Mozart Operas: The Marriage Of Figaro

I would like to present you an opera of Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata (The Marriage of Figaro, or the Day of Madness) which is an opera buffa with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. Mozart's family was very musical, his father - Leopold Mozart was a successful composer, violinist, and assistant concertmaster at the Salzburg court. First of all let me introduce you to a brief descri ption of Mozart's and da Ponte's biography. Mozart was very talented; he started playing the keyboard at the age of three. Also, he composed little piano pieces when he was five years old, symphonies at nine, and completed operas at age twelve. When he was six, Mozart and his older sister, Maria Anna, performed a series of concerts in major cities of Europe. Both of them played the keyboard, but Wolfgang became a violin virtuoso. During the 1760s, Mozart played at courts in Vienna, Germany, Paris, at court in Versailles, and London. Mozart wrote his first symphonies in London, and he began friendship with Christian Bach, who became a great musical influence on Wolfgang. In 1781 von Colloredo invited Mozart to Vienna, where his career began promisingly and he was soon commissioned to write The Abduction from the Seraglio. Mozart's concerts had great success, later on, Joseph II engaged him as court composer. In 1782, Mozart married Constanze Weber from Germany. Let's move to Lorenzo da Ponte, he was born in Ceneda, the Republic of Venice (now Vittorio Veneto, Italy) in 10 March 1749. Da Ponte's mother had died when he was only five. He and his brothers entered the seminary for their education and priesthood training when he was fourteen, here da Ponte was introduced to Italian poets. In 1783, Lorenzo was appointed theatre-poet to the Court Opera in Vienna. In 1786 Mozart's work schedule was more intensive than in previous year. He had written 3 piano concerts no 23,24,25, a horn concerto no 4, two quartets, three trios, a symphony no 38 'Prague' and an Italian opera. Mozart was looking for a librettist for Marriage of Figaro for a long time. Finally, he connected with the best librettist in Vienna - Lorenzo da Ponte. Mozart and da Ponte prepared great works together. The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cosi fan Tutte were their tandem works. Secondly, I would like to talk about the history of that period of time. The life in Europe was a relatively peaceful time, in contrast in North America, the American War of Independence was fought from 1775 until 1783. However in Europe, evident of social conflict was increasing and gradually the reins of power shifted from the aristocracy to the growing middle class partly. It was the time of the Industrial Revolution, also it was the Age of Enlightenment when more people believed in the concept of the power of human reason to solve social problems, to correct unfair behaviour, and just to make their lives better. The rights of the individual, relaxation of censorship and freedom of thought were results from the Enlightenment's changes. Mozart and da Ponte have started their tandem work from the Marriage of Figaro. In one of the letters from Lorenzo da Ponte, he mentioned following: "As fast as I wrote the words... Mozart set them into music. In six weeks everything was in order" (Carter, 1987). Da Ponte has finished the libretto in six weeks, but it does not mean that everything went easily and fast. There were lots of talks between them before the final text was produced. For instance, a task to rework the play (sung rather than spoken). Unfortunately, no evidence of these discussions has survived. Da Ponte and Mozart did more than cover the behaviour of the plot. Mozart also has been worried about how da Ponte cast his verse: convention ordered that a librettist should use different types of verse at various points in libretti. It supposed to be depended on whether the text was for aria, ensemble or recitative. Texts for arias and ensembles have more regular metrical and rhyming structure, with wider choice of line-lengths and some measure of strophic organisation than recitative texts, which are normally in free rhyming seven- and eleven-syllable lines. Mozart was not writing often to his father at that time and Leopold had been worrying about son`s plans for Figaro, as we can see from the letter to his daughter: "I know the piece; it is a very tiresome play and translation from the French will certainly have to altered very freely if it is to be effective" as an opera. God grant that the text maybe a success. I have no doubt about the music. But there will be a lot of running about and discussions before he gets the libretto so adjusted as to suit his purpose exactly."(Carter, 1987) Mozart had been worrying about many things, for instance, Emperor Joseph II was considering several operas to be played at the imperial court. Mozart's work one of the works which Emperor was considering, along with several others. Finally, Mozart's work won but with scant success. Mozart was so stressed about this situation as he reportedly sword that if his work had not been measured as the first one, he would just destroy the entire score. Finally the opera has been accepted by Joseph II and the dress rehearsal was on the 29th of April in the presence of the Emperor and the premier was at the Burgtheater in Vienna on the 1st of May 1786. Mozart himself directed the first two performances, but later performances were directed by Franz Weigl. The first production was given eight further performances, all in 1786. Despite these factors, Figaro has not been played in Vienna in 1787 and 1788. The opera involved several types of instruments such as flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, timpani, strings. Also the recitatives are accompanied by a keyboard instrument; usually it is a fortepiano or a harpsichord, often joined by a cello. Conductor can always choose the instrumentation of the recitative. Mozart uses the sound of two horns playing together to represent cuckoldry, for instance, in the Act 4 aria 'Aprite un po quelli`ochi'. Verdi later used the same device in Ford`s aria in Falstaff. As I have mentioned before the Marriage of Figaro is continuation of the plot of 'The Barber of Seville' several years later. I would like to go through some of the changes which have been done to the synopsis. Da Ponte cut sixteen characters of the play into eleven. Double-Main, Grip-Soleil, Pedrille, an usher, and a young shepherdess all omitted. Da Ponte said that libretto was not just simple translation, it was 'an adaptation'. (Carter, 1987) The opera is in four acts, the whole opera is set in major keys except Barbarina`s brief aria 'L`ho perduta', at the beginning of act 4, which is in F minor. Fights and delays Now, I am going to concentrate on the fights and delays of the Marriage of Figaro. Emperor Joseph II had forbidden the Beaumarchais play in Austria because he decided that it could be a dangerous attack on ruling and privileged classes of Europe. However, Beaumarchais said that there was not any political attack on the classes, but only abuses of each class. Da Ponte and Mozart did their best to avoid political moments. When da Ponte finally revealed his plan to Emperor Joseph II, Emperor raised the questions about the play's political content. However, the librettist assured the Emperor that the opera is concentrated more on drama rather than comedy, also he mentioned he had to omit many scenes and shortened several others which could offend the sensibility and decency of a spectacle at which His Sovereign Majesty supervises. Mozart and da Ponte tried to omit all dangerous moments because of political reasons and to remove satire which was particularly written for Paris. For instance, where Beaumarchais had shown a world of inequality, da Ponte and Mozart showed that all classes were subject to human misjudgements and the dictates of 'eros'. (Spaethling, 2000) Where Beaumarchais was showing social types, da Ponte and Mozart were introducing individuals to the stage. The motor of Mozart`s comedy was not politics, it was sex, and what made it all, so true and eternally young was Mozart's music. Da Ponte revealed his plan to the Joseph ll and has guaranteed the Emperor that Figaro does not have any dangerous political moments. It is assumed that Beaumarchais's play could help to set up the French Revolution, but the da Ponte and Mozart had no political theme, the opera meant to be funny and sentimental. Mozart`s music was rich and funny, but outside its function in the drama, the music had become like Shakpeare`s dramatic language, 'a thing of beauty in itself'. (Spaethling, 2000) It seems like Figaro has not been performed in Vienna from 1787 until 1788. In one of the Mozarts letters to his wife: 'Figaro' is going to be staged again soon, and since I am to make some changes, I'll need to be here for rehearsals' (Spaethling, 2000) Mozart always believed that it significant to right according to qualities of the singers and therefore provided some changes to his opera for the Vienna performance. For instance, the new Susanna- Andriana Ferrarese del bene was given two new arias: the rondo 'Al desio di chi tádora' K.557, and the aria 'Un moto di gioia' K.579 for Andriana Ferrarese del Bene. 'Venite, inginocchiatevi' was replace by 'Un moto di gioia', apparently 'Dove sono i bei momenti' (No 19), was shortened and second session was slightly rewritten. The first revived performance was given on the 9th of August 1789 at the Burgtheater. Performances Let me talk about other performances. One of the warmest audiences was at the premier in Prague in January 1787 at the National Theatre. Mozart was so impressed by the atmosphere and he wrote to his friend Emillian Gotfield "I watched with great pleasure how everyone was hoping about with sheer delight to the music of my "Figaro", which had been transformed into Contredanses and German dances; for here they talk of nothing but - "Figaro"; no opera is seen as much as - "figaro"; again and again it is - "Figaro"; it's all a great honor for me" (Spaethling, 2000) By analysing the table [Table 1] of the performances of Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cosi fan tutte at theatres in Cologne, Darmstadt, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Munich, Prague and Vienna. We can consider that Don Giovanni was more popular than Le nozze di Figaro until 1900, when Figaro had 303 performances and Don Giovanni only 203. Also, Figaro was performed as twice as more than Don Giovanni in 1940-1949. Music and drama Now I am going to talk about how Mozart responds to pacing, characterisation and coherence in his opera buffa. The pace of the opera is really high with some breaks which needed to clarify plot, and specify character. For instance, the overture sets up a fast pace for the 'folle journee' and its motion carriers forward into the first act. By moving straight into the action with two duets for Figaro and Susanna, and certainly Act I passes extremely quickly, with only brief momentum of response. Eight numbers from nine, in Act I, are marked to be played in 'Allegro' or faster. Only at the beginning of Act II, we can see the slowing in the pace. Figaro consists of both to lulls in the action and to segmentation because of shifting between arias, recitatives and ensembles. Da Ponte tried to omit such lulls. He tried to create the opportunity for action ensembles and even action arias that make play of stage business. For instance, you can see it from witness Figaro's 'Non piu andrai farfallone amoroso', No. 9, and Susanna's 'Venite, inginocchiatevi', No. 12, both of which are effectively duets with a silent partner, Cherubino. At the same time, Mozart uses a number of specific techniques to prevent lulls and segmentations. He avoids long orchestral introductions, so only seven pieces have introductions eight or more bars long (1, 8, 10, 11, 21, 23, 24). On the other hand, Mozart could not avoid it everywhere, so that pieces which are at the beginning of the acts No 1, 10, 23, have introduction, which is needed to cover a change of set, to establish a scene or simply to quite down the audience. If you pay attention to No 11, 21, 24, they are all set pieces; they have two choruses and two arias that delay the action anyways. Mozart often stays away from literal textual or music repetition, because of the concentration of music and the length of text there is little redundant text repetition, which developed simply as fodder for the development of a musical argument. Mozart tried to characterize every role by using different techniques. Mozart uses arias to allow time to establish a particular stance, he used this techniques with Bartolo, Cheubino, Countess, ensembles to give a characterization before the comic imorgilio begins, so that Figaro, Susanna, the Count and Marcellina, where introduced by ensembles.

Ending of Opera By comparing the critics, a number of critics are not satisfied with last two acts of the Marriage of Figaro, feeling that they have to live up to the promise of Act I and II. There is no doubt that the action becomes a little bit confused as da Ponte compressed already fast-moving action of the original play by Beaumarchair into even shorter time scale. The outcome of this issue is that the succession of arias in Act IV crates uneasy statistics, and that the focus shifts from the main theme - Figaro's wedding to the wedding of the Countess and the Count. Mozart went too far with the theme of drama and it was hard to move from the point of high drama to the comic manner, on the other hand da Ponte's ending matches the play and maintains the comic pace. You can see it from the final D major chorus runs the danger of sounding trite: "Mozart has gone too far to pull back". (Carter, 1987)

In conclusion, I have a high regard for the skills of Beaumarchais's play and the craftsmanship of da Ponte's libretto, and appreciate their essential contribution to the whole opera. I can admit the rich structure of the action, and the essential social, moral and emotional issues which the Marriage of Figaro raises. But finally, it is Mozart whom through his music gives life into the end, characters and their situations. I would like to say that all over, it is Mozart's music that makes Figaro a great opera.