Both Jacopo, the director and Robin, the conductor created pleasant atmosphere to work in, which made the discovery of the role of Countess exciting, both musically and theatrically.
Warm and friendly environment means a lot for my inner piece of mind, but I also loved being challenged both by the conductor and the director. I think encouragement mixed with criticizm can bring the best results.
Jacopo's production is full of witty humour, but also of very real, humaine issues. It is modern and talks directly to the heart. I was admiring how with huge patience, he is directing us all to connect to our charachters through our own personalities. I felt that I am being honest and felt real connection to my Countess, thru my own life experiences.
I felt that in fact Countess was in the centre of attention. I have seen productions that put Countess aside. But here, my Rosina went throu a journey. From being locked in passive, limiting world; being naive and waiting for things to come her way, she decides to take control over her life. She decides to fight for her husband's love and for their marriage.
She starts by praying for a change and slowly realises that she has to turn her world upside down in order for this desired change to occur.
The set has helped to create the clastrophobic feeling. Each one of the charachters were locked in cage like spaces. Somehow familiar and symbolic!
Aren't we all locked in various cages, in surtain times of our lives?!? Sometimes creating those cages alone, just to realize later and free ourselves from them.
It does not matter, what happends after Countess wins her husband back. Who knows, they might separate after all.. But for now she is determined to save her marriage and to forgive his betrayal. She is forgiving herself as well, for not realizing that marriage is something one needs to work constantly to improve. That one needs to put logs into the fire, in order for it to burn.
The music tells it all. There is not a single emotion that can escape from Mozart's sensitive score. It's all there, in every note, every harmony, every phrase the most detailed nuiances of it all. It is pure magic. It stops the time completely.
I liked singing with Robin Newton conducting. It was one of very rear ocasions, when a singer and a conductor understand each other and create music together. It is a joy to sing with orchestra, the voice is fully supported.
I liked my costume, in fact, I enjoyed to have a personal corsette, made for my size and a big dress for act 3.
My son came to watch one of the reahearsals and then he came to watch the whole of act 1 and act 2 of the first night. It was his first opera! I came out in the interval to kiss him good night and saw his admiring, bright eyes. He was so happy and excited to see his mummy on stage!!
The next day he was telling everybody that his mother was a beautifull princess..
Well.. It's all worth living for.
