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The Marriage of Figaro (2015)

5 March–4 April 2021

The Marriage of Figaro (2015)

5 March–4 April 2021

The Marriage of Figaro (2015)

5 March–4 April 2021
Online only
Opera and music
£3
David McVicar’s production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, The Royal Opera ©2015 ROH. Photograph by Mark Douet

Revolution is in the air in David McVicar’s production of Mozart’s glorious comic opera. Available to watch via ROH Stream.

Language
Sung in Italian with English surtitles
#royaloperahouse

Generous philanthropic support from the Friends of Covent Garden

Story

Figaro and Susanna plan to get married – but their master Count Almaviva has designs on Susanna and is determined to stop the wedding taking place. Meanwhile the page Cherubino's passion for the ladies jeopardizes his job, and Countess Almaviva longs to regain her husband's love.

Figaro, Susanna and the Countess plot to shame the Count and save Cherubino from banishment. But their plans don't run smoothly, particularly when the elderly Marcellina tries to force Figaro to marry her. An astonishing revelation prevents this happening, but will the Count still find a way to thwart the wedding? And can the Countess win back her husband's affection?

Background

Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) was Mozart's first collaboration with Lorenzo da Ponte, who also wrote the librettos for Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte. The opera is based on Pierre Caron de Beaumarchais' controversial play Le Mariage de Figaro, which was banned in Vienna for its potentially provocative content. David McVicar sets the action in a château in 1830 on the eve of France's second revolution, exploring the political and class conflicts at the core of Beaumarchais' play, but also maintaining Mozart and Da Ponte's humanity and wit.

The score of Le nozze di Figaro is packed full of wonderful arias covering a huge range of emotions, from the humour of Figaro's ironic farewell to Cherubino ('Non più andrai') to the poignancy of 'Dove sono', as the Countess remembers past happiness. Figaro was a success in Vienna, and even more so in Prague, where Mozart reported 'nothing but Figaro!' was heard. It has remained one of the composer's best-loved works ever since.

Cast and Creatives

Cast
Conductor

Ivor Bolton

Figaro

Erwin Schrott

Susanna

Sophie Bevan

Count Almaviva

Stéphane Degout

Countess Almaviva

Ellie Dehn

Cherubino

Kate Lindsey

Bartolo

Carlo Lepore

Don Basilio

Krystian Adam

Marcellina

Louise Winter

Don Curzio

Alasdair Elliott

Antonio

Jeremy White

Barbarina

Robyn Allegra Parton

Chorus

Royal Opera Chorus

Concert Master

Peter Manning

Orchestra

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Creatives
Music

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto

Lorenzo da Ponte

Director

David McVicar

Designer

Tanya McCallin

Lighting designer

Paule Constable

Movement director

Leah Hausman

Revival director

Thomas Guthrie

Revival movement director

Angelo Smimmo

Antonio Pappano in rehearsal for Live from Covent Garden, 13 June 2020 ©2020 ROH. Photograph by Lara Cappelli

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