A Very Happy Coupling

It has been almost exactly a year now since Opera Pacific, as if struck by electricity, jolted spectacularly to life. The occasion was a surprisingly theatrical and musically capable production of Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” to begin the new artistic regime of conductor John DeMain. And if nothing since has quite matched the daring of that “Dutchman,” every production has, at the very least, been rewarding. The “Dutchman” was no fluke.

Tuesday night, Opera Pacific took another bold risk but of a different order. This time the opera was “Marriage of Figaro” in a traditional production. The company has been promoting the work as Mozart’s “perfect opera.” The implication is that, if anything, throughout a performance of a very intricate and sophisticated ensemble work, doesn’t seem absolutely perfect, the company has somehow failed a comic music drama meant to reveal something profound about the human condition.

Not everything, of course, was perfect (it never is). Mozart’s intimate drama couldn’t speak directly in a dry hall the size of Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Segerstrom Hall. The company suffered two serious setbacks, losing its distinguished director, Colin Graham, and its Countess, the emerging Basque soprano Ainhoa Arteta, for medical reasons late in the game.

Still, there was enough right. The cast was lively, alert to theater. Tim Ocel, the young director chosen by Graham to carry out his production, managed complex stage business clearly and cleverly. DeMain conducted with warmth and fluidity and the orchestra, though a bit distant-sounding buried deep in its pit, played gracefully.

There can be both a political and spiritual element in the antics of Figaro and Susanna, the young couple who attempt to assert their independence in a still feudal household. Society is changing, and they are on the cutting edge. But in asserting their rights, they and the Count and the Countess grow into deeper, more serious and mature couples. The social politics and the inner growth have been the sharp focus of the most impressive modern productions (particularly those of Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, Peter Sellars and David Alden).

Opera Pacific doesn’t dig so deep, relying on a light, situation-comedy touch. Yet there is value in this, as well, since Mozart’s music constantly implies that under this lovers’ roundelay of confusions is something subtle that will shape the meaning of these characters’ lives. We see their surface, but we know there is more.

A minimal set (if a bit small for the stage) and attractive traditional costumes by Susan Benson play well into this approach. The plump nudes painted on the walls of Figaro and Susanna’s room could be distracting if the lighting were better, but mostly our attention is drawn to the characters. The movement between scenes is fluid, and at one point, between the first and second acts, there is a brilliant cinematic transition in which the Countess enters early and observes the antics of her husband.

Richard Bernstein and Christine Brandes are a handsome Figaro and Susanna. Both the baritone (who rose through the ranks of Los Angeles Opera and is now beginning to make a notable international career) and the soprano (who is best known in early music circles) are in fresh, ideal voice. And both are understated but astute actors. There can be a huge temptation to inflate the natural charisma of the crafty valet and his even more cunning fiancee (witness the recent hoopla over the boisterous Bryn Terfel and Cecilia Bartoli in the roles at the Met). Bernstein and Brandes are not such spectacular performers, but they offer believable, modern, satisfying personifications.

An exciting debut is made by Israeli mezzo-soprano Rinat Shaham as Cherubino. A tart singer, she does a remarkable job of capturing the awkward sexual charm of a teenage boy’s libido. Marie Plette is a studied Countess who approaches radiance. John Hancock looks good on stage as a tall, young Count, but he doesn’t quite have the vocal authority to match his physical presence. There is good character acting and laugh-getting from Judith Christin (Marcellina), Matthew Lord (Don Basilio) and Andrew Fernando (Antonio). Bruce Baumer’s Bartolo and Christina Suh’s Barbarina are weaker.

There are times through the long evening when this “Figaro” seems less perfect than others, when energy flags (despite the generally brisk pace), when more musical contrast would be invigorating. But there is enough right that Mozart’s opera comes credibly to life and, in the process, Opera Pacific further strengthens its own credibility.

* “The Marriage of Figaro,” tonight and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m., $32-$107. Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, (800) 34-OPERA.