The marriage of Figaro

Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata (Trans: The Marriage of Figaro or the Crazy Day), K. 492, is an opera buffa (comic opera) composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro (1784).

The play by Beaumarchais was at first banned in Vienna because of its satire of the aristocracy, anyway, the opera became one of Mozart's most successful works. The overture is especially famous and is often played as a concert piece.


The opera was the first of three celebrated collaborations between Mozart and da Ponte; they went on to create Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte. It was Mozart who brought a copy of Beaumarchais's play to da Ponte, who turned it into a libretto in six weeks, translating the story into Italian poetry and removing all political references. Contrary to the popular myth, the libretto was approved by the Emperor, Joseph II, before any music was written by Mozart.

The Imperial Italian opera company paid Mozart 450 florins for the work; this was three times his salary when he had worked as a court musician in Salzburg. Da Ponte was paid 200 florins.

Emperor Joseph II was indirectly responsible for preserving this magnificent opera score for posterity. Joseph II was looking for an opera to be produced at the imperial court. Mozart's work was one of the works under consideration, along with several others by contemporary composers. With the scant success Mozart had received to that point, he reportedly swore that if his work was passed over, he would toss the entire score into the fire.

Figaro premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna on May 1, 1786. Mozart himself directed the first two performances, conducting seated at the keyboard, the custom of the day.

Original cast:

Count Almaviva: baritone Stefano Mandini

Rosina (Countess Almaviva): soprano Luisa Laschi

Figaro: bass-baritone or bass Francesco Benucci

Susanna: light-lyric soprano Nancy Storace

Cherubino: mezzo soprano (breeches role) Dorotea Bussani

Marcellina: soprano Maria Mandini

Bartolo: bass Francesco Bussani

Basilio: tenor Michael Kelly

Don Curzio: tenor Michael Kelly

Antonio: bass Francesco Bussani

Barbarina: soprano or mezzo-soprano Anna Gottlieb

I saw this opera lat year in St. Paul. It was wonderful!