Mozart’s last operas – “The Marriage of Figaro”, “Don Giovanni”, “Così fan tutte” and “The Magic Flute” – are among the most popular in the repertoire. We imagine it churning out music, perfectly formed as pen hits paper. But consider that Mozart wrote 13 stage works before “Figaro”. By then he was an experienced theater composer.

Companies sometimes produce works by Mozart that predate “Figaro”, but “La Finta Giardiniera” (“The Pretend Gardener”) is rarely seen. Mozart composed this, his eighth stage work, when he was 18. The memorable arias of his late operas may be lacking, but he has deft musical characterizations, harmonic shifts beyond all in his instrumental music at the time, and effective finales in Acts I and II that anticipate “Figaro.” and “Cosi”.

Opera Neo, in collaboration with the Hungarian State Opera, showcased their musical merits at Bread & Salt on Saturday. He assembled an excellent cast, headlined by soprano Öznur Tülüoglu as a noblewoman (Violante) stabbed and left for dead by her lover (Count Belfiore), now posing as a gardener (Sandrina) for revenge. . Mozart’s music reflects his changing roles as noble or servant, requiring stylistic versatility and acting chops.

Tülüoglu’s lovely voice never wavered. Her compelling stage presence was complicated by Eszter Lázár’s hand choreography and director András Almási-Tóth’s conception of Violante as a vampire (more on that later). She took it all in stride.

Artúr Szeleczki was a radiant tenor. Son Belfiore was a serial groper, a villain so to speak. Andrea Jorös, a dark and lustrous soprano, was the Count’s fiancée, Arminda. In most productions, she keeps Belfiore at bay, demanding to be treated like a noblewoman before marrying. Here she was child’s play.

Baritone Kyle White was Violante’s servant, Nardo. Its ample bass register supported this bass role. Boglárka Brindás charmed in the role of Serpetta, the prototype of Mozart’s sassy servants later as Despina. Her runs were dazzling and the high notes she emitted in her closing tune were brilliant.

The role of Ramiro was originally for a castrato, inevitably sung by the mezzos nowadays. Anna Trombetta’s powerful, pearly voice was well suited to her role, which for this production was defiantly fluid, abruptly swapping heels and trousers for a skirt, and which others referred to as “they”.

Tenor Eric Laine was the restless and awkward mayor who finds himself without a partner at the end and decides, like Cary Grant in “Bringing Up Baby”, to “all of a sudden go gay”.

Peter Kozma led an ensemble including period horns, trumpets and timpani. The strings and winds valiantly fought off the sweltering humidity of Bread & Salt, but sometimes lost.

The set design featured three huge flowers, the stamens of which were frequently stroked and struck suggestively. I could buy it, but why were Nardo and Violante vampires?

I do not know. Transylvania was once part of Hungary. Maybe the Hungarian State Opera puts vampires in everything.

It was a ridiculous concept that didn’t really work until the end of Act II. In the libretto, Belfiore and Violante suddenly go mad, taking themselves for mythological figures. This makes little sense to modern audiences.

Instead of madness, Violante bit Belfiore and turned him into a vampire. Nardo sucks Serpetta’s blood. Here, vampirism lent something to the plot, but try not to think about it too much.

I prefer to think of Öznur Tülüoglu, who hopefully is destined for greater things.

Hertzog is a freelance writer.