How Does The Marriage Of Figaro End?

The Marriage of Figaro, an opera buffa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is a dramatic and compositional masterpiece that follows the servants Figaro and Susanna as they prepare for their wedding. After being restored to his parents, Figaro can finally marry Susanna, who is among the Count’s staff in his household. However, when they produce evidence that Figaro has actually agreed to marry Marcellina, the Count gleefully cancels the wedding.

The opera picks up three years following the end of The Barber of Seville, as Figaro is engaged to be married to Suzanne. Both characters are among the Count’s staff in his household. The Countess, Susanna, bemoans the Count’s infidelity and plans to send an anonymous note about the Count’s intentions. The opera debuted in Vienna on May 1, 1786, and tells the story of how the servants Figaro and Susanna succeed in getting married, foiling the efforts of their philandering employer Count Almaviva to seduce Susanna.

The opera’s emperor summons Mozart to discuss the opera, but Mozart informs him that he has not incorporated any of the politics of the play into the opera. The opera’s length (four acts) and “moral gravity” make it Mozart’s first great “fusion” of opera buffe.

In Act III, the Count returns to discover Figaro with his wife, causing rage and confusion. The real Countess steps forward and reveals her identity, leading to a happy ending for the entire household. The opera ends with the Count, brought down from his royal pedestal, begs his wife to marry him.

Why was The Marriage of Figaro so controversial?

Mozart and Da Ponte based their opera on Beaumarchais’s play La folle journée, ou Le Mariage de Figaro, which King Louis XVI banned for its depiction of a rebellious servant who ridicules a corrupt aristocracy. The play was a big hit in Paris before the Revolution. People loved it for its criticism, controversy, and sexual themes. Two years after the play’s debut, Mozart’s opera was a hit in Vienna. People loved the play so much that they kept asking for more. This made Joseph II, the ruler of the Hapsburg Empire, decide to stop the play from ending with an ensemble encore. Mozart’s music sets Figaro apart, featuring some of the opera’s most famous melodies. The duettino, or short duet, “Sullaria…che soave zeffiretto” (“On the breeze…what a gentle zephyr”) is a tender and delicate interweaving of voices. It crossed over into pop culture when it was featured in the Academy Award-nominated classic The Shawshank Redemption. The third-act aria “Dove sono,” (“Where are those happy moments”) is one of the most performed operas. It is a passionate and heartbreaking ode to love and devotion.

Who gets married in The Marriage of Figaro?

What’s the story? The Marriage of Figaro is set over one day—Figaros wedding day. The curtain rises on Figaro and Susanna, who are decorating their new room. Susanna says the Count gave them a big gift to keep her close. He wants to have sex with her on their wedding night. Figaro is furious and vows to outsmart the Count. Together with Susanna and Cherubino, they plan to trap the Count. Expect disguises, mistaken identities, and hiding. Ana Maria Labin as the Countess, Helen Sherman as Cherubino, and Silvia Moi as Susanna, 2015 © Clive Barda.

What is the short summary of The Marriage of Figaro?

The Marriage of Figaro is a four-act opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was written in 1786 with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered in Vienna on May 1, 1786. The opera is based on a 1784 play by Pierre Beaumarchais called The Mad Day, or The Marriage of Figaro. It’s about servants Figaro and Susanna who get married, despite their employer Count Almaviva’s attempts to seduce Susanna. It is one of the greatest operas ever written. It is a cornerstone of the repertoire and appears consistently among the top ten in the Operabase list of most frequently performed operas. In 2017, BBC News Magazine asked 172 opera singers to vote for the best operas ever written. The Marriage of Figaro came in first out of the 20 operas featured. The magazine described it as one of the best operas ever written, with a great sense of humanity. Beaumarchais’ earlier play The Barber of Seville had already been made into an opera by Paisiello. Beaumarchais’s Marriage of Figaro was banned in Vienna because it deals with class conflict. Emperor Joseph II said that the play is objectionable and that the Austrian Censor should forbid it. Mozart’s librettist got the emperor’s approval for an operatic version, which was a big success.

What does Figaro mean in Italian?

Italian: from the word for fig tree (see also 3 below) used as a name for someone who sells figs. The Americanized form of Italian Ficara and Ficarra changed under the influence of the well-known personal name Figaro from the Beaumarchais plays.

Why is The Marriage of Figaro so good?

Mozart was 30 when he wrote Figaro. The work shows a clear opposition between youth and age. The composer is clearly on the side of youth and is enthusiastic about the new social order. The music shows that the youth of the main characters shines through more than the text does. Figaro is thirty like his composer. Susanna is a decade younger. The Countess is often portrayed as a matron, but Beaumarchais says she is only nineteen. Count Almaviva has only moved three years on from the dashing blade he was in Le Barbier.

The music also makes the younger page, Cherubino, come alive. He is not part of the main relationships, but he is important to the plot. He is a perceptively drawn character. His obsession with love recalls Keats’ idea of the space between a boy’s and a man’s healthy imaginations. He is the perfect operatic adolescent. Some say he’s like the young Don Juan, but he’s more human. A better parallel would be with the young Almaviva himself. Why should he be jealous and doubt himself if he sees Cherubino as a rival?

Einstein said Mozart’s operas show Figaro’s “unsurpassed mastery of characterization.” He also said: “Try to separate Magdalena and David from the general G major happiness at the end of the scene. It won’t work.” Mozart never made such mistakes. Figaro has a lot of ensemble writing because Mozart could differentiate between characters. The score includes one sextet, two trios, and six duets. The finales of the last three acts are mostly multiple-voice music. Even when Marcellinas and Basilios additional last-act arias are included, the score is mostly multiple-voice. Einstein’s point is valid, but it doesn’t fully capture the variety of Mozart’s approach. Robert Moberly says in his book Three Mozart Operas that although vocal differentiation is important, in Mozart’s mature operas, undifferentiation is a different way of conveying drama. He gives the example of the similar melodic lines given to Marcellina and Susanna in their Act I skirmish, which is a polite fight. He also gives the example of the Act II trio for the Count, the Countess, and Susanna, which is a duet between two people who love each other. They’re trying to calm down. With the thudding anxiety and tension, there is a desperate desire to observe the forms of politeness. It’s music that fits the drama of a husband and wife telling each other to be careful because the scandal will be embarrassing.

How does Figaro end?

The Count makes things worse. He tries to seduce his wife, thinking she’s Susanna. Then, when he sees Figaro with a woman he thinks is the Countess, he accuses her of infidelity. Susanna begs the Count for forgiveness, but he refuses. The Countess reveals herself, and the Count is humbled. This time, he asks for forgiveness. The Countess and the Count reconcile at the end of the opera.

What is an interesting fact about The Marriage of Figaro?

Mozart wrote The Marriage of Figaro in just six weeks.

Does Figaro marry Susanna?

The Count and Don Curzio, a lawyer, want Marcellina’s contract to stop the wedding. Figaro learns he is Bartolo, Marcellina’s long-lost son. Figaro is reunited with his parents and can finally marry Susanna. Bartolo and Marcellina will get married too. Then Antonio finds Cherubino, who has been hiding at his house. Barbarina asks the Count to let her marry Cherubino. He agrees. All three weddings can finally happen. During the ceremony, Susanna gives the Count a love letter with her pin on it. The letter says where they’ll meet later.

How long does The Marriage of Figaro last?

Approximately 3 hours 30 minutes. Performance lasts approximately 3 hours 30 minutes, including one interval. Sorry, we’re having technical issues. Go back to the homepage or try again. Technical error. Sorry, we’re having technical issues. Go back to the homepage or try again soon. Privacy notice, cookies usage, terms & conditions of sale, community guidelines, corporate policy, sitemap.

What is the main theme of The Marriage of Figaro?

Why was Marriage of Figaro banned? The Marriage of Figaro, written before the French Revolution, upset the rich because it showed how class differences and privilege limited people. That’s why the original Beaumarchais play was banned in France. Joseph II was cautious about allowing Mozart’s opera to be performed in Vienna. Da Ponte had to change the play to get the emperor’s approval. He replaced Figaro’s rant about inherited nobility with an aria about unfaithful wives. His changes were accepted, and the opera was performed at the Burgtheater in Vienna on May 1, 1786, with Mozart conducting. Was The Marriage of Figaro a success? Yes, but it was overshadowed by another work. Martín y Soler’s Una cosa rara (also by Da Ponte). Figaro’s popularity soared after its premiere in Prague. The music makes you happy without being sexual. Hungarian poet Ferenc Kazinczy said this, and Haydn said he dreamed about it. For the next few centuries, composers considered Figaro the pinnacle of operatic achievement. Brahms was one of the most enthusiastic. He said each number in Figaro is a miracle. It’s perfect. It is still the best opera ever. What makes Marriage of Figaro special? The Marriage of Figaro is a great opera because it has a clever libretto, sophisticated music, and complex characters. It deals with universal themes like love, infidelity, rejection, and forgiveness. And it’s a comedy.

What is the relationship between Figaro and Susanna?

Figaro and Susanna plot to kill the Count. Susanna is after the Count with Figaro’s help. Figaro and Susanna are getting married.