LA Opera - The Marriage of Figaro The Marriage of Figaro The matchmaker finds his match By WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Overview The Figaro Trilogy: The Marriage of Figaro The wily barber and part-time matchmaker has finally fallen in love, but--like everything else in Figaro's life--it's complicated. On the eve of Figaro’s marriage to Susanna, Count Almaviva’s wandering eye has landed on the lovely bride-to-be. Servant and master go head to head, and even the Countess herself gets into the action when she learns of her husband’s plans. Or is she embroiled in a liaison of her own? From the breathless opening notes of the overture to the touching final curtain, Mozart’s comic masterpiece under the baton of James Conlon brilliantly bucks the conventions of his time to deliver an ageless message of love and forgiveness. “Exhilarating!” – Los Angeles Times “4 Stars! Sublime and Transcendent!” – Los Angeles Daily News Beyond Enchanting… Go!” – LA Weekly There are currently no upcoming performances. An LA Opera original production. Original production made possible by a generous gift from the Lauren B. Leichtman and Arthur E.

Levine Family Foundation. Revival made possible by a generous gift from The Carol and Warner Henry Production Fund for Mozart Operas. Cast + Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program member ++ Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program alumnus Synopsis Act I Figaro and Susanna, servants to the Count and Countess Almaviva, are making preparations on the morning of their wedding. When Susanna learns that the Count has given them the bedroom adjacent to his, she protests. She fears that the Count will use this proximity to exercise his right as a feudal lord to initiate the new bride to the ways of lovemaking, an intention he has already communicated to Susanna via her music teacher, Don Basilio. The Count’s designs anger Figaro, and when Susanna leaves, he promises a revenge that will preserve Susanna’s virtue. Marcellina and her former employer Doctor Bartolo arrive with a plan to prevent Figaro’s marriage. Marcellina wants to marry Figaro herself and plans to do so by enforcing the terms of an unresolved contract for a loan she made to Figaro years earlier. Susanna returns and shares a contentious exchange with her rival. Marcellina leaves and Cherubino arrives.

The young page has been banished from the castle after the Count found him in a compromising position with Barbarina, the gardener’s daughter. The page is pleading with Susanna to intervene on his behalf when the Count pays a surprise visit. While Cherubino hides, Susanna refuses the Count’s propositions. When they hear Don Basilio approaching, the Count also hides until he overhears Basilio telling Susanna that Cherubino is suspected of flirting with the Countess. In the midst of his tirade about Cherubino’s indiscretions, the Count inadvertently uncovers the page from his hiding place. The confusion is interrupted by the arrival of Figaro. He and some villagers stage a tribute to the “fair and just” Count. The Count responds to the morning’s events by delaying the wedding until that evening and by sending the pageboy away to fill a position in his regiment. Susanna is relaying the morning’s events to the Countess when Figaro enters to explain his plan, a diversion that Figaro asserts will ensure that his wedding proceeds as planned. He has sent an anonymous letter to the Count warning that the Countess is planning a tryst with a lover.

Additionally, Susanna is to agree to the Count’s proposition for an illicit encounter, but Figaro has arranged for Cherubino to be disguised as a girl and sent in Susanna’s stead. Figaro retrieves Cherubino, and Susanna and the Countess dress him for the charade. They are surprised by a knock on the door from the Count. Cherubino hides, locking himself in the closet. The jealous Count, angered by the anonymous letter, threatens to break into the closet, but when he and a reluctant Countess leave momentarily to obtain the necessary tools, Susanna takes Cherubino’s place in the closet. The page escapes, jumping out of the window. The Count and Countess return, and Susanna emerges from the closet. The Count begs forgiveness but defends his suspicions with the anonymous letter. The women admit the letter was fabricated by Figaro. Figaro enters and denies knowing anything about the letter. Then Antonio, the gardener arrives, outraged that someone has jumped from the window into his flowers. As Susanna and the Countess discredit Antonio for being a drunkard, Figaro claims that it was he himself who jumped.

With the Count’s suspicions renewed and confusion mounting, Marcellina arrives along with her cohorts and makes her claim for Figaro to either repay his debt to her or marry her. Act II Susanna and the Countess have created a new plan in which Susanna is to promise to meet the Count, but instead the Countess will go in disguise and reveal the Count’s infidelities. Susanna arranges the supposed rendezvous, but her efforts are nearly ruined when the Count overhears an exchange between her and Figaro. Don Curzio, the judge, oversees the trial between Marcellina and Figaro. Figaro claims that he cannot marry her because he requires his parents’ permission, and being an orphan, that is not possible. Figaro’s story of being kidnapped as an infant sounds familiar to Marcellina, and a birthmark on Figaro’s arm confirms that he is Marcellina’s long-lost son, the result of her affair with Doctor Bartolo. The proud parents embrace their son and their future daughter-in-law, and a double wedding is planned. Meanwhile, Susanna and the Countess write a letter to the Count confirming the tryst that evening. They seal the letter with a pin.

Barbarina and the village girls enter to bring flowers to the Countess. The Count and Antonio interrupt to reveal Cherubino dressed as a girl hiding amongst the crowd. Barbarina intercedes and convinces the Count to forgive Cherubino. Having found the page at last, the Count uses the opportunity to try to force Figaro into admitting what really happened in the Countess’s bedroom earlier in the day. The villagers begin the wedding procession. Before completing the ceremony, Susanna slips the Count the note sealed with the pin. Figaro and Marcellina happen upon Barbarina in the garden searching for the pin she was meant to return to Susanna as confirmation of the tryst. Barbarina naively reveals her mission, and an enraged Figaro swears revenge for what he believes is his bride’s unfaithfulness. Figaro engages Bartolo and Basilio as witnesses and hides himself in order to catch Susanna with the Count. Marcellina returns with the Countess and Susanna, warning them that Figaro is hiding nearby. Marcellina hides, and Susanna and the Countess exchange clothes. Susanna hides, and the Countess, dressed as Susanna, awaits the Count’s arrival. Instead, Cherubino comes.

Finding the supposed Susanna, he propositions her until the Count interrupts. Cherubino hides. The Count makes advances towards “Susanna” until Figaro intercedes. The Count flees and the Countess hides. Susanna, still pretending to be the Countess, steps forward, and Figaro recognizes his wife’s voice. The plot becomes apparent to him, but he plays along for a moment, until Susanna reveals her true identity, and both are reconciled. Figaro and Susanna (still dressed as the Countess) stage a love scene for the Count’s benefit. The jealous Count calls for help, and one by one, everyone is extracted from hiding. The Count points to the woman he believes has betrayed him, but the real Countess steps forward, removing her disguise and unveiling the entire charade. The Count, overcome with guilt, is forgiven by the Countess. All couples are happily restored, and go off to enjoy the wedding festivities.

RUNNING TIME Opera Tour: The Marriage of Figaro Opera Tour: The Marriage of Figaro Opera Tour: The Marriage of Figaro Share Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte Based on French comedy of same name by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais Act I – A room in the castle of Count Almaviva The day of their wedding, Figaro, the valet of the Count, and Susanna, the maid of the Countess, are measuring their future bedroom (Cinque, dieci). Susanna complains that the room is too close to the Count’s quarters, especially as he has recently been flirting with her. Figaro vows to protect Susanna from such indecent behavior. Dr. Bartolo and Marcellina demand that Figaro either pay Marcellina for a debt he owes her, or, as he has agreed, marry her. Bartolo wants revenge on Figaro, as Figaro arranged the elopement of the Count and the Countess, whom Bartolo had hoped to marry. Cherubino, the Count’s page, dashes in. He explains that the Count discovered him with Barbarina, the daughter of the gardener.

Cherubino confesses that he is in love with the Countess as well as every other woman in the palace (Non so più). Cherubino hides when he hears the count approaching. Thinking that he is alone with Susanna, the Count flirts with her until he is interrupted by Don Basilio, the music teacher. The Count also hides. Basilio gossips about the affairs in the castle including Cherubino’s infatuation with the Countess. The Count becomes angry and reveals himself, discovering Cherubino in the process. Aware that the boy has overheard his own indiscretions, he vents his anger on Cherubino by forcing him into the army. Figaro arrives and asks the Count to give Susanna her wedding veil as a symbol of purity. The Count says he would prefer to postpone the ceremony until he can celebrate the occasion appropriately. Both Figaro and Susanna try to persuade the Count to allow Cherubino to stay. Figaro then tells Cherubino about the rigors of military life (Non più andrai). Act II— In the bedroom of the Countess The Countess mourns her husband’s lack of interest towards her (Porgi, amor).

Susanna and Figaro tell the Countess that the Count is trying to seduce Susanna. They devise a plan in which the Count will be given a note that says that the Countess is having an affair. While the Count is investigating, Figaro and Susanna will be married quickly. At the same time, they will disguise Cherubino as Susanna and will arrange a secret meeting with the Count. Cherubino arrives and begins trying on his disguise. He sings Voi che sapete, a love song to the Countess. The Count arrives and Cherubino and Susanna both hide. The Count is suspicious and upon hearing a noise, the Count demands to know who is hiding in the dressing room. Cherubino jumps out of the window leaving Susanna. The Count demands that the door be opened, and to his surprise, Susanna calmly enters the room. Finding no one else, the Count begs for forgiveness. The gardener bursts in complaining that someone has just jumped out of the window onto the flowers. In the meantime, Marcellina enters with Dr. Bartolo and Basilio demanding justice.

Act III—A hall in the castle As the Count investigates the debt owed by Figaro to Marcellina, Susanna lets the Count know that she is prepared to meet him later that evening if he will give her the dowry he has promised. With the dowry, Susanna will be able to pay off Marcellina and marry Figaro. The Count becomes infuriated that his servants will enjoy a happiness that he will not. Figaro, Marcellina and Dr. Bartolo join the Count and his notary, Don Curzio, for the judgement. Figaro protests that he needs the consent of his parents, from whom he was stolen as an infant. Marcellina realizes that Figaro is her long lost son by Dr. Bartolo; the estranged mother and son embrace. They decide the wedding will be a double one; Marcellina will marry Dr. Bartolo and Figaro will marry Susanna. Susanna greets the heartbroken Countess to tell her of the outcome of Figaro’s case. The women compose a letter for the Count to catch him in his infidelity (Sull’ aria).

The Count enters, still wanting to punish Cherubino, Barbarina pleads that instead, Cherubino be made her husband; the Count agrees. Figaro enters and the wedding march begins. At the wedding celebration, Susanna passes the note to the Count as he promises a splendid evening. Act IV—The garden of the castle Through a misunderstanding, Figaro thinks that Susanna sent the Count the love letter on her behalf. Planning his revenge, Figaro returns with Bartolo and Basilio as witnesses to his wife’s infidelity. He defends his jealousy and insists men should not trust women. Susanna and the Countess have switched clothing and enter with Marcellina. Susanna, aware that Figaro is listening, sings about her approaching happiness with her lover. The Countess (now disguised as Susanna) awaits her planned tryst with the Count as he enters and promptly begins seducing “Susanna.” The real Susanna (disguised as the Countess) is confronted by Figaro who tells her that the Count is with his Susanna. She asks Figaro to be quiet, but forgets to disguise her voice. The truth begins to dawn on Figaro who then pleads passionate love to the “Countess”.

A furious Susanna slaps Figaro, who admits that he knew she was in disguise. Continuing the prank, Figaro and the “Countess” loudly confess their love. The Count rushes in with the crowd following behind him to investigate the ruckus. The Count denounces his faithless wife. The court begs the Count to forgive her, but he refuses until the real Countess reveals herself. The Count realizes that he has fallen prey to a prank and begs forgiveness. The Countess forgives him and all celebrate the end of a crazy day. Mozart’s Bio Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria on January 27, 1756 to Leopold Mozart and Anna Maria Pertl. Leopold was a successful composer, violinist and assistant concertmaster at the Salzburg court. Wolfgang began composing minuets at the age of 5 and symphonies at 9. When he was 6, he and his older sister, Maria Anna ( “Nannerl”), performed a series of concerts for European royal courts in major European cities. Both children played the keyboard, but Wolfgang became a violin virtuoso (highly skilled) as well.

From 1762-66, the Mozart children toured Europe and played for the courts in Vienna and Versailles as well as audiences in Paris and London. As if this was not enough, young Mozart also began publishing his first works in 1764 – pretty good for an 8 year old. His first opera, MITRIDATE, RE DI PONTO, was commissioned in 1770 at the age of 14. After touring France with his mother, Mozart returned to Salzburg as the court organist and continued to add to his already prodigious composition catalog. His success with the opera THE ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO in 1782 garnered the attention of Emperor Joseph II who hired him as his court composer. That same year, Mozart married Constanze Weber. Four years later came the opera THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO (1786) to modest success – this was the first of his collaborations with Lorenzo da Ponte (followed by DON GIOVANNI and COSÌ FAN TUTTE). Wolfgang’s fame began to disappear after FIGARO.

He sank into debt and was assisted by a fellow Freemason, Michael Puchberg. The Mozarts’ finances continued to plague them although Wolfgang completed his last three symphonies (E flat, G minor and the Jupiter in C) in less than 7 weeks during the summer of 1788. Wolfgang died on December 5, 1791. There has been much speculation about the circumstances and cause of his death. Mozart was buried in an unmarked grave at the cemetery of Saint Marx, a Viennese suburb. Wolfgang excelled in every form in which he composed. Along with Haydn, Mozart perfected the grand forms of symphony, opera, string quartets, and concertos that marked the classical period in music. In his operas, Mozart’s uncanny psychological insight is unique in musical history and his music influenced the next generation of composers, most notably Ludwig von Beethoven. His compositions continue to this day to exert a particular fascination for musicians and music lovers alike. Opera Buffa The term Opera Buffa refers to comic opera that began to flourish in Italy in the mid 18th century. The comedy focuses on human quirks for the humor.

In the 1700s, this became popular because the comedy targeted both aristocratic and common society. Mozart’s opera buffas came to be known for a certain level of silliness. Connect with Kentucky Opera Subscribe to our Email Newsletter Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter, High Notes. Go behind the scenes, get to know our performers, and be in the know about upcoming events. The Marriage of Figaro | Opera Australia The Marriage of Figaro MOZART The Marriage of figaro Mozart's brilliant opera The Marriage of Figaro follows the adventures of a household over one crazy day. Masters are lusting over their servants, servants are outwitting their masters — Figaro is the Downton Abbey of opera, but a whole lot more fun! Award-winning creative duo Michael Gow and Robert Kemp have created a brand new production, featuring stunning period costumes and a clever set. A talented chamber orchestra and chorus of local children will accompany some of Opera Australia's finest singers performing Mozart’s beautiful music. In a wealthy household in Seville, Figaro is marrying Susanna, but the Count wants to seduce her first. Marcellina wants Figaro and the Countess just wants her husband back.

But Susanna is smarter than all of them. After a crazy day of disguise and duplicity, will she get her happily ever after? The Marriage of Figaro is a delightful night out, suitable for the whole family. We’ll be taking The Marriage of Figaro to Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Queensland in 2017. Sign up to receive our e-newsletter to find out when details are available. The Marriage of Figaro - Opera Philadelphia The Marriage of Figaro Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Text by Lorenzo da Ponte Performed in Italian with English supertitles Opera at the Academy Hilarity of complication Regarded as one of the greatest operas ever written, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro) is a screwball comedy complete with disguises, surprises, and compromises. Figaro, the wily barber and part-time matchmaker, has finally fallen in love. But, like everything else in his life, it's complicated. On the eve of Figaro’s marriage to Susanna, his master, Count Almaviva, sets his wandering eye on the lovely bride-to-be.

Servant and master go head to head, and even the Countess Rosina gets in on the action when she learns of her husband’s desires. But is she embroiled in a dangerous liaison of her own? From the opening notes to the final curtain, Mozart’s score delivers a tangled love story with great farce and satire. HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS: The Marriage of Figaro | The Dallas Opera The Marriage of Figaro more consistently satisfying singing.” — Scott Cantrell, The Dallas Morning News The Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart • Figaro loves Susanna, but he’s not the only one. In a single crazy, romantic day, doors will be locked and unlocked, disguises donned, kisses exchanged and innermost hearts revealed – to some of the most memorable music Mozart ever composed. Leading this merry band is Italian bass-baritone Mirco Palazzi (Figaro), who charmed us out of our seats as Leporello in his 2010 U.S. debut, along with Austrian soprano Beate Ritter and Australian soprano Nicole Car in their exciting American debuts!

Conducted by Music Director Emmanuel Villaume and staged by Dallas Theater Center Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty – this Figaro could very well be a marriage made in heaven! Starring Mirco Palazzi • Beate Ritter • Joshua Hopkins • Nicole Car • Emily Fons • Diana Montague • Kevin Langan Conductor Emmanuel Villaume • Director Kevin Moriarty Family Rating Adult themes, attempted seductions. Rated PG-13 Opera in Brief Unfamiliar with this opera? Let YouTube’s fizzylimon introduce you! Highlights Synopsis Act I Figaro measures the room while Susanna flirts with him. When Figaro tells her that the room is to be their bedroom after their wedding, Susanna tells him that the Count wants her to submit to the droit du seigneur, a custom the Count abolished when he married the Countess. Figaro decides to outwit the Count’s plan. Bartolo and Marcellina come looking for Figaro, who has borrowed money from Marcellina with a promise to marry her if he cannot pay it back. Bartolo sees this as his opportunity to get revenge on Figaro for helping the Count win the Countess.

As soon as Marcellina leaves, Cherubino rushes in, saying the Count caught him visiting Barbarina and has banished him. Susanna teases him, but Cherubino claims he can’t help being in love with every woman he meets. He hides when they hear the Count approaching. The Count asks Susanna to meet him in the garden later. Basilio enters and tells Susanna that she should avoid Cherubino because his affection for the Countess is sure to get him in trouble. The Count emerges from hiding and starts barking orders for Cherubino to be found. Susanna and Basilio try to calm the Count; he tells them how he went to visit Barbarina that morning and found Cherubino hiding beneath a table. During his demonstration, the Count reveals the teen’s current hiding place, to the consternation of Susanna and the delight of Basilio. The Count’s growing rage is interrupted by Figaro and a chorus of peasants who bring flowers and praise the Count’s abolishment of the droit du seigneur. Figaro asks the Count to bless his marriage to Susanna and renew that pledge.

Afterwards, the Count appoints Cherubino captain of his regiment in Seville and orders him to depart immediately. Figaro salutes the new officer and comically describes his new life in the army. Act II Alone in her room, the Countess wonders how to reclaim the Count’s affections. Susanna returns, then Figaro enters and describes his plan to confuse the Count with a letter accusing the Countess. This will encourage the Count to make a latenight assignation with Susanna, which will be kept by Cherubino dressed as a woman. Then Susanna leaves by one door just as the Count arrives. Cherubino hides in the closet, which the Countess locks before she admits the Count. The Count has received Figaro’s letter and demands an explanation. When the coast is clear, Cherubino jumps out the window and Susanna hides in his place. When the Count and Countess return, the Countess confesses that Cherubino is in the closet; both she and the Count are amazed when he opens the closet and finds Susanna. Figaro comes to get the Count to bless the wedding, but the Count challenges him with the letter.

Thanks to timely prompting from the women, Figaro passes that test, but the gardener, Antonio, bursts in, demanding that the Count punish the man who jumped from the Countess’s window and crushed his flowers. Figaro quickly takes the blame. Bartolo, Basilio, and Marcellina enter and demand that the Count hear Marcellina’s suit against Figaro. The act ends in an uproar of contesting claims, which the Count agrees to settle later. Act III Susanna, urged on by the Countess, agrees to meet the Count in the garden that night. Overhearing Susanna as she is leaving tell Figaro that they have won, the Count rages against the perfidy of servants and determines to uphold Marcellina’s claim against Figaro. Don Curzio, a lawyer, tells the parties that Figaro must either pay Marcellina or marry her. Figaro, although stolen as a baby, claims to be nobly born and, therefore, unable to marry without his parents’ permission. Marcellina recognizes a birthmark on his arm, which identifies him as her son by Bartolo.

Figaro embraces his long-lost mother just as Susanna arrives with the money to pay Figaro’s debt; jumping to the wrong conclusion, she slaps Figaro. Marcellina and Bartolo decide to marry and forgive Figaro’s debt as a wedding present to their son. The Countess wonders if she will ever again be happy with the Count. Susanna arrives, and the Countess dictates a note to her husband which they seal with a pin. A group of girls, including Barbarina and a disguised Cherubino, comes to serenade the Countess and present her with flowers. March music signals the ceremony in which the Count and Countess bless the betrothed couples; Susanna gives the note to the Count. Act IV In the garden, Barbarina is looking for the pin from the note. Figaro gives her a pin and sends her on her way. Barbarina plans to meet Cherubino. By various means, Marcellina, Bartolo, and Basilio also wind up hiding in the pavilion. Assuming that Susanna has given in to the Count’s advances, Figaro complains about the perfidy of women.

Susanna and the Countess, each dressed in the other’s clothes, arrive on the scene. The Countess steps into the shadows while Susanna pretends to wait for a lover. Cherubino comes to meet Barbarina, but in the dark he bumps into the Countess. Assuming she is Susanna, he begins to make advances. The Count also woos the woman he thinks is Susanna and gives her a ring. Susanna approaches Figaro, who recognizes her voice. Together, they put on a show for the Count’s benefit, pretending that Figaro and the Countess are lovers. The enraged Count empties the pavilion of the various characters hiding there and finds Susanna, still pretending to be the Countess. The real Countess emerges from her hiding place and confronts him with the ring he had given to “Susanna.” Realizing he has been caught, the Count begs forgiveness from his wife. Everyone is relieved that this crazy day has finished joyfully. —By Lee T. Wilkirson First North American serial rights only granted to The Dallas Opera. All other rights reserved.

Cast Biographies Doug Jones (Don Basilio) With more than ninety roles in over seventy operas, American tenor Doug Jones has performed with Seattle Opera, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, San Diego Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, The Dallas Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Opera Arizona, Opera Colorado, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Bard Festival. He has appeared in many leading European houses, including the Paris Opera, Royal Opera Covent Garden, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Liceu in Barcelona, Oper Frankfurt, Opéra de Bordeaux, and Netherlands Opera. He also appeared with the summer festivals of Salzburg, Bregenz, Innsbruck, and Aix-en-Provence. Engagements in the U.S. include Die Meistersinger and Falstaff with San Francisco Opera, and Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s Fantastic Mr. Fox with Los Angeles Opera. Mirco Palazzi (Figaro) Bass Mirco Palazzi made his American debut in 2010 at The Dallas Opera as Leporello in Don Giovanni. Born in Rimini, he graduated from Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro.

He has sung with the most important opera houses in Italy (Bologna, Naples, Rome, Parma, Genova, Turin, Venice, Florence, La Scala) and abroad (Edinburgh, Barcelona, London, Liège, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Bilbao, Koln, Athens and Moscow). Some of his most recent engagements include La damnation de Faust in London and at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Maometto II in Rome, Guillaume Tell in Amsterdam and Turin, and Caterina Cornaro at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Lucia in Washington, La gazza ladra and L’Italiana in Algeri in Verona. His discography includes Zelmira, Adelaide di Borgogna, Sofonisba, and Il diluvio universale (Opera Rara), and Lucia di Lammermoor (DVD TDK). Beate Ritter (Susanna) Austrian soprano Beate Ritter makes her U.S. operatic debut as Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro for The Dallas Opera. Ms. Ritter debuted at Vienna’s Theater an der Wien in Pelléas et Mélisande.

She later debuted at the Vienna Volksoper as Blonde in Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio and has performed with its ensemble as the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Carmina Burana, and Adele in Die Fledermaus. Other notable appearances include Blonde at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Angers, and Nantes, along with Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute for Komische Oper Berlin, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, and upcoming performances in Leipzig. In 2015, she will make her debut as Fiakermilli in Arabella at the Cologne Opera. Joshua Hopkins (Count Almaviva) Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins returns to The Dallas Opera for the first time since his company debut as Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette. Upcoming performances include his debut with Lyric Opera of Chicago in Weinberg’s The Passenger and the title role in Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Canadian Opera Company.

Highlights of past seasons include performances at the Metropolitan Opera in a new production of Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda, La bohème with the Houston Grand Opera and Canadian Opera Company, Le nozze di Figaro with Glyndebourne Opera, and Papageno in Die Zauberflöte at Santa Fe Opera. Mr. Hopkins also sang in recital at Carnegie Hall with pianist Julius Drake, and his first recital disc, Let Beauty Awake, has been released by ATMA Classique label. Nicole Car (Countess Almaviva) (The Charron & Peter Denker Rising Stars Endowment Fund ) Australian soprano Nicole Car marks her United States debut with these performances at The Dallas Opera. In 2013 she was the winner of the prestigious international Neue Stimmen competition in Germany. She has portrayed the roles of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Mimi in La bohème, the Italian Singer in Capriccio, Pamina in The Magic Flute, Leila in The Pearl Fishers, Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni for Opera Australia.

Her performance as Micaëla in Carmen from Sydney Harbor was internationally broadcasted and is now available on CD and DVD. In 2009 she debuted as Donna Anna in Victorian Opera’s production of Don Giovanni. Concert appearances have included Brahms’ Deutsches Requiem, and Mozart’s Requiem. Emily Fons (Cherubino) American mezzo-soprano Emily Fons makes her Dallas Opera mainstage debut as Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro. Ms. Fons made her European debut as Megacle in Vivaldi’s L’Olimpiade with Garsington Opera. She also appeared as Sesto in Michigan Opera Theatre’s production of Giulio Cesare. Ms. Fons was a member of the Ryan Center for Young American Artists at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and enjoyed great success as Nicklausse in Les contes d’Hoffmann, conducted by Emmanuel Villaume. At Lyric Opera she also sang Fyodor in Boris Godunov, Mercédès in Carmen, and Peep Bo in The Mikado, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. She made her Santa Fe Opera debut as Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro.

She was a mezzo-soprano soloist in a Dallas Opera Family Concert. Diana Montague (Marcellina) British mezzo-soprano Diana Montague makes her Dallas Opera debut in this production of The Marriage of Figaro, a role she has performed with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Glyndebourne, English National Opera, the Zürich Opera, and the Cleveland Orchestra. Other opera engagements have included Albert Herring, Ermione, and The Bartered Bride for Glyndebourne, Le comte Ory in Lausanne, Rome, and Glyndebourne, Sesto in La clemenza di Tito in Madrid and Athens, the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos for Scottish Opera and Lisbon, Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier for English National Opera, Bilbao and Madrid. Ms. Montague’s recordings include Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Nuova Era), Norma (Decca), Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride (Phillips) and Le nozze di Figaro (Chandos). Kevin Langan (Dr.

Bartolo) American bass Kevin Langan returns to The Dallas Opera for Dr. Bartolo, a role he first sang with the company in 2002. He debuted here in 1986 as Ashby in La fanciulla del West and returned for performances in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Hoiby’s The Tempest, Ariodante, Roméo et Juliette, Turandot and Die Zauberflöte. His career spans 35 years and almost 1,300 performances covering a vast repertoire of over 80 roles. Mr. Langan recently became the first artist to reach 300 performances in leading roles at San Francisco Opera. For Lyric Opera of Chicago he has given over 125 performances and over 165 performances with the Santa Fe Opera. Other engagements have included Colline in La bohème and Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Metropolitan Opera.

Doug Jones (Don Basilio) With more than ninety roles in over seventy operas, American tenor Doug Jones has performed with Seattle Opera, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, San Diego Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, The Dallas Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Opera Arizona, Opera Colorado, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Bard Festival. He has appeared in many leading European houses, including the Paris Opera, Royal Opera Covent Garden, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Liceu in Barcelona, Oper Frankfurt, Opéra de Bordeaux, and Netherlands Opera. He also appeared with the summer festivals of Salzburg, Bregenz, Innsbruck, and Aix-en-Provence. Engagements in the U.S. include Die Meistersinger and Falstaff with San Francisco Opera, and Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s Fantastic Mr. Fox with Los Angeles Opera. Angela Mannino (Barbarina) Soprano Angela Mannino made her Dallas Opera debut as Papagena in Mozart’s The Magic Flute in 2012.

She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in May 2010 as the 15 Year-Old Girl in Berg’s Lulu. During her two seasons with Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center, she sang Blonde in The Abduction from the Seraglio (debut), Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore and Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro. Recent engagements include Lyric Opera of Chicago in Parsifal, Wolf Trap Opera as Colombina in Le donne curiose, Fiorilla in Il turco in Italia and Agrippa in the world premiere of John Musto’s The Inspector. A native of New Orleans, she has performed with the New Orleans Opera, Jefferson Performing Arts Society, and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Adam Lau (Antonio) Bass Adam Lau makes his Dallas Opera debut as Antonio in The Marriage of Figaro, a role he sang last year at the Santa Fe Opera. Other recent credits include Timur in Turandot at West Bay Opera, Masetto in Don Giovanni at Rice University, Dr.

Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Leporello in Don Giovanni, and King Louis XVI in The Ghost of Versailles with the Aspen Opera Theater. In 2008, he made his San Francisco Opera debut as a Baobab/Hunter in The Little Prince. Mr. Lau placed second in the Western Regional finals of the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He returned to San Francisco in 2011 for the Merola Opera program as Don Basilio in their production of Il barbiere di Siviglia. Jon Kolbet (Don Curzio) Tenor Jon Kolbet returns to The Dallas Opera as Don Curzio in The Marriage of Figaro, the role that served as his company debut in 2002.

Career highlights have included Valzacchi in Der Rosenkavalier, Spoletta in Tosca, the Simpleton in Boris Godunov, Guillot de Morfontaine in Manon, the Dancing Master in Manon Lescaut, the Schoolmaster/Mosquito in The Cunning Little Vixen, the Snake/Vain Man in the world premiere of Rachel Portman’s The Little Prince, and Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte—all with Houston Grand Opera. Other engagements have included Goro in Madama Butterfly with San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Utah Opera, and L’Opéra de Montréal, Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro with Houston Grand Opera, Portland Opera, Utah Opera, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Production Staff Biographies Emmanuel Villaume (Conductor) (Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director in honor of Graeme Jenkins) Emmanuel Villaume is in his second season as music director of The Dallas Opera and will conduct Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta this season. He made his debut with the company in 1998 conducting Faust and returned to conduct Le nozze di Figaro.

He is a frequent guest conductor at the world’s leading opera companies including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, the Washington National Opera, Santa Fe Opera, London’s Royal Opera, the Paris Opera, Monte Carlo Opera, Venice’s La Fenice, the Munich Staatsoper, Berlin’s Deutsche Oper, the Hamburg Staatsoper, Madrid’s Teatro Real, and Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colon. He has led the Montreal Symphony in Montreal and at Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Symphony, the Boston Symphony, the orchestras of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, St. Louis, Detroit, Minnesota, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Beethovenhalle Orchestra of Bonn, and the China National Opera Orchestra for the 2008 Olympic Games. He is currently Chief Conductor of the National Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra. He served as the Spoleto Festival USA’s Music Director for Opera and Orchestra from 2001 to 2010. Maestro Villaume has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Decca and EMI.

Kevin Moriarty (Stage Director) Kevin Moriarty is the artistic director of Dallas Theater Center, where he has directed It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman, The Who’s Tommy, The Wiz, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henry IV, The Tempest, Fat Pig, Next Fall, his original adaptation of A Christmas Carol, and Oedipus el Rey. He made his operatic directing debut with The Lighthouse (2012) for The Dallas Opera. For DTC he headed up the move into the Wyly Theatre, the creation of the Brierley Resident Acting Company, and an extensive series of productions of new plays. Mr. Moriarty is the Vice-Chair of the Dallas Arts District, Theatre Communications Group, and the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, and is a Trustee for the Booker T. Washington Advisory Board. John Bury (Production Designer) (1925-2000) Mr. Bury was a British set designer who was head of design for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. He also created sets for the Royal Opera House and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

His bold, stylized sets—which often incorporated such materials as metal, glass, and brick and featured dramatic architectural structures—were a radical departure from the painted, decorative sets that had characterized traditional British theatre. In 1981 he won Tony Awards for best set design and best lighting for the Broadway production of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus. Bury was made an OBE in 1979. Mark McCullough (Lighting Designer) Lighting designer Mark McCullough made his Dallas Opera debut in 2001 with Tobias Picker’s Thérèse Raquin, and has subsequently lit Anna Bolena and Roberto Devereux. Among the other opera companies for whom he has designed lighting are the Metropolitan Opera (Le nozze di Figaro), Washington Opera (Die Walküre, Das Rheingold, and Porgy and Bess), Royal Opera Covent Garden (The Queen of Spades), Boston Lyric Opera (Aida, Madama Butterfly, and Tosca), Glimmerglass Opera (The Glassblowers and The Mother of Us All), San Francisco Opera (Rigoletto and The Mother of Us All), and Teatro Real de Madrid (Luisa Miller).

The American designer is an alumnus of the North Carolina School of the Arts and holds a Master’s of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama. David Zimmerman (Wig and Make-up Designer) David Zimmerman has worked with The Dallas Opera and other opera companies around the world. These include the Metropolitan Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Santa Fe Opera, Paris National Opera, and Opera Santa Barbara. Mr. Zimmerman’s career extends to Broadway as well, where he has worked on shows including Wicked, Rocky Horror, Show Boat, South Pacific and Evita. His personal clients include Deborah Voigt, Joyce DiDonato, Patricia Racette, Martha Stewart, Olympia Dukakis, and Ricky Martin. He has also done the make-up for the DIFFA Fashion Runway, Dallas Fashion and Art Charity, and the Yelp.com fashion event. His print credits include two features in Opera News plus features in both Vanity Fair and The New Yorker. Television and film credits include Glamour magazine’s Women of the Year and a feature film. Joel Ferrell (Choreographer) Joel Ferrell is the Associate Artistic Director at Dallas Theater Center.

His directing/choreography credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat, Cabaret, and A Christmas Carol. Dallas Theater Center directing credits include Clybourne Park, Red, God of Carnage, Dividing the Estate, reasons to be pretty, The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, and Cotton Patch Gospel. Dallas Theater Center choreography credits include It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Who’s Tommy, and My Fair Lady. Mr. Ferrell is a former Artistic Director of Casa Mañana Musicals Inc. in Fort Worth. He has worked extensively across the country for Portland Center Stage, Papermill Playhouse, Ford’s Theatre, Lyric Theater of Oklahoma and North Shore Music Theatre, among others. Alexander Rom (Chorus Master) A native of Kharkov, Ukraine, Alexander Rom holds a Masters Degree in Choral Conducting from Leningrad Conservatory of Music. Since immigrating to the U.S., he has worked as a performer, conductor, educator, voice teacher, opera coach, and composer.

He has been the chorus master for The Dallas Opera since 1990 and an opera coach with the Metropolitan Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Savonlinna Opera Festival, Cincinnati Festival, and Ravinia Festival. He has worked with world renowned singers including Paul Plishka, Mirella Freni, Nikolai Ghiaurov, Jorma Hynninen, Helga Dernesch, Martti Talvela, Joyce DiDonato, and Jerry Hadley. Maestro Rom is an honorary Visiting Professor at Sibelius Academy Helsinki Conservatory and was a Visiting Professor at Savonlinna Opera Festival Music Institute. Sung in Italian with English supertitles The Marriage of Figaro | opera by Mozart | Britannica.com The Marriage of Figaro Alternative Title: “Le nozze di Figaro” Related Topics Bryn Terfel The Marriage of Figaro, Italian Le nozze di Figaro, comic opera in four acts by Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte ), which premiered in Vienna at the Burgtheater on May 1, 1786.

Based on Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais ’s 1784 play Le Mariage de Figaro , Mozart’s work remains a favourite in the operatic repertoire . Background and context In 1782, as Mozart was making his way as a composer in Vienna, Count Orsini-Rosenberg, director of the Burgtheater (the imperial theatre), invited him to write an opera buffa . The young composer was in favour at the court of Emperor Joseph II , but he had stiff competition in established local composers, including Antonio Salieri , Vicente Martín y Soler , and Giovanni Paisiello . Mozart was hoping for greater fame and financial security, and in his choice of material he was influenced by the unprecedented success in Vienna of Paisiello’s Il barbiere di Siviglia (1783), which was based on Beaumarchais’s earlier play Le Barbier de Séville (1775; The Barber of Seville). That work would later also become the basis of Italian composer Gioachino Rossini ’s The Barber of Seville (1816). Beaumarchais’s sequel had been translated into German.

Performances of the play were planned in Vienna, but the emperor refused permission to stage the work, allowing only its publication. (Joseph had heard from his sister Marie Antoinette about the troubles the play had caused in Paris.) Da Ponte, one of the poets of the imperial court, removed political content and faithfully translated the rest into Italian—the appropriate language for the opera buffa that Mozart intended to compose. The emperor allowed the project to go forward without objection. With Mozart’s masterpiece of a score, the result was a witty yet profound tale of love, betrayal, and forgiveness. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (file no. LC-USZ62-87246) Similar Topics Star Wars The Marriage of Figaro was in some ways an instant success. 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.

(As it turned out, this edict may not have been enforced.) The house in Vienna where Mozart and his family lived during 1784–87; known as Figarohaus, it … © Photos.com/Jupiterimages Partisans of Mozart’s rivals did their best to spoil the early performances. Orsini-Rosenberg had favoured another librettist over Da Ponte, and he was not inclined to make the production go smoothly. Late in the summer, one local reviewer remarked upon “the unruly mob in the gallery” that was still determined to disrupt the performances with noise. Yet, the journalist added, the opera “contains so many beauties, and such a richness of thought as can proceed only from the born genius.” The opera was performed only nine times during 1786 in Vienna , perhaps because Martín y Soler’s Una cosa rara (also set to a libretto by Da Ponte) came on the scene and essentially pushed the Mozart work aside. The Marriage of Figaro made a more durable impression in its next performances, in Prague later in 1786.

In January 1787 Mozart and an entourage including his family traveled to Prague by invitation to attend the opera and spend time with local music lovers and patrons; he conducted at least one performance himself. Encouraged by the opera’s favourable reception, the theatre’s director asked Mozart to write something new specifically for Prague. That work would be the opera Don Giovanni . Countess Rosina, the count’s wife ( soprano ) Figaro , the count’s valet (baritone) Susanna, the countess’s maid and Figaro’s betrothed (soprano) Cherubino, a page ( mezzo-soprano ) Doctor Bartolo, a physician ( bass ) Marcellina, Bartolo’s housekeeper (mezzo-soprano) Don Basilio, a music master (tenor) Antonio, a gardener (bass) Barbarina, Antonio’s daughter (soprano) Don Curzio, a lawyer (tenor) Villagers, peasants, servants, wedding guests Setting and story summary The Marriage of Figaro is set in Count Almaviva’s castle near Seville (now Sevilla ), Spain , in the late 18th century.

Act I Count Almaviva’s castle, in an empty room where Figaro and Susanna will live after their marriage. Listen: Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus: “Marriage of Figaro” Overture to the opera The Marriage of Figaro, by Mozart. Figaro is measuring a space for his nuptial bed while his fiancée, Susanna, tries on her bridal hat. She does not like their new bedroom. Her objection confounds Figaro, for the room is conveniently close to the bedrooms of the Count and Countess whom they serve. But Susanna warns Figaro that it is all too convenient and close for the Count, who is plotting with her music master, Don Basilio, to seduce her. The Countess rings for her, and Susanna leaves. Alone, Figaro vows revenge (“ Se vuol ballare, signor Contino ”) and storms off in a rage. Dr. Bartolo enters with his housekeeper, Marcellina. Figaro had once promised to marry her, and Bartolo promises her that he will find a way to hold Figaro to his promise.

Bartolo would love to take revenge on Figaro for having earlier foiled his plan to marry Rosina (now the Countess). Bartolo leaves to put his scheme into effect. Susanna returns, and Marcellina jealously spars with her, then leaves in a huff. The teenaged page Cherubino comes in. He tells Susanna that he is in love with the Countess, but the Count has caught him with young Barbarina (Susanna’s cousin and daughter of the gardener Antonio). Cherubino cannot contain his romantic desires (“ Non so più cosa son, cosa faccio ”). Cherubino hides behind a chair when the Count arrives to beg Susanna for a tryst before he goes to London with Figaro on diplomatic business. But his wooing is interrupted by the arrival of Don Basilio, and the Count seeks a hiding place. He heads for the chair that conceals Cherubino, forcing the boy to jump into the seat. Susanna hastily covers him with a cloth. When the jealous Count hears Basilio gossip about Cherubino and the Countess, he reveals himself. Basilio naturally concludes that the Count and Susanna are in a relationship.

This is all too much for Susanna, who begins to faint. The Count and Basilio rush to her aid and try to get her into the chair where Cherubino is concealed, but she revives and orders them away. The Count vows to make Cherubino leave the castle. When Susanna expresses sympathy for the boy, the Count tells her that Cherubino has been caught with a woman before. Recalling how he found the page hiding under a tablecloth in Barbarina’s room, he lifts the cloth that conceals Cherubino. The Count accuses Susanna of dallying with the boy. Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest Their argument is interrupted by the arrival of Figaro and a group of peasants. Figaro leads them in singing the Count’s praises for having abolished the feudal droit du seigneur, the right of the lord of the manor to sleep with his servant’s bride on her wedding night. Figaro invites the Count to place the bridal veil on Susanna as a symbol of his blessing on their marriage, which is to take place later that day. The Count is forced to agree, but he privately vows to help Marcellina marry Figaro instead.

He also gets Cherubino out of the way by drafting him into his regiment. Figaro teases the boy, who now must trade his pursuit of women for the “glories” of war (“ Non più andrai, farfallone amoroso ”). Cherubino arrives and, at Susanna’s urging, sings the Countess a love song that he wrote for her (“ Voi che sapete ”). He shows the Countess the regimental commission he had just gotten from Basilio. She and Susanna realize that the commission has no seal on it. Figaro has told Cherubino of the plan to deceive the Count, and Susanna begins to dress the uncomfortable boy as a woman. When she goes into another room to find some ribbon, he declares his love for the Countess. At that moment, the suspicious Count bangs on the door, and Cherubino dives into the closet. The Count demands to know who was with the Countess, and she tells him it was Susanna, who has gone into another room.

The Count shows his wife the anonymous letter that Figaro had written about her “lover.” A noise from the closet obliges the Countess to say that Susanna is in there, not in the other room. Susanna reenters the room, unseen by the Count and Countess, and realizes that there is a problem, so she hides behind a screen. As Cherubino cowers, terrified, in the closet, the Count orders “Susanna” out, but the Countess insists that the door remain closed. The Count is convinced that the Countess is hiding a lover in there. As they argue, they warn each other not to go too far and create a scandal. Susanna remains behind her screen, horrified by the situation. The Countess absolutely refuses to open the closet, so the Count brings her with him to look for something with which to break the closet open. He locks the door behind them. Susanna lets Cherubino out of the closet. In a panic, he escapes through the window, and Susanna hides in the closet.

The characters Susanna (left) and Cherubino in a scene from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera … Ann Ronan Picture Library/Heritage-Images When the Count and Countess return, she finally admits that Cherubino is in the closet, claiming that it was just a joke. He does not believe her protestations of innocence and threatens to kill Cherubino. Drawing his sword, he flings open the closet door. They are both astonished to find Susanna. The Count, abashed, is forced to beg his wife’s forgiveness. She and Susanna explain that the episode with the closet, and the anonymous note, were all a prank. Figaro arrives to announce that the wedding is about to begin. Questioned by the Count, he denies writing the anonymous note, to the consternation of Susanna and the Countess. The Count is anxious for Marcellina’s arrival so that he can stop the wedding. Trending Topics Open Door policy Antonio, the gardener, barges in, complaining that someone has jumped from the Countess’s balcony onto his flower garden. Susanna and the Countess caution Figaro, who had seen Cherubino jump. Figaro claims that he himself leapt from the balcony.

But Antonio claims he saw a boy, someone half Figaro’s size. The Count immediately realizes that the fugitive was Cherubino. Figaro, sticking to his story, says such optical illusions are common and that Cherubino was on his way to Seville. Figaro explains that he was hiding in the closet waiting for Susanna. After hearing the Count’s shouts, he decided to escape by jumping, and he has injured his foot in the process. He suddenly develops a limp in order to prove his story. But Antonio produces Cherubino’s military commission, which he found in the garden. Figaro, confounded, throws the gardener out. Prompted by the women, Figaro triumphantly explains that the page gave the paper to him because it lacks a seal. Marcellina, Bartolo, and Basilio arrive to demand justice , claiming that Figaro had entered into a contract to marry Marcellina in exchange for a loan. The Count agrees to judge the case, to the joy of Marcellina and the consternation of Figaro. Act III An elegantly decorated room in the castle where the wedding will take place. Alone, the Count ponders the confusing situation.

Unseen by the Count, the Countess urges a reluctant Susanna to go ahead with Figaro’s plan and tell the Count that she will meet him in the garden later. Because Cherubino is gone, the Countess will impersonate Susanna. The Countess leaves. Susanna overhears the Count talking to himself about Figaro marrying Marcellina. Emboldened, she approaches him, claiming that she has come to get some smelling salts for the Countess, who is having a fainting fit. He tells her that she should keep the salts for herself because she is about to lose her intended husband. She counters that she will repay Marcellina’s loan with the dowry the Count had promised her. But the Count claims he cannot remember any such promise. She has no choice but to flirt with him, and they agree to meet in the garden at night. But as she is leaving, she runs into Figaro, and the Count overhears her saying that they have “won the case.” Enraged, the Count threatens to punish them for their betrayal (“ Vedrò mentr’io sospiro ”). The judge Don Curzio arrives with Marcellina and Bartolo.

He announces that Figaro must marry Marcellina or repay the loan. Figaro claims that he is of noble birth and cannot marry without his relatives’ consent. When the Count asks who they are, Figaro replies that he was stolen as an infant but hopes to find his parents within 10 years. Bartolo demands proof of his claim, so Figaro shows him a birthmark on his arm—a birthmark that reveals that he is the love child of Marcellina and Bartolo. The reunited family embrace as the frustrated Count rails against fate. Meanwhile, Susanna, unaware of this development, arrives with the money to pay Marcellina, only to be enraged by the sight of Figaro and his mother fondly embracing. But peace reigns when all is explained to her. The Count storms off with Don Curzio. Bartolo proposes marriage to Marcellina. Marcellina tears up Figaro’s debt . Bartolo gives Figaro and Susanna a dowry, and Susanna adds to it the money she had come in with. The four, chuckling at the Count’s frustration, go off to plan a double wedding.

The Countess enters, wondering if the plan to catch the Count will work and recalling sadly the loss of their love (“ Dove sono ”). After she leaves, Antonio and the Count arrive. Antonio tells the Count that he knows that Cherubino is still in the vicinity, because he found at his house the women’s clothing that Cherubino had been wearing. They run off to look for him. The Countess returns with Susanna, and the two concoct a note, from Susanna to the Count, asking for a meeting in the garden. They seal the note with a pin, which the Count is to return if he agrees to meet her. Barbarina and some peasant girls, including Cherubino in disguise, come to serenade the Countess. Antonio and the Count return to unmask Cherubino, to the consternation of the Countess. The Count threatens to punish the boy, but Barbarina persuades the Count—who had once, with kisses, promised her anything she wanted—to let her marry Cherubino. Figaro arrives, eager for the wedding preparations to begin. The Count begins to cross-examine him again, and Antonio produces Cherubino as proof that they have caught Figaro lying.

But Figaro cleverly claims that it is possible that both he and Cherubino had jumped into the garden. The wedding march begins, and everyone goes off to get ready, leaving the Count and Countess alone. She refuses to discuss her confusion about Cherubino with him. The wedding party returns in procession, singing another paean to the abolition of the feudal right to sleep with the bride. Susanna slips the sealed note to the Count. As the couples dance the fandango , the Count opens the note, pricks his finger on the pin, and drops it. Figaro watches him with great amusement, believing the note to be from some unknown lady. The Count finds the pin, thrilled at the prospect of meeting Susanna later, and invites everyone to a magnificent wedding banquet. Act IV Barbarina, terribly upset, is searching the garden for something that she has lost (“ L’ho perduta, me meschina! ”). When Figaro arrives with Marcellina and asks the weeping girl what is wrong, she replies that she has lost the pin that the Count gave her to deliver to Susanna as a token of their tryst.

Angry, but pretending that he already knows all about it, he plucks a pin from Marcellina’s dress and gives it to Barbarina, who goes off to give it to Susanna. Figaro collapses into his mother’s arms. She advises him to stay calm, but rage overtakes him and he vows to avenge all deceived husbands. Marcellina, afraid for Susanna, leaves to warn her. Figaro then enlists Basilio and Bartolo to help trap the lovers. Alone again, he denounces the perfidy of women (“ Aprite un po’ quegli occhi ”). He hides as Susanna arrives, accompanied by Marcellina and the Countess. Marcellina warns Susanna that Figaro is already in the garden. That suits Susanna just fine, as she can avenge herself on both Figaro for his jealousy and the Count for his philandering. Marcellina retires into the pavilion. The Countess is too nervous to remain but allows Susanna to stay for a bit to enjoy the breezes. Susanna sings a love song to an unnamed lover to punish the spying Figaro (“ Deh, vieni, non tardar, o gioia bella ”).

Then she hides nearby and puts on the Countess’s cloak. Figaro is furious, but he continues to lie in wait. Cherubino arrives, looking for Barbarina, who has meanwhile hidden herself in the pavilion. At the same time, the Countess enters, disguised as Susanna. Cherubino, not realizing who she really is, begins flirting with her. The Count comes in and receives the kiss Cherubino has meant for “Susanna.” The Count slaps Cherubino for his impudence, and the boy flees into the pavilion. Now the Count does some flirting of his own with “Susanna,” and Figaro becomes even angrier. The Count tries to lure “Susanna” into the dark pavilion. But hearing Figaro’s voice and fearing discovery, he tells her to go into the pavilion without him. He exits, promising to meet her later. The real Susanna arrives, disguised as the Countess. When Figaro hears her voice, he immediately realizes who she is. He pretends to court the “Countess.” Susanna is furious until he reveals his joke, and they tenderly reconcile . When the Count returns, the couple replay the joke.

The enraged Count seizes Figaro and calls for weapons. “The Countess” flees into the pavilion as Bartolo, Basilio, Antonio, and Curzio rush in. The Count demands that his wife come out of the pavilion. To everyone’s amazement, out pop Cherubino, Barbarina, Marcellina, and Susanna, who is still dressed as the Countess. She and Figaro pretend to beg the Count’s forgiveness. He refuses, and the Countess reveals herself. The chastened Count humbly asks her pardon. She grants it, and everyone rejoices.

The Marriage of Figaro - On Site Opera The Marriage of Figaro 632 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014 Tickets: $50 PORTUGUESE GUITAR José Luis Iglésias June 14-16 at 7:30pm & June 17 at 6:30pm & 9:00pm 632 on Hudson | 632 Hudson Street, NY, NY 10014 (between Horatio & Jane) With Figaro’s help, Count Almaviva and Rosina were happily married at the conclusion of The Barber of Seville. We rejoin their story several years later on the eve of Figaro’s wedding. Join us in the West Village at the stunning 632 on Hudson for the next installment of On Site Opera’s critically-acclaimed Figaro Project! Seating is EXTREMELY LIMITED for this production. Doors to 632 on Hudson will open 30 minutes before the start of the performance. OSO invites patrons to explore Count Almaviva’s summer palace where preparations for Figaro’s wedding will already be in full swing.

Running time is approximately 115 minutes. Sung in English in a translation by Gilly French and Jeremy Gray, with dialogue adapted by Joan Holden. Portuguese composer Marcos Portugal’s (1762-1830) prolific catalog of over 70 dramatic works – including 40 operas, and more than 140 sacred works – earned him international success in 18th-century Europe. He secured a special place in Portuguese musical history by composing the first official national anthems of Portugal and Brazil. Portugal’s The Marriage of Figaro, with a libretto by Gaetano Rossi, was written for Carnival season of 1800 at the Teatro San Benedetto – just 13 years after Mozart’s Figaro. OSO’s North American premiere production gives New York audiences a rare opportunity to hear Portugal’s vibrant music in a re-orchestration by guitarist José Luis Iglésias and OSO’s Geoffrey McDonald, based on the new critical edition of the score edited by David Cranmer. Presented in partnership with The New School’s Mannes College of Music and The Portuguese Consulate in New York.

About 632 on Hudson: Beginning shortly after its inception as an Events Venue in 2000, when MTV rented 632 on Hudson for its 10th Season of the Real World, the Venue has enjoyed a myriad of diverse activities: as a location for fashion, film, and video shoots, lodging for celebrities while doing film or theater work in New York, product launches, culinary and branding events, private cocktail parties, corporate meetings, banquet-style dinners, chef demonstrations, weddings and rehearsal dinners, even intimate musical and theatrical performances. Karen Lashinsky, the owner and designer of 632 on Hudson, comes from a background of 20 years of performing in the theater as well as touring all over the world; first as a ballet dancer, then a modern dancer, then actor, and finally as an Associate member of The Wooster Group with whom she worked for twelve years. Her years spent in the theater also inspired a great passion for creating what she calls “living sets”; magical worlds or vignettes in which she can picture “perfect imaginary lives might be lived”.

With the arts being Lashinsky’s first love, she looks forward to collaborating with On Site Opera and to initiate more partnerships with not-for-profit organizations in the Arts. 632onhudson.com CS Lighting is pleased to be an official corporate sponsor of On Site Opera. With our broad experience in design and special events in NY and throughout the world, we are excited to contribute to the exciting and ongoing work that On Site Opera presents. It is alliances like these that allow for the arts to thrive in new and exciting ways. CS Lighting is a division of CS Global. 2016 marks continuation of a growing partnership between On Site Opera and The New School’s Mannes College of Music. As part of the partnership, OSO will be in residence at Mannes during rehearsals for Portugal’s The Marriage of Figaro. Opportunities are created for Mannes students are created within OSO productions on and offstage. In addition to Mannes College of Music, On Site Opera is excited to partner with the Portuguese Consulate in New York to welcome this opera to New York. About the performance edition: Critical edition prepared by members of the Marcos Portugal Project, under the supervision of David Cranmer, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal.

On Site Opera’s production of Marcos Portugal’s The Marriage of Figaro is proud to be a part of the inaugural New York Opera Fest! Presented by the New York Opera Alliance, the festival showcases the incredible diversity of opera in NYC! NYOperaFest.com The spacious farmhouse kitchen at 632 on Hudson. A view of the atrium of 632 on Hudson. The rooftop garden of 632 on Hudson. The top floor of 632 on Hudson. The stunning 3-story atrium of 632 on Hudson. The beautiful art deco salon of 632 on Hudson. Jesse Blumberg as Figaro. Photo by Rebecca Fay. Jeni Houser as Susanna in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Jesse Blumberg as Figaro and Jeni Houser as Susanna in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Ryan Kuster as Basilio, Jeni Houser as Susanna, Melissa Wimbish as Cherubino, and David Blalock as Count in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov.

Jeni Houser as Susanna, Ryan Kuster as Basilio, Melissa Wimbish as Cherubino, and David Blalock as Count in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Jeni Houser as Susanna, Melissa Wimbish as Cherubino, and David Blalock as the Count in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Camille Zamora as Countess in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Camille Zamora as Countess and Melissa Wimbish as Cherubino in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Melissa Wimbish as Cherubino and Jeni Houser as Susanna in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Camille Zamora as the Countess and Melissa Wimbish as Cherubino in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Camille Zamora as the Countess and Melissa Wimbish as Cherubino in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov.

David Blalock as the Count in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Antoine Hodge as Antonio in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Jesse Blumberg as Figaro, Camile Zamora as the Countess, and David Blalock as the Count in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Jesse Blumberg as Figaro, David Blalock as the Count, and Ryan Kuster as Basilio in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. David Langan as Don Bartolo, Margaret Lattimore as Marcellina, and Jeni Houser as Susanna in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” David Langan as Don Bartolo, Antoine Hodge as Antonio, Margaret Lattimore, Marcellina, David Blalock as Count, Jesse Blumberg as Figaro, Jeni Houser as Susanna, Ryan Kuster as Basilio, and Camile Zamora as Countess in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov.

Margaret Lattimore as Marcellina, Jesse Blumberg as Figaro, and David Langan as Don Bartolo in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. David Blalock as Count and Jeni Houser as Susanna in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. David Langan as Don Bartolo and Jeni Houser as Susanna in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Jesse Blumberg as Figaro, Jeni Houser as Susanna, and David Langan as Don Bartolo in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Ginny Weant as Cecchina, David Blalock as Count and Camille Zamora as Countess in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Jeni Houser as Susanna and Camille Zamora as the Countess in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Camille Zamora as Countess in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov.

Ginny Weant as Cecchina, Melissa Wimbish as Cherubino, and Camille Zamora as the Countess in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Jesse Blumberg as Figaro in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Jesse Blumberg as Figaro and Jeni Houser as Susanna in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Melissa Wimbish as Cherubino in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. David Blalock as the Count, Jesse Blumberg as Figaro, Jeni Houser as Susanna, and Camille Zamora as the Countess in On Site Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Photo by Pavel Antonov. Press On Site Opera offers the delightful fly-on-the-wall experience of observing—practically participating in—lesser-known operas in intimate domestic settings.

Question: In opera 'The Marriage of Figaro' who does Figaro marry?
Answer: SUSANNA