everyone looking ideal for their parts, and though Peter-Christoph Runge was a late replacement, he was familiar with the staging from performances at Drottningholm and fitted in well. John Pritchard conducted with a miraculous blend of Mozartian grace and Rossinian fizz which made the opera seem a work of sheer genius.
