It took a long time for the wedding to take place but the sparkle was there throughout, from the very first bars of the overture down to the final ensemble. What a splendid job Philip Walsh had, enthusiastically keeping the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) on a constantly fresh high.

Given the plot, the music and the twist given to the setting by artistic director Jack Furness, one knew that there was going to be a lot of zest and fun, double entendres and erotically fraught moments, to which some would have preferred a more staidly traditional setting.

Victorian straightlacedness, which came between us and Mozart’s time, challenged too much tolerance, conveniently forgetting that Mozart himself was very much known for his coarse and vulgar humour. Not that Furness de­scended as low as that, and frankly, Mozart would have approved of his interpretation and setting.

Paul Putnins and Claire Debono.

This production could be taken anywhere with heads held high.  Taken as a whole, the cast sang and acted to a very high degree of accomplishment. Claire Debono’s Susanna was superb, as the anxious maid so loving in an unforgettable Deh! Vieni non tardar.  She is also jealous and adept at intrigue, giving the Count his comeuppance. Quite a minx too, with her punching and kicking of Figaro – and all in that beautiful voice I had missed for so long.

It was even longer since I heard Ruth Sammut Casingena’s voice live, and what a welcome opportunity this was. Hers was a lovely balanced account all round. She was the picture of hurt dignity, especially with great pathos in Porgi Amor  and her initial vacillation turning to being in cahoots with Susanna, crossing all social boundaries to bring the Count to account.

The third in the trio of Maltese leading female soloists was mezzo-soprano Clare Ghigo’s fine interpretation of Cherubino, as the hopelessly flirtatious youngster with testosterone running amok who gets into one escapade after another. One could also add soprano Francesca Aquilina as Barbarina. Hers may not have been a big role but this young lady, ever on excellent vocal and acting form, always manages to interpret so well whatever role is assigned to her.

This production could be taken anywhere with heads held high

A bigger role than Barbarina’s is that of Marcellina, sung by German mezzo-soprano Kinga Dobay, a very determined lady out to get her pound of flesh, singing very well mostly in ensemble and recitatives. In the last of four performances under review here, in her only substantial solo, the difficult coloratura aria II Capro e la Capretta, she tended to be a bit laboured in the upper reaches.

Kinga Dobay and Emilio Marcucci.

In this opera, Mozart created only two major male roles (excluding the ambiguous Cherubino). The one in the title role was interpreted by Latvian baritone Pauls Putnins, whom I found very much up to the role. If the singing could have had a little more oomph, it was not so much a matter of diction and fluency, but rather one of nuance here and there which could have added a higher dose of torture for the naughty Cherubino in Non più andrai farfallon amoroso.

Earlier, he made his intentions very clear and projected them with great ease in Se vuol balllare Signor Contino. He bore Susanna’s very realistic kicks and punches with great fortitude, bless him!  His penchant for intrigue is matched by the rascally and perfidious Count, who is keen on exacting his droit de seigneur.

The Count is equally as cheeky as any macho man and an aristocrat, to boot, who still tries to cling to outdated and outrageous ‘rights’. Caught cheating, he lies and dithers like a child caught in flagrante, and when he suspects that the Countess he has wronged is paying him back with his own coin he dares feel wronged too, and goes into a fury! US baritone Christian Bowers made an excellent Count in every way. Very dapper and confident at first, later one almost felt sorry for his being continuously thwarted from achieving his unholy mission. In the end, it is the Countess with her generous forgiveness who metes out his worst punishment.

Other roles were ably taken by Italian baritone Emilio Marcucci, who doubled as the scheming Don Bartolo, and the gardener Antonio. US tenor Richard Roberts doubled as the sneaky Don Basilio and the judge Don Curzio. The chorus coached by Geoffrey Thomas did very well too.

There was a very sleek changing of scene mostly with the moving of tall mirrors. Pierre Portelli’s set design was functional and effective, as were Maria Muscat’s costumes. An almost tangible feeling of great teamwork and fun no doubt helped to make this a thoroughly enjoyable performance.