Review: The Marriage of Figaro

A grand opera brings out inherent emotions - overwhelming joy or profound sadness.

The Marriage of Figaro, based on a comedy by a Frenchman that takes place in Spain but is sung in Italian, does not bring out either. However, I felt sympathy for its main characters in several instances.

The Marriage of Figaro tells the story of Count Almaviva, his wife, Countess Almaviva, and his two servants, Figaro and Suzanna, who are trying to marry. Many subplots run through the opera to provide background amusement (i.e., the page Cherubino lusting after Barbarina).

The opera was composed initially in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with the libretto written by Lorenzo De Ponte from a comedy by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais.

The opera's setting is the 18th-century villa of Count Almaviva outside Seville, Spain.

Wikipedia has an excellent description of the opera's central plot:

The Marriage of Figaro continues the plot of The Barber of Seville several years later, and recounts a single "day of madness" (la folle journée) in the palace of Count Almaviva near Seville, Spain. Rosina is now the Countess; Dr. Bartolo is seeking revenge against Figaro for thwarting his plans to marry Rosina himself; and Count Almaviva has degenerated from the romantic youth of the Barber into a scheming, bullying, skirt-chasing Lothario. Having gratefully given Figaro a job as head of his servant-staff, he is now persistently trying to obtain the favors of Figaro's bride-to-be, Susanna. He keeps finding excuses to delay the civil part of the wedding of his two servants, which is arranged for this very day. Figaro, Susanna, and the Countess conspire to embarrass the Count and expose his scheming. He retaliates by trying to compel Figaro legally to marry a woman old enough to be his mother, but it turns out at the last minute that she really is his mother. Through Figaro's and Susanna's clever manipulations, the Count's love for his Countess is finally restored.

Michael Samuel played the part of Figaro, and Levente Molnar sang as Count Almaviva. Nicole Heaston was Rosina, the Countess, and Jeanine De Bique played the part of Suzanna. Henrik Nanasi conducted the orchestra in San Francisco's production. Cherubino (a boy page) was played by Serena Malfi.

I found that Jeanine De Bique played the part of Suzanna well, but her singing was hushed (from my seat in the balcony circle). None of the singers particularly impressed me, but James Creswell sang reasonably well as Dr. Bartolo.

I liked the costumes - especially Cherubino's outfits - and this production's funny, opera-buffa atmosphere. The cast members were enjoying themselves on stage.

The detailed Synopsys of the opera is below:

Act I: A room in a villa

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 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 was banished from the castle after the Count found him compromising 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 hides until he overhears Basilio telling Susanna that Cherubino is suspected of flirting with the Countess. Amid 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 sending the pageboy away to fill a position in his regiment.

Act II: The Countess' apartment

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.

Cherubino sings about his overwhelming feelings of love. This is one of the most famous arias in the Marriage of Figaro: Voi Che Sapete. It is an easily recognizable tune that is timeless and memorable.

Voi, che sapete che cosa è amor,
You ladies, who know what love is,
Donne, vedete s'io l'ho nel cor!
See if I have it in my heart!
Quello ch'io provo, vi ridirò,
I'll tell you what I'm going through,
È per me nuovo; capir nol so.
It's new to me; I can't understand it.
Sento un affetto pien di desir,
I feel a liking full of desire
Ch'ora è diletto, ch'ora e martir.
That now is pleasure, now is agony.
Gelo, e poi sento l'alma avvampar,
I freeze, and then feel my soul burning,
E in un momento torno a gelar.
And in another moment go back to freezing.
Ricerco un bene fuori di me,
I look for a good outside myself,
Non so chi il tiene, non so cos'è.
I don't know who has it, I don't know what it is.
Sospiro e gemo senza voler,
I sigh and groan without wanting to,
Palpito e tremo senza saper,
I quiver and tremble without knowing it,
Non trovo pace notte nè di,
I find no peace night or day,
Ma pur mi piace languir così!
And yet I like suffering this way!

They are surprised by a knock on the door from the Count. Cherubino hides, locking himself in the closet. Angered by the anonymous letter, the jealous Count threatens to break into the closet. Still, Susanna takes Cherubino's place in the closet when he and a reluctant Countess leave momentarily to obtain the necessary tools. 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 he 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 III: A courtyard of the villa

Susanna and the Countess have created a new plan in which Susanna promises 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 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 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.

Act IV: The garden of the villa

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 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 toward "Susanna" until Figaro intercedes. 

After reading a note from Susanna to the Count, Figaro (falsely) assumes that Susanna is cheating on him. Angry, he declares that all women are roses with deadly thorns. He sings the following famous aria, Tutto e disposto:

Tutto č disposto:
Everything is set:
L’ora dovrebbe esser vicina;
the hour should be near;
Io sento gente...č dessa!
I can hear people... it is her!
Non č alcun;
It's nobody;
Buia č la notte...
The night is dark...
Ed io comincio omai a fare
and I am just beginning to practice
Il scimunito mestiere di marito...
the stupid work of being a husband...
Ingrata!
You ungrateful!
Nel memento della mia cerimonia
While remembering my ceremony
Ei godeva leggendo:
he was enjoying in reading:
E nel vederlo io rideva
And while I was seeing it I was laughing
Di me senza saperlo.
at me without knowing it.
Oh Susanna! Susanna!
Oh, Susanna! Susanna!
Quanta pena mi costi!
What a great suffering you cost me!
Con quell’ingenua faccia,
With your ingenuous face,
Con quelgli occhi innocenti,
with your innocent eyes,
Chi creduto l’avria? Ah!
who would imagine it? Ah,
Che il fidarse a donna, č ognor follia.
that it's foul to trust in a woman.

Aprite un po’quegli occhi,
Open your eyes,
Uomini incauti e sciocchi,
you incautious and stupid men
Guardate queste femmine,
Look at these women
Guardate cosa son!
Look what they are!
Queste chiamate dee
These you call goddesses
Dagli ingannati sensi,
with deceived senses,
A cui tributa incensi
to whom the weak reason
La debole ragion.
tributes incenses.
Son streghe che incantano
They are witches who enchant
Per farci penar,
only to make us pain,
Sirene che cantano
Sirens who sing
Per farci affogar,
to draw us,
Civette che allettano
Owls who attract
Per trarci le piume,
to take out our feathers
Comete che brillano
Comets who shine
Per toglierci il lume.
to take our light away,
Son rose spinose
they're thorny roses
Son volpi vezzose;
they're charming foxes
Son orse benigne,
they're benign bears,
Colombe maligne,
malign doves,
Maestre d’inganni,
masters in cheating
Amiche d’affanni,
friends of worries
Che fingono, mentono,
who pretend, lie,
Amore non senton,
don't feel any love,
Non senton pietŕ,
don't feel any pity,
No, no, no, no no!
no, no, no, no, no!
Il resto no dico,
I don't tell all the rest,
Giŕ ognuno lo sa.
anybody knows that.

The Count flees, and the Countess hides. Still pretending to be the Countess, Susanna steps forward, and Figaro recognizes his wife's voice. The plot becomes apparent, but he plays along momentarily 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 everyone is extracted from hiding individually. 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.

Marriage of Figaro Report Card

Overall:

Positives

• Excellent costumes

Negatives

• Singing was hushed
• The orchestra played very quietly
• None of the singers stood out as truly outstanding