If anyone had told me 4 years ago that I would become a huge opera buff I probably would have laughed in their face! But here I am, spending my money on buying operatic recordings, going to see operas, and singing opera. If you’re looking for an introduction to the world of opera, you won’t find a more perfect introduction than Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro - filled with wonderfully drawn characters and ‘hummable’ Mozart melodies, this was the first opera that really caught my interest and is still my favourite.

The opera is set in Spain (but is sung in Italian!) and the action takes place over the course of one day - the wedding day of Figaro and Susanna, both servants to the Count and Countess Almaviva. Unfortunately for the couple, the Count fancies Susanna and, as well as stalling the wedding plans, is planning on reviving the ‘droit de signor’ which allows him the right to deflower any virgin in the town! When Susanna tells Figaro of the Count’s intentions he is furious and vows to get his revenge on his master. The Countess feels neglected by her husband and his jealous fits of rage over the Countess’s relationship with her godson, the horny adolescent page Cherubino, make her feel utterly miserable. Will Susanna, Figaro and the Countess be able to work together to overpower the Count’s adulterous plans?

If you know anything about contemporary pop culture at all, the chances are you’ve heard a lot of the music from Figaro before- the gorgeous duet between the Countess and Susanna featured in The Shawshank Redemption, the Countess’s ‘Porgi Amor’ has featured in numerous adverts, as well as last year’s BBC adaptation of Daniel Deronda, and Cherubino’s delightful aria ‘Voi che sapete’ is standard A-Level recital repertoire. But what you don’t tend to hear so much of is the ensemble pieces which are fabulous.

The sheer number of recordings of this opera is quite daunting and it’s difficult to know where to start. I’ve listened to at least 20 recordings of The Marriage of Figaro and I would highly recommend John Eliot Gardiner’s 1994 recording featuring Bryn Terfel as Figaro and Alison Hagley as Susanna. Gardiner is notorious for being difficult to work with and a bit of a slave driver, but while this makes things difficult for the performers, for the listeners it means a real treat! It’s a live recording so you get a greater sense of drama than you do with a studio recording (although if clapping audiences or the sound of slamming doors bother you, you’d be better avoiding this one!). Alison Hagley has just the right lightness of tone to play Susanna and she invests her with a delightful playful knowingness. Bryn Terfel is fantastic as Figaro: his baritone voice has a richness to it that lends itself well to Mozart’s music and he plays the role with exactly the right amount of buffoonery without appearing a fool. Pamela Helen Stephen sings a lively Cherubino, and the sexual chemistry between Cherubino and the Countess is played up hugely in this production. The only disappointment for me was Hillevi Martinpelto’s Countess, who I found remained somewhat too languid, especially towards the end of the opera (I really don’t think you can beat Kiri Te Kanewa’s Countess – if you want to focus on the character of the Countess, then go for one with Kiri). The orchestra (the English Baroque Soloists) play on period instruments (and this recording is pretty much the only Figaro which does this, so if you’re looking for authenticity you’re choice is rather limited!). If you’re a traditionalist, you might be disappointed with this recording; as with many of Gardiner’s recordings, many of the arias are taken at a rather hasty speed (particularly the Countess’s ‘Porgi Amor’), which I think works very well, but I realise that others may not share this view! Another note of caution is that, like many productions, it does cut some of the fourth act, omitting Marcellina’s aria, so if that’s one you particularly want, then I’d opt for another recording. However, apart from these rather minor points, this is a great recording – far and away my favourite! Gardiner’s direction is meticulous and from the moment the orchestra begins the energetic overture, you know you’re in for a treat.