Discover Mozart's Opera
Le nozze di Figaro
The marriage of Figaro
A comic masterpiece - it is Figaro's wedding day, but he must outwit his master who intends to bed his bride.
Introduction | Synopsis | Characters | Music and story in context
Introduction
Le nozze di Figaro is based on a play from a trilogy by 18th-century French writer Beaumarchais, written two years before the French Revolution. It was banned when first performed because of its satire of the aristocracy.
Today Le nozze di Figaro is one of the most popular of operas, considered a comic gem of great subtlety and power. The hero, Figaro, is a servant to the self-centered and lecherous Count Almaviva who has amorous designs on Figaro's bride-to-be. Figaro picks his way through a series of comic mishaps and cases of mistaken identity. He gets his girl, teaches his over-sexed master a lesson in love and narrowly escapes having to marry the ageing housekeeper Marcellina, his long-lost mother.
The story is a direct continuation of the action in Rossini’s Barber of Seville (written 30 years later), based on the first play in Beaumarchais's trilogy.
> Read more: the music and story in context
Famous arias
As well as a wealth of duets and smaller ensembles, Le nozze di Figaro is full of memorable arias, perfectly capturing the different characters' personalities.
Se vuol ballare | La vendetta, oh la vendetta | Non piu andrai farfallone | Voi che sapete che cosa é amor | Dove sono i miei momenti
Synopsis
ACT I
Count Almaviva’s palace
Figaro and his fiancée Susanna are both servants of Count Almaviva. As they prepare for their wedding later that day, Susanna warns Figaro that the Count is planning to seduce her. Figaro leaves determined to outwit him.
The elderly housekeeper Marcellina enters with her friend Dr Bartolo. Figaro once promised to marry Marcellina in exchange for a loan and she has now come to collect her dues. Bartolo, who dislikes Figaro, is delighted. Marcellina and Susanna quarrel and Marcellina leaves.
Cherubino, the Count’s page, rushes in. He tells Susanna of his passion for all the women in the castle, including his mistress the Countess. The Count is heard approaching and Cherubino quickly hides behind a chair.
The Count comes in. Thinking he is alone with Susanna, he makes passionate advances towards her and tries to arrange a meeting with her alone that evening. She is horrified. Someone else is heard approaching and the Count hides.
Basilio, the Count’s music master comes in. He is delighted to bring some gossip for Susanna, and tells her that Cherubino is infatuated with the Countess. This is overhead by the Count, who is furious. He jumps out and demands to know more.
Cherubino is discovered. The Count, angered by Cherubino’s infatuation with his wife, orders that Cherubino depart forthwith and sends him off to join the army.
ACT II
The Countess’s bedroom
Susanna, Figaro and the Countess hatch a plot to unmask the Count’s philandering ways. They plan to invite him to a secret assignation with Susanna, but will send Cherubino dressed as a girl instead.
Cherubino is fitted for his girl’s disguise in the Countess’s bedroom. As he tries on his dress, the Count is heard approaching. Cherubino and the Countess are terrified of being caught. Cherubino quickly hides in a dressing room just as the Count enters. The Count is suspicious, especially so when he hears noises coming from the locked dressing room and goes off to get an axe to prise open the door.
While he is away, Susanna swaps places with Cherubino and Cherubino escapes by jumping out of the window. When the Count returns, Susanna walks out of the closet and the Count is dumbfounded.
Marcellina then comes in with Bartolo and Basilio to ask the Count to help her in her legal claim on Figaro. He agrees to hear the case at a trial.
ACT III
Count Almaviva's palace
As part of a new plot to expose the Count’s philandering, Susanna agrees to meet him in the garden. He suspects it may be a trap and resolves to stop her marrying Figaro by forcing him to marry Marcellina.
Figaro is then put on the spot by Marcellina who tells him that he must repay his debt to her or marry her. Figaro pleads that he is an orphan and has no parents to agree to the marriage. As he tells the story of his childhood, Marcellina and Bartolo slowly realize that Figaro is their son, the result of their love affair many years ago.
All are much astonished by this abrupt twist of fate. The reunited family: Figaro and Susanna, and Figaro’s new-found parents, Marcellina and Bartolo, plan a double wedding.
Meanwhile, Susanna and the Countess write another note to trick the Count.
The Count gives his blessing to Susanna and Figaro’s marriage. Susanna slips the Count a note inviting him to an assignation in the garden later.
ACT IV
Count Almaviva's garden
Barbarina, the gardener's daughter, inadvertently blurts out to Figaro that Susanna has exchanged a letter with the Count. He asks Bartolo and some servants to hide in the garden and witness Susanna’s infidelity.
Meanwhile, the Countess and Susanna swap clothes to trick the Count. The Countess, wearing Susanna’s wedding veil, waits for the Count. Susanna, dressed as the Countess, hides to observe. Figaro and his friends are also hiding to watch.
The Count enters looking for Susanna and starts wooing the Countess, disguised as Susanna. Figaro jumps out to challenge the Count. The Countess, disguised as Susanna, flees, followed by the count.
Susanna, dressed as the Countess, appears. After further confusion, Figaro realizes who she is, and that Susanna never betrayed him with the Count. The couple are happily reconciled and decide to continue to tease the Count. The Count arrives, and believes he has caught Figaro kissing the Countess. He is appalled and shouts for help.
The plot is revealed and the contrite Count apologizes for his infidelity and is reunited with his wife.
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Characters
Count Almaviva: Figaro’s master, a notorious philanderer who intends to bed Susanna on her wedding night, much to his wife’s dismay.
Baritone
Figaro: Almaviva’s valet. It is his wedding day, but he has to outwit his master who intends to bed his bride.
Bass-baritone
Susanna: The Countess’s maid. She is due to be married to be Figaro, but must fend off the amorous advances of the Count and help her mistress, the Countess.
Soprano
Countess Almaviva: The Count’s faithful wife, who is determined to catch him in his infidelities and win back his love.
Soprano
Cherubino: Almaviva’s Page. He is full of young love and infatuated with the Countess. When the Count finds this out, he sends Cherubino off to the army, but Figaro secretly tells him to stay behind and help in his plots.
Mezzo-soprano/Soprano
Marcellina: Bartolo’s ex-housekeeper, she once lent money to Figaro in return for an offer of marriage. She has come to collect her debt, but it transpires that she is Figaro’s mother.
Mezzo-soprano
Doctor Bartolo: Marcellina’s former master, and, it is discovered, Figaro’s father.
Bass
Don Basilio: Music master, he gossips about Cherubino’s infatuation with the Countess.
Tenor
Don Curzio: A lawyer engaged by Marcellina to compel Figaro to repay his debt.
Tenor
Antonio: Almaviva’s gardener, he is angry when Cherubino jumps from the Countess’s balcony and damages his geraniums, thus alerting the Count to Figaro’s plans.
Bass
> Read more: the music and story in context
> Listen to: Se vuol ballare, Dove sono i bei momenti, Voi che sapete
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