Lucio Sillo is never going to be one of the Mozart greats with a shoddy story, but it is pleasant enough with some ever lovely music by Mozart. I wouldn't say this production is bad, because it isn't, but the opera does deserve better than what was seen here. The orchestral playing is lively and stylish if occasionally a little too heavy, and the conducting is authoritative and understands Mozart's style. The singing is generally terrific, Julia Kleiter is deserving of the most praise, she is charming and has a very silky, crystalline voice. Annick Massis' Guina is a knockout, very dramatically committed and vocally thrilling(her difficult passage-work is fearless), her tall elegance also helps. Veronica Cangemi's Cinna benefits from amazing stage presence as well as a well-produced and firm voice. Monica Bacelli has a shaky start with some strained lower notes, but her top once she's warmed up is free and soaring and she has an arresting and expressive stage presence. Not so good is Roberto Sacca in the title role, which for a titular role is a rather small one. Sacca is not so bad dramatically, he is suitably regal, but his voice just doesn't carry that well in a venue so vast. Speaking of the venue, it is too big generally for an opera, this is a sort of size that is more suited to a sports arena. The sets are also rather sparse, and the costumes are weird, more Madonna music video than Mozart opera. The staging has some decent ideas, but the execution overall was too busy and too confused, sometimes it didn't even have to do with the libretto at all. Overall, has some undeniably good things, but an uneven mismatch. 6/10 Bethany Cox
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