BARRE.

With Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, the Vermont-based Green Mountain Opera Festival proved itself a worthy competitor to all but the largest regional companies in North America. The sold-out June 19 performance was well sung, lavishly produced in period style and ably conducted by Montreal's Jacques Lacombe. The festival, now in its fourth year, was founded by Montreal bass-baritone Taras Kulish.

The cohesiveness of the production as a whole made this Figaro successful. First-rate stage direction by Ellen Schlaefer, a period set by Gary Eckhart and lavishly detailed 18th-century costumes by Ro-bina D'Arcy-Fox created a feast for the eyes. The period setting in the 1899 opera house felt especially appropriate.

Soprano Jennifer Aylmer (Susanna) sang warmly and naturally. She used her focused sound expressively and theatrically, all with a fine comic lilt. Baritone Andrew Wilkowske was ideally cast as the warmhearted, all-too-human Figaro. Despite his occasional irritating embellishments to Mozart's lines, his execution was full of the ease and warmth that make this character so lovable. With her more burnished soprano, Kate Mangiaineli was a regal Countess and, save for a few rhythmic irregularities, sang with an almost haunting lyricism. Canadian baritone Phillip Addis had real vocal presence as the regal but flustered Count. Mezzo-soprano Adriana Zabala (Cherubino) was hilarious and touching, both vocally and theatrically. The comic roles were particularly well performed by mezzo Katrina Corbeil (Marcellina), bass Mark Freiman (Bartolo) and tenor Brett Colby (Basilio and Curzio).

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Lacombe's conducting was light and lyrical, and the orchestra, though a pickup ensemble, was sensitive and, save for a few rough horn passages, sounded fine. The stage direction was traditional, but deftly handled with a light touch.