The Gramophone
‘Well-cast and in a lively translation, this engaging Figaro is full of fun and fizz... words are clear, notably from the men, and the complex plot is well conveyed... the vocal acting of Purves and Dazeley clearly establishes each character... Rebecca Evans’s warm, golden tone as Susanna might be thought to qualify her as a future Countess, who is firmly and clearly sung here by Yvonne Kenny... Diana Montague is ideal as Cherubino and Frances McCafferty is a distinctive, unexaggerated Marcelline'
Opera buffa in three acts
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte
English translation by Jeremy Sams
The Cast
William Dazeley, baritone - Count
Yvonne Kenny, soprano - Countess
Rebecca Evans, soprano - Susanna
Christopher Purves, bass-baritone - Figaro
Diana Montague, mezzo-soprano - Cherubino
Jonathan Veira, baritone - Bartolo
Frances McCafferty, mezzo-soprano - Marcellina
John Graham Hall, baritone - Basilio
Stuart Kale, tenor - Don Curzio
Graham Danby, bass - Antonio
Sarah Tynan, soprano - Barbarina
Yvette Bonner, soprano - Girl
Victoria Joyce, soprano (PMF Scholar) - Girl
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
Philharmonia Orchestra
David Parry - conductor
Recorded in Blackheath Halls
1-7 September 2003
Producer - Brian Couzens, Sound engineer - Ralph Couzens,
Assistant engineer - Michael Common
International Record Review
'The Chandos Opera in English series, with the generous support of the Peter Moores Foundation, brings us a fine account of The Marriage of Figaro in Jeremy Sams’s stylish and witty translation. The main advantage for English listeners with limited Italian is that, for once, it’s possible to absorb the contents of the recitatives without having to bury one’s head in the libretto booklet... this Figaro is a real team achievement. Its inclusion in what is already a formidable list of impressive opera recordings in English will be widely welcomed and greatly enjoyed.'
