Le Nozze di Figaro

On the wedding day of Figaro and Susanna, the fickle Count Almaviva, who has lost interest in his wife, attempts to seduce Susanna. She and Figaro conspire with the long suffering Countess Almaviva to outwit him and to teach him a lesson in fidelity, but his young page, Cherubino, inadvertently upsets the carefully laid plans, and relationships are severely tested. All of this is brought to life by Mozart's music of consummate grace, wit, and joyous invention, with Da Ponte's sparklingly adroit libretto.

Le nozze di Figaro                                                                                                Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart  (1756-1791)
Le nozze di Figaro, is an opera buffa (comic opera) in four acts composed by Mozart in 1786 to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna on 1 May 1786. The opera's libretto is based on the 1784 provocative stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais. The opera was the first of three collaborations between Mozart and Da Ponte; it was followed by Don Giovanni and Cosi fan tutte.

The story of Le nozze di Figaro is a whirlwind of mistaken identities and twists and turns, taking place on a single crazy day – the wedding day of the charismatic Figaro and his resourceful wife Susanna.

Unfortunately, Figaro and Susanna’s philandering master, Count Almaviva, has designs on Susanna and is determined to stop the wedding taking place. Meanwhile the page Cherubino's passion for the ladies jeopardizes his job, and Countess Almaviva longs to regain her husband's love.

Figaro, Susanna and the Countess plot to shame the Count and save Cherubino from banishment. But their plans don't run smoothly, particularly when the elderly Marcellina tries to force Figaro to marry her. An astonishing revelation prevents this happening, but tension mounts as it becomes uncertain whether the Count will still find a way to thwart the wedding, and whether the Countess will be able to win back her husband's affection.

Le nozze di Figaro was an instant success; although it was performed only nine times in Vienna in 1786, it went on to be a triumph in Prague. Its bubbling overture, its brilliantly crafted arias—which give insights into the personalities of the characters who sing them—and its lively and intricate ensemble scenes won the hearts of nearly all who witnessed it. Encores became so numerous that after the work’s third performance the emperor declared that, to keep the evening to a reasonable length, only numbers written for a single voice could be repeated in any opera.

Perhaps the success of the opera is hardly surprising. The score of Le nozze di Figaro is packed full of wonderful arias covering a huge range of emotions, from the humour of Figaro's ironic farewell to Cherubino ('Non più andrai') to the poignancy of 'Dove sono', as the Countess remembers past happiness. The opera also contains remarkable ensembles, such as the closing scene of Act II, in which Figaro's plans unravel at breakneck speed. As so often with Mozart, forgiveness is a key theme, and the Count's Act IV plea to his wife, 'Contessa, perdono', is one of opera's most moving moments. It remains one of the most often performed and most widely popular operas of modern times.

Extended synopsis
Act 1
Figaro happily measures the space where the bridal bed will fit in their new room, while Susanna tries on part of her wedding outfit in front of a mirror. (Duet: ‘Cinque, dieci, venti’ – ‘Five, ten, twenty’). He is quite pleased with the room; Susanna is not convinced (Duettino: ‘Se a caso madama la notte ti chiama’ – ‘If the Countess should call you during the night’). Susanna points out that it is dangerously close to the lecherous Count’s room. The Countess rings for Susanna and she rushes off to answer.

Figaro, confident in his own resourcefulness, resolves to outwit the Count (Cavatina: Se vuol ballare signor contino’ – ‘If you want to dance, sir count’). Figaro leaves, and Dr. Bartolo arrives with Marcellina, his old housekeeper. Figaro had previously borrowed money from her and had promised to marry her if he couldn’t repay her at the appointed time; she now intends to enforce that promise by suing him. Bartolo, seeking revenge against Figaro because he facilitated the union of the Count and Rosina, agrees to represent Marcellina pro bono, and assures her, in comical lawyer-speak, that he can win the case for her (aria: ‘La vendetta’ – ‘Vengeance’).

Bartolo leaves, Susanna returns, and Marcellina and Susanna exchange politely delivered sarcastic insults (duet: ‘Via resti servita, madama brillante’ – ‘After you, brilliant madam’). Susanna triumphs in the exchange by congratulating her rival on her impressive age. Marcellina departs in a fury.

Cherubino arrives and, after describing his budding infatuation with all women, particularly with his ‘beautiful godmother’ the Countess (aria: ‘Non so più cosa son’ – ‘I don't know anymore what I am’), asks for Susanna's help with the Count. The Count is furious with Cherubino having discovered him with the gardener's daughter, Barbarina, and plans to punish him. Cherubino pleads with Susanna to ask the Countess to intercede on his behalf.

When the Count appears, Cherubino hides behind a chair, not wanting to be seen alone with Susanna. Finding Susanna alone, the Count intensifies his attempts to seduce her, even offering her money. When Basilio the music teacher enters, the Count rushes to hide behind the same chair. Cherubino hurriedly jumps onto the chair and Susanna scrambles to cover him with a dress.

When Basilio starts to gossip about Cherubino's attraction to the Countess, the Count angrily leaps from his hiding place (terzetto: ‘Cosa sento!’ – ‘What do I hear!’). He makes fun of the page's constant flirting and describes how he caught him with Barbarina under the kitchen table. As he lifts the dress from the chair to show how he lifted the tablecloth to expose Cherubino, he finds Cherubino! The Count is furious, but he is reminded that Cherubino overheard his advances on Susanna, something the Count wants to keep secret from the Countess.

Cherubino is saved from punishment by the entrance of peasants from the Count’s estate; Figaro hopes to force the Count to promise to forfeit his droit de seigneur. The Count dodges Figaro's strategy by postponing the promise. The Count says that he forgives Cherubino, but he sends him off to his army regiment in Seville. Figaro gives Cherubino mocking advice about the harsh, military life ahead of him from which all comforts, especially women, will be banned (aria: ‘Non piu andrai’ – ‘No more gallivanting’).

Act 2
The Countess laments her husband's infidelity (aria: ‘Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro’ – ‘Grant, love, some comfort’). Susanna comes in to get the Countess ready for the day. She responds to the Countess's questions by telling her that the Count is not trying to seduce her; he is merely offering her money in return for her affection. Figaro enters and explains his plan to distract the Count with anonymous letters warning him of adulterers. He has already sent one to the Count (via Basilio) that indicates that the Countess has a rendezvous of her own that evening. They hope that the Count will be too busy looking for imaginary adulterers to interfere with Figaro and Susanna's wedding. Figaro also advises the Countess to keep Cherubino around. She should dress him up as a girl and lure the Count into an illicit rendezvous where he can be caught red-handed. Figaro leaves.

Cherubino then arrives, sent in by Figaro – he is eager to co-operate. Susanna urges him to sing the song he wrote for the Countess (aria: ‘Voi che sapete che cosa è amor’ – ‘You ladies who know what love is, is it what I'm suffering from?’). After the song, the Countess, seeing Cherubino's military commission, notices that the Count was in such a hurry that he forgot to seal it with his signet ring.

Susanna and the Countess then embark on their plan. Susanna takes off Cherubino's cloak. She begins to comb his hair and teach him to behave and walk like a woman (aria: ‘Venite, inginocchiatevi’ – ‘Come, kneel down before me’). Then she leaves to get a dress for Cherubino, taking his cloak with her.

While the Countess and Cherubino are waiting for Susanna to return, they hear the Count arriving. Cherubino hides in the closet. The Count demands to be allowed into the room and the Countess reluctantly unlocks the door. The Count enters and hears a noise from the closet. He tries to open it, but it is locked. The Countess tells him it is only Susanna, trying on her wedding dress. At this point, Susanna re-enters unobserved, quickly realises what is going on, and hides behind a couch (Trio: ‘Susanna, or via, sortite’ – ‘Susanna, come out!’). The Count shouts for her to identify herself, but the Countess orders her to be silent. Furious and suspicious, the Count leaves in search of tools to force the closet door open. The Countess follows. As they leave, the Count locks all the bedroom doors to prevent the intruder from escaping.

Cherubino and Susanna emerge from their hiding places, and Cherubino escapes by jumping through the window into the garden. Susanna then takes Cherubino's place in the closet, vowing to make the Count look foolish (duet: ‘Aprite, presto, aprite’ – ‘Open the door, quickly!’).

The Count and Countess return. The Countess, thinking herself trapped, desperately admits that Cherubino is hidden in the closet. The enraged Count draws his sword, promising to kill Cherubino on the spot, but when the door is opened, to their astonishment they only find Susanna (Finale: ‘Esci omai, garzon malnato’ – ‘Come out of there, you ill-born boy!’). The Count demands an explanation; the Countess tells him that it was a practical joke, to test his trust in her. Shamed by his jealousy, the Count begs for forgiveness. When the Count queries about the anonymous letter, Susanna and the Countess reveal that the letter was written by Figaro, and delivered by Basilio.

Then Figaro arrives and tries to start the wedding festivities, but the Count berates him with questions about the anonymous note. Just as the Count begins to run out of questions, Antonio the gardener arrives, complaining that a man has jumped out of the window and damaged his carnations while running away. Antonio adds that he thought the running man was Cherubino, but Figaro claims it was he himself who jumped out of the window and pretends to have injured his foot while landing.

Figaro, Susanna, and the Countess attempt to discredit Antonio as a chronic drunkard whose constant inebriation makes him unreliable and prone to fantasy, but Antonio brings forward a paper which, he says, was dropped by the escaping man. The Count orders Figaro to prove he was the jumper by identifying the paper (which is, in fact, Cherubino's army commission). Figaro is at a loss, but Susanna and the Countess manage to signal the correct answers, and Figaro triumphantly identifies the document. His victory is, however, short-lived: Marcellina, Bartolo, and Basilio enter, bringing charges against Figaro and demanding that he honour his contract to marry Marcellina, since he cannot repay her loan. The Count is delighted to postpone the wedding in order to investigate the charge.

Act 3
The Count mulls over the confusing situation. Urged by the Countess, Susanna enters and gives a false promise to meet the Count later that night in the garden (duet: ‘Crudel! perchè finora’ – ‘Cruel girl, why did you make me wait so long’). As Susanna leaves, the Count overhears her telling Figaro that he has already won the case. Realizing that he is being tricked (recitative and aria: ‘Hai già vinta la causa! ... Vedrò, mentr'io sospiro’ – ‘You've already won the case!’ ... ‘Shall I, while sighing, see’), he resolves to punish Figaro by forcing him to marry Marcellina.

Figaro's hearing follows, and the Count's judgment is that Figaro must marry Marcellina. Figaro argues that he cannot get married without his parents' permission, and that he does not know who his parents are, because he was stolen from them when he was a baby. The ensuing discussion reveals that Figaro is Raffaello, the long-lost illegitimate son of Bartolo and Marcellina. A touching scene of reconciliation occurs. During the celebrations, Susanna enters with a payment to release Figaro from his debt to Marcellina. Seeing Figaro and Marcellina in celebration together, Susanna mistakenly believes that Figaro now prefers Marcellina to her. She has a tantrum and slaps Figaro's face. Marcellina explains, and Susanna, realising her mistake, joins the celebration. Bartolo, overcome with emotion, agrees to marry Marcellina that evening in a double wedding (sextet: ‘Riconosci in questo amplesso’ – ‘Recognize in this embrace’).

All leave, before Barbarina, Antonio's daughter, invites Cherubino back to her house so they can disguise him as a girl. The Countess, alone, ponders the loss of her happiness (aria: ‘Dove sono i bei momenti’ – ‘Where are they, the beautiful moments’). Meanwhile, Antonio informs the Count that Cherubino is not in Seville, but in fact at his house. Susanna enters and updates her mistress regarding the plan to trap the Count. The Countess dictates a love letter for Susanna to send to the Count, which suggests that he should meet Susanna that night, ‘under the pines’. The letter instructs the Count to return the pin which fastens the letter (duet: ‘Sull’aria..che soave zeffiretto’ – ‘On the breeze... What a gentle little zephyr’).

A chorus of young peasants, among them Cherubino disguised as a girl, arrives to serenade the Countess. The Count arrives with Antonio and, discovering the page, is enraged. His anger is quickly dispelled by Barbarina, who publicly recalls that he had once offered to give her anything she wants in exchange for certain favours - she asks for Cherubino's hand in marriage. Thoroughly embarrassed, the Count allows Cherubino to stay.

The act closes with the double wedding, during which Susanna delivers her letter to the Count (Finale: ‘Ecco la marcia – ‘Here is the procession’). Figaro watches the Count prick his finger on the pin, and laughs, unaware that the love-note is an invitation for the Count to meet with Figaro's own bride Susanna. As the curtain drops, the two newlywed couples rejoice.

Act 4
Following the directions in the letter, the Count has sent the pin back to Susanna, giving it to Barbarina. However, Barbarina has lost it (aria: ‘L'ho perduta, me meschina’ – ‘I have lost it, poor me’). Figaro and Marcellina see Barbarina, and Figaro asks her what she is doing. When he hears the pin is Susanna's, he is overcome with jealousy, especially as he recognises the pin to be the one that fastened the letter to the Count. Thinking that Susanna is meeting the Count behind his back, Figaro complains to his mother, and swears to be avenged on the Count and Susanna, and on all unfaithful wives. Marcellina urges caution, but Figaro will not listen.

Figaro rushes off, and Marcellina resolves to inform Susanna of Figaro's intentions. Marcellina sings an aria that laments why female wild beasts get along with each other, but rational humans can't (aria: ‘Il capro e la capretta’ – ‘The billy-goat and the she-goat’). Motivated by jealousy, Figaro tells Bartolo and Basilio to come to his aid when he gives the signal. Basilio comments on Figaro's foolishness and claims he was once as frivolous as Figaro was. He tells a tale of how he was given common sense by ‘Donna Flemma’ (‘Dame Prudence’) and learned the importance of not crossing powerful people. (aria: ‘In quegli anni’ – ‘In those years’). They exit, leaving Figaro alone.

Figaro muses bitterly on the inconstancy of women (recitative and aria: ‘Tutto è disposto ... Aprite un po' quegli occhi’ – ‘Everything is ready ... Open those eyes a little’). Susanna and the Countess arrive, dressed in each other's clothes. Marcellina is with them, having informed Susanna of Figaro's suspicions and plans. After they discuss the plan, Marcellina and the Countess leave, and Susanna teases Figaro by singing a love song to her beloved within Figaro's hearing (aria: ‘Deh vieni, non-tardar’ – ‘Oh come, don't delay’). Figaro is hiding behind a bush and, thinking the song is for the Count, becomes increasingly jealous.

The Countess arrives in Susanna's dress. Cherubino shows up and starts teasing ‘Susanna’, endangering the plan. (Finale: ‘Pian pianin le andrò più presso’ – ‘Softly, softly I'll approach her’) The Count gets rid of him by striking out in the dark. His punch ends up hitting Figaro, but the point is made and Cherubino runs off.

The Count now begins making earnest love to ‘Susanna’, and gives her a jewelled ring. They go offstage together, where the Countess dodges him, hiding in the dark. Onstage, meanwhile, the real Susanna enters, wearing the Countess' clothes. Figaro mistakes her for the real Countess, and starts to tell her of the Count's intentions, but he suddenly recognizes his bride in disguise. He plays along with the joke by pretending to be in love with ‘my lady’ and invites her to make love right then and there. Susanna, fooled, loses her temper, and slaps him. Figaro finally lets on that he has recognized Susanna's voice, and they make peace, resolving to conclude the comedy together (‘Pace, pace, mio dolce tesoro’ – ‘Peace, peace, my sweet treasure’).

The Count, unable to find ‘Susanna’, enters frustrated. Figaro gets his attention by loudly declaring his love for ‘the Countess’. The enraged Count calls for his people and for weapons: his servant is seducing his wife. (Ultima scena: ‘Gente, gente, all'armi, all'armi’ – ‘Gentlemen, to arms!’) Bartolo, Basilio and Antonio enter with torches as, one by one, the Count drags out Cherubino, Barbarina, Marcellina and the ‘Countess’ from behind the pavilion.

Everyone begs him to forgive Figaro and the ‘Countess’, but he loudly refuses, repeating ‘no’ at the top of his voice, until finally the real Countess enters and reveals her identity. The Count, seeing the ring he had given her, realizes that the 'Susanna' he was trying to seduce was in fact his wife. Ashamed and remorseful, he kneels and pleads for forgiveness himself (‘Contessa perdono!’ – ‘Countess, forgive me!’). The Countess, more kind than he (‘Più docile io sono’ – ‘I am more mild’), forgives her husband and everyone is happy!