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Mozart and Da Ponte Operas > Figaro > Flashcards

Figaro Flashcards

1
Q

Figaro basics

A

1786
opera buffa
based on play by Beaumarchais
play banned in Vienna

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2
Q

Count Almaviva

A

BARITONE
Master of the House
employer of Figaro and Susanna
pursuing Susanna not wife

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3
Q

Countess

A

SOPRANO
neglected wife of the count
still in love with him knowing he is unfaithful

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4
Q

Susanna

A

SOPRANO
Maid to Countess Almaviva
Betrothed to Figaro
Antonio’s niece.
Witty and beautiful
Clever character who makes and pulls of plans throughout.

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4
Q

Cherubino

A

MEZZO
Count’s page
flirts with everyone

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5
Q

Figaro

A

BASS
valet to Count
betrothed to Susanna

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5
Q

Marcellina

A

SOPRANO
housekeeper to Bartolo
wants to marry Figaro as he has not repaid a debt
later find out she is his mother

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5
Q

Bartolo

A

BASS
Doctor from Seville
lawyer also
comes in to help Marcellina with the goal to marry Figaro as he is a long term enemy of the Count
he turns out to be Figaro’s father and ends up with Marcellina

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5
Q

Don Basilio

A

TENOR
music master
singing teacher

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5
Q

Don Curzio

A

TENOR
magistrate

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6
Q

Barbarina

A

SOPRANO
daughter of Antonio
cousin of Susanna
ends up with Cherubino

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6
Q

Antonio

A

BASS
gardener susanna’s uncle
focuses on making sure the right thing happens

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6
Q

Act I highlights/lowlights

A

Susanna and Figaro preparing for married life
Marcellina and Bartolo announce the marriage contract for F and M
Cherubino protests being sent away to army for flirting
Count romances Susanna

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7
Q

Act II

A

Countess laments husband’s neglect
Cherubino arrives to prepare for tryst with Count but Count arrives and he hides
Count thinks Susanna is hiding and Cherubino escapes through window
Figaro arrives
Count relieved when M announces marriage proposed to F

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8
Q

Act III highlights/lowlights

A

Count pursues S - she agrees to meet but Count overhears her plotting with F
Countess unhappy
M and B realise F is their son
S and Coutness write to Count asking for meeting
Barbarina forces Count to let her marry Cherubino
Susana gives count letter

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9
Q

Act IV highlights/lowlights

A

BArbarlina looses pin to return
Figaro resolves to interrupt S and Count
Disguised in each other’s clothers, S and Countess ensnare Count
truth revealed

10
Q

No.1 Cinque, dieci, venti (Fig and Sus)

A

Unfurnished bedroom in Count’s castle near Seville in the mid-18th century.
Each character in their own task ignoring each other.
Music relaxes from Presto of overture into slower Allegro and more subdued subdominant key of G major. Running semiquavers before any singing suggests that action has been happening before the opera started.
Two melodies in the opening on strings creating tension and resolution.
Different melodies interacting.
For the last 25 bars of the duet the two lovers sing together in consonant harmony, largely in parallel tenths, as Susanna’s theme sustains itself over a 14-bar dominant pedal with some teasing echo effects between voices and wood-wind

11
Q

No.3 Se vuol ballare (Figaro)

A

Aria introduces Figaro’s character in the first act.
Putting an end to the fun of the Count – revenge aria.
Quaint minuet of wit and surprise.
Pizzicato strings and two horns.
‘I’ll call the tune, yes!’ with the yes displaced on the second beat to displace the Count.
Departs from da capo aria with a fast, presto middle section in 2/4.
Referenced to playing the guitar heard in the orchestration with horns depicting the count.
‘little song’.

12
Q

No.4 - La vendetta (Bartolo)

A

Bartolo wanting revenge on the Count.
Fast triplets representing fast thinking and anger.
First time Mozart uses the whole orchestra with trumpets and timpani to show Bartolo’s self-importance.
Sophisticated and elaborate musical material.
Symphonic features and truncated sonata-form.
Outer rage contrasting with the inner rage of ‘se vuol ballare’.
Bartolo leaves
Typical example of buffo patter in the second half of the aria in which the syllables are delivered at quick speed.

13
Q

No.10 - porgi amor (Countess)

A

One of the most famous arias from Mozart.
Pain and grace of Countess as her husband has forgotten her.
New character and instrument presented with clarinets so that clarinets, bassoons and two horns appear together.
Countess’ loneliness expressed here.
First appearance alone onstage.
Very simple melodies but very challenging to sing, lots of very long phrases.
The text only consists of four lines, and the music is simple slow repetitive and not very ornamented.
She laments over the loss of her husband’s love and the audience is intended to feel completely heartbroken with the Countess, especially being the first time that the audience meets her.
This is very beautiful and very genuinely recalling feelings of countess.
Long orchestral introduction is unusual for arias, maybe even like an overture for the second act, setting the mood up.
Begins in her private space and as act unfolds becomes less private.
Introduced in act 1 but not seen.
Paralleled to scene in F and S bedroom.
Morning.
Tonal shift from aria before.
Key of Eb – stately and noble, dignified.
Placed at the beginning to perhaps move out of the seria style soon.

14
Q

No.13 Susanna, or via sortite (Susanna, Countess, Count)

A

The count orders Susanna to come out but the countess says he can’t as she is trying on a dress the countess wants to give her as a wedding present. Susanna comments from a distance.
The count says at least she can speak but the countess orders her to keep silent. The count tells his wife to be careful. In the orchestra lots of chromaticism and modulations.
The countess still refuses to open the door and the count threatens to break it down, and decides to go get tools to do it.
He locks Susanna’s door and the countess accompanies him out. Susanna will have to wait till they return to get out.
Recit at the end.

15
Q

No.15 Act I Finale

A

Count orders page to come out of dressing room and countess gives him key
Opens door to find Susanna
playing elegant minuet, teaches count to dance
Orchestra active and buffa
Count returns
Figaro enters with orchestral flourishes
Wedding gavotte into musette, pastoral overtones
Antonio enters asking who jumped out the window - Figaro says it was him
The paces slows down again, and the orchestra has a menacing three quaver pattern.
Marcellina, Bartolo and Basilio come into the count’s relief. Marcellina explains the marriage contract

16
Q

No.17 Vedro mentr’io saspiro (Count)

A

Accompanied recit, the count says that they have won their case, but overhears them and realises it is a trap. He declares revenge. Antonio won’t let his niece marry someone who doesn’t know his parents and the count will count on this. The use of orchestra here shows that he is a noble character. Like opera seria.

In the aria the count’s anger explodes, saying he won’t be outwitted by a servant. This shows him in blind fury, hard to feel sympathetic for him here.

17
Q

No.18 Sestetto riconosci in questo amplesso

A

A moment of reconciliation. Marcellina, Bartolo and Figaro rejoice.
The count and don Curzio are amazed. Figaro cannot marry his won mother.
Susanna enters with money to pay Figaro’s debt and sees him embracing Marcellina so presumes the worst. Marcellina explains everything and everyone other than the count and Don Curzio are very happy.
Tying up loose ends – dramatic tension and reconciliation but not for the Count (intruder into the happy family moment).
aria parlante - passion and emotion

18
Q

No.26 aprite un po’quegli occhi (Figaro)

A

Short section of recitative accompanied by a full string orchestra.
Moment of heightened emotion.
Phrases from libretto marked by orchestra.
Figaro as bereft from assuming his wife was unfaithful.
Accompanied recit (obligato) shows heightened emotions, and all the lines in the libretto are commented on by the orchestra shows Figaro’s pain and anger with the idea of his fiancee’s infidelity.
Even though he is not a noble character it matches with the count’s on one act III. Mozart allows the servants to rise to a higher musical level.
No one there? – tentative string phrases
Darkness surrounds me – undulating arpeggios.
How shameless to betray me on the night of our wedding – a ‘shameful’ flattened seventh chord.
All your girlish glances…innocent laughter… - dotted skipping rhythms and flirtations upper string movements.
Aria is anger at the fickleness of women. His rage aria if you will.
Full of jealousy, restive accompaniment and uneven vocal line, very angry.

19
Q

No.27 Deh vieni, non tardar (Susanna)

A

Flute, oboe, bassoon and soprano soloists.
Melodies joining together.
Pizzicato change to arco at bar 51 to match the text ‘all the world reposes’
Melodies are beautiful and simple.
Thread in and out of the vocal line, supporting and complementing Susanna’s vocal part.
Aria, beautiful in 6/8 very phrased.
Ambiguity lost on Figaro.

20
Q

No.28 Act IV Finale pian pianin

A

The page decides to approach ‘Susanna’ to woo her. The count and Susanna watch from a distance. Cherubino demands a kiss from her, figaro comes forward to see more clearly and is hit by the count who means to hit Cherubino.
The count approaches ‘Susanna’ figaro watches angrily. The count offers her a dowry and a ring. Figaro enters to disturb the couple, the count leaves and ‘Susanna’ leaves to the right.
All is calm but figaro will set the trap for his venus and her mars.
Susanna enters with the manners of the countess. Figaro explains the situation to her and then realises her voice. He kneels on the floor and pours out his passion for the ‘countess’.
Figaro explains to Susanna he recognised her all the way through. A sensuous melody in 6/8 lots of reconciliation. Susanna explains why they were dressed as each other. The count enters saying he cannot find ‘Susanna’ anywhere. Susanna tells figaro that the countess is dressed up as her and figaro loudly proclaims his love to the ‘countess’ so that the count will hear. The count swears at his unfaithful wife.
The count shouts for assistance and grasp Figaro by his arm. Antonio and Basilio enter. Their lights illuminate the scene, the count accuses figaro of seducing his wife. Basilio and Antonio are surprised, and figaro enjoys the confusion. The count grabs Cherubino out of the pavilion, then comes Barbarina, Marcellina and the ‘countess. The ‘countess’ kneels before the count and pleads forgiveness, which he refuses. Figaro pleads and the count refuses too. Then the real countess comes out of the pavilion, and count kneels and begs her forgiveness which she gives. Everyone rejoices.
The trouble is ended and everyone is happy.

21
Q

Abbate and Parker (1990) opening duet

A

often regarded as exemplary of Mozart perfection
‘based on a double progression, from disunity to unity and toward Susanna’s primacy’
characters begin with different themes but by the end Figaro sing Susanna’s theme and his is gone

22
Q

Steptoe (1988) Figaro buffa plot

A

Large and complex plot.
Beaumarchais’s five-Act play rich and discursive but DP had to remove and simplify elements.
Cast reduced.
Transformed Figaro from ‘grand satirical observer’ to ‘buffo schemer’.
Modifications as a consequence of the problems from the original play.

23
Q

Steptoe (1988) drama and musical form

A

Integration of musical style and dramatic meaning.
Tonality underlying form.
Dramatic qualities of Mozart’s style based on tonal or harmonic contrasts, rather than melodic flights and fierce rhythms
application in act ii finale

24
Q

Till (1991) Figaro

A

Good and evil introduced into the opera with Susanna’s announcement that the Count has designs on her.
Loss of bliss and innocence as theme throughout.
music ad nostalgia - countess laments in Dove sono
restoration of bliss and harmony
against false idealism and sentimental thinking
preservation of hierarchy
celebrating ideal of marriage
Struggle of Figaro and Susanna for their marriage is a struggle taking place against the background of marriages.
False expectations in the marriage of the Count and Countess. Set up to fail by romantic delusions
Bourgeois individualism as destructive of the network of interrelationships on which it depends.
Chorus of peasants important – communal celebration of wedding, keeping an eye on the union.
Count refusing to forgive as leitmotif

25
Q

no.10 ponelle film version

A

Begins with her holding a coin, weird zoom out.
She watches her husband leave on a hunt from the upstairs window.
Moving around her bedroom.
She goes to sit on her bed for the aria, which she does not visibly sing (seems as though it is being performed internally). Despite this, there is a huge focus on her face which appears pensive? The camera then pans around the room to Jesus on the cross and the Bible.
Spends a lot of time looking at the room and her unmoving face.

26
Q

no.10 huguet Berlin 2021

A

Performed in front of closed stage curtain.
Focus is only on her.
Extravagant dress and cape situation adds to drama.
Slow moving and static gestures such as reaching out hand to her love perhaps.
Curtains open as her aria ends leaving her onstage.

27
Q

Grandage Glyndebourne 2012

A

She is onstage as Susanna tidies around her – then they all leave her alone.
The bed is the focus of the stage, she sings as if to the bd at the beginning, leaning on it for support.
Static.
She isn’t very well lit, emphasising sadness but also means she is less focused.
Seems unable to stand alone – leans on a lot.

28
Q

no.15 act II finale ponelle film

A

Susanna and the Countess paired together on the bed, the Count asking for their forgiveness. Count getting closer to Countess whilst Susanna watches on.
Again strange camera angles where you aren’t sure exactly what they are looking at.
Susanna and Countess close throughout.
Ends in chaos, lots of rushing around.

29
Q

no.15 act ii finale berlin huguet 2021

A

Susanna and Countess joining together, not in close proximity to begin with.
Modern production, Countess bedroom but she is smoking.
Susanna as onlooker at their relationship.
Count and Countess no physical proximity.
End with them all in a line, less chaotic than others, all do the same movement to move towards the back of stage then back to front.

30
Q

no.15 act ii finale Grandage Glyndebourne 2012

A

Relationship between Countess and Susanna close.
Count asking for forgiveness still not showing much closeness to Countess, lots of space between them whilst Countess seeks solace in Susanna’s presence.
Still in the bedroom.
Character separation at the end, desperation from Susanna and Figaro. Firago pulled between Marcellina and Susanna.
Count and Countess join together.

31
Q

no.28 end finale huguet berlin 2021

A

In the garden at night.
This production ends in confusing manner with flashing lights and running around the stage.
Countess looks sad as they join together.
Count joins Figaro and Susanna.
Very dark, not particularly happy the lights come across as lightning?
Count and Countess not particularly close, Countess seems annoyed in contrast to Susanna and Figaro hand holding.

Mozart and Da Ponte Operas (5 decks)

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