In 2011 the Budapest Festival Orchestra (BFO), one of the top 10 orchestras in the world, electrified and enchanted Mostly Mozart audiences with an extraordinary Don Giovanni which was acclaimed by The New York Times as “more involving, imaginative and theatrically daring than many full productions I have seen.”

On the 11th, 13th and 15th of August 2013 Mr. Fischer and the BFO opened the orchestra’s 30th Anniversary Season with “Le Nozze di Figaro” at the Rose Theater in New York. The performance which creates an organic unity between music and theatre rocked New York’s demanding audience and enchanted even the most rigorous critics.

“Their Mozart can only be described as crazy good” said the New York Post, while nj.com considers the “exuberance, which is consistent throughout the performance, is the production’s greatest gift”. Bachtrack calls the performance as “fresh and fun” and apart from praising Ivan Fischer for “conducting in an almost casual kind of way”, the Opera World highlights the costume design of Györgyi Szakács saying “it gave the opera an air of being created on the spot”.

“First, though, I must say that the musical performance on its own terms was extraordinary. Over the last 30 years under Mr. Fischer, the Budapest Festival Orchestra has become one of the most admired ensembles on the international scene, as was demonstrated on Sunday by this supple, glowing and transparent performance of ‘Figaro’” Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times wrote in his review.

The New York Times even said that the Figaro – just like the Don Giovanni – is the highlight of the opera season of New York.

An interview with Ivan Fischer about the Figaro can be watched here

Source: Budapest Festival Orchestra