John Eliot Gardiner, The English Baroque Soloists - Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro (2001/1993)

It is an oft-repeated saw, about life in the heavenly spheres, that the angels revere Bach but listen to Mozart. If they have DVD players, you can bet they're now watching this stunning production of Le Nozze di Figaro ("The Marriage of Figaro"), which comes about as close to Mozartian perfection as one could possibly hope to get. The faultlessly cast youthful performers bubble with infectious energy. Alison Hagley is a sprightly Susanna with a voice as clear as a bell, and brilliantly matched by a 28-year-old Bryn Terfel both acting and sounding in fine form. Hillevi Martinpelto demonstrates why she is one of the world's favourite Mozart singers with her melting tones, richly coloured voice and generous stage presence, and Rodney Gilfry gives a muscular, wonderfully controlled performance as the Count.
Olivier Mille's direction mixes knockabout comedy and restrained pathos with fluid inventiveness, and there are even–heavens, can this really be an opera?–quite a few belly laughs, and deliciously amusing details. (Susanna's guitar playing during Cherubino's "Voi che sapete" is a comic delight, and Figaro's hidden sneers at Count Almaviva are hilarious.) John Eliot Gardiner draws exquisite playing from his authentic-instrument orchestra and employs tempos that are ideal. Add to that gorgeous 18th-century costumes and effective sets–it doesn't get much better than this.

Cast:
Il Conte di Almaviva - Rodney Gilfry
La Contessa di Almaviva - Hillevi Martinpelto
Susanna - Alison Hagley
Figaro - Bryn Terfel
Cherubino - Pamela Helen Stephen
Marcellina - Susan NcCulloch
Bartolo - Carlos Feller
Basilio/Don Cutzio - Francis Egerton
Antonio - Julian Clarkson
Barbarina - Constanze Backes
The Monteverdi Choir
The English Baroque Soloists
Conductor - John Eliot Gardiner