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The primary virtue of this Berlin production may be its intensity--a quality not usually associated with Mozart performances and perhaps one that should be tried more often. Indeed, those who think of Mozart as a sort of cherub, not quite adapted to this world where he lived for such a short time, may be shocked. If so, they should take a closer look at the opera. Yes, it is a comedy--often very funny--but not really light-hearted (like, for example, The Barber of Seville, which has many of the same characters). It is a comedy about varieties of sexual harassment. This serious theme gives the work a special depth that is brought out effectively here. The intensity is most notable in the testosterone-driven roles of Count Almaviva, played on the verge of desperation by Roman Trekel, and the energetically raunchy Cherubino of Patricia Risley. It takes on different nuances in the ingenious Figaro of Rene Pape, the level-headed Susanna of Dorothea Roschmann, and the sweetly depressed Countess of Emily Magee--all roles that have been carefully considered and are interpreted with musical precision to balance their theatrical strength. Besides the singers mentioned above, this 1999 performance deserves special credit for including Peter Schreier in the small role of Don Basilio. He was one of the great tenors of the 20th century, and it is good to see him still doing justice to Mozart at this late stage of his career. --Joe McLellan
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