The Marriage of Figaro

Description

The Marriage of Figaro Opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte Based on The Marriage of Figaro by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais Premiered on May 1, 1786 at the Burgtheater in Vienna New production Sung in Italian with surtitles in French and English Duration 3h30 including intermission Recommended for ages 10 and up Cast Musical direction Marta Gardolińska Stage direction Jetske Mijnssen Scenography Étienne Pluss Costumes Gideon Davey Lighting Fabrice Kebour Choreography Jean-François Kessler Dramaturgy Louis Geisler Choir direction Mark Biggins Count Almaviva Jarrett Ott Countess Almaviva Siobhan Stagg Suzanne Lauranne Oliva Figaro Philippe Sly Chérubin Benedetta Torre Marceline Monica Bacelli Bartholo Laurent Naouri Bazile / Don Curzio Glen Cunningham Antonio Jared Mac Werlein (December 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 26, 29 and 31, 2026) Barberine Fanny Soyer Grand Théâtre de Genève Choir Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Work While he willingly presents himself as an enlightened aristocrat, Count Almaviva is libertine only in the pursuit of his pleasures, and it is in the secrecy of his apartments that he enjoys and abuses his privileges. Tired of courting the beauties of his rank, he now covets Suzanne, the countess's chambermaid, and tries to steal her from Figaro, his valet, while the two servants are about to marry. To achieve his ends, the count hopes to exploit the intrigues led by Marceline and Bartholo to his advantage. But his greatest rival may well be the page Chérubin, who seems to take advantage of the apparent innocence of his youth to flirt with all the women in the castle. Long banned for its criticism of the privileges of the nobility, Beaumarchais's irreverent comedy The Marriage of Figaro was premiered in Paris on April 27, 1784. Five years later, the National Constituent Assembly voted to abolish the Ancien Régime. Between these two dates, the "Figaro phenomenon" spread throughout the Age of Enlightenment Europe and found one of its most brilliant expressions in Mozart's opera. While it did not precipitate the storming of the Bastille, it was undeniably one of its harbingers. This revolutionary horizon serves as the historical backdrop for Jetske Mijnssen to stage The Marriage of Figaro. Under the musical direction of Marta Gardolińska, her flamboyant production depicts the last rococo flames of a frivolous and decadent aristocracy, ignoring the rumblings of a storm about to take over.