Music Reviews : Salzburg Marionette Theatre Offers ‘Figaro’

The bicentennial observance of Mozart’s death, on the day itself came with a happy discovery for at least one of us--the Salzburg Marionette Theatre, which staged Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” Thursday at Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena.

Watching the marionettes evoked a complex, dynamic pleasure. Appreciation shuttled between admiring simulation of lifelike (or “realistic”) movement, of which they certainly were capable, and, more frequently, savoring their persuasiveness on their own terms.

This included noticing the strings and the other theatrical techniques. (Each character receives not only specific sculpting and costuming but also a particular style of movement.)

Recognizing the physical limitations of the little wooden figures even emphasized the theme of this opera, which, as is frequent with Mozart, concerns the revelation of human imperfections and the moral education--onstage and off--that should arise from facing and accepting them.

More important, divorced from the human machinery required to produce speech and song and even stance, the marionettes can refine, abstract and intensify emotional gesture. Their mouths may not open, their hands may not move, but they can create much nuance and delicacy of expression.

Alternatively, unhampered by gravity, the marionettes can offer more stage action than human singing actors do and so enhance the hair-trigger emotions of the characters. Both aspects work to mirror the miraculous score.

Perhaps these were the reasons that the audience was moved to applaud after arias, even though the music came from the old EMI-Columbia recording with a cast that included Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (the Countess), Eberhard Wachter (the Count), Anna Moffo (Susanna), Giuseppe Taddei (Figaro). Carlo Maria Giulini conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Gunther Schneider-Siemssen designed the airy, realistic sets, lovingly lit by Harald Alker. Bernd-Dieter Ludwig designed the exquisite period costumes. Wolf-Dieter Ludwig stage directed with whimsy and pathos.

The opera was performed with cuts and lasted about two hours (with intermission). Because everything was sung in Italian, the experience appeared a strain for younger children who had little preparation. Everyone may appreciate the option of viewing the marionettes more closely through a pair of binoculars, however.