‘Le Nozze di Figaro’ at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival

Angela Brower stars as Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival on August 21, 24, & 27. Nodoka Okisawa conducts the Saito Kinen Orchestra in Laurent Pelly’s delightful production.

A signature role for Ms. Brower, she has been heralded for her portrayal of the hormonal teenager: “Singing the lovesick Cherubino with polished, pristine tone and tasteful ornamentation, American mezzo-soprano Angela Brower brings the rather foolish lad to life without either condescending to or overdoing efforts at conveying masculinity. Like Richard Strauss’s Octavian and Komponist, Mozart’s Cherubino was conceived as a soprano rôle, and Brower negotiates the tessitura with ease, maintaining an enchanting lightness even in moments of greatest dramatic duress.” (Voix des Arts)

Ms. Brower shares the stage with a star-studded cast, including Samuel Dale Johnson as Il Conte Almaviva, Ailyn Pérez as La Contessa di Almaviva, Ying Fang as Susanna, Philippe Sly as Figaro, Susanne Mentzer as Marcellina, Patrick Carfizzi as Bartolo, Martin Bakari as Basilio, Shuhei Itoga as Don Curzio, Cheyanne Coss as Barbarina, and Hidekazu Machi as Antonio.

Photo: Birgit Hart