EVENINGS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC - BAHRAIN - |
PROGRAMME FOR 20 MARCH 2002 |
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO Opera by WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-91) |
Opera in four acts Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte Premiere: 1 May 1786, Vienna |
CAST Figaro Susanna Count Almaviva Countess Almaviva Cherubino Bartolo Don Basilio Marcellina Antonio Don Curzio Barbarina Bridesmaid |
- Gerald Finley - Alison Hagley - Andreas Schmidt - Renée Fleming - Marie-Ange Todorovitch - Manfred Röhrl - Robert Tear - Wendy Hillhouse - Donald Adams - John Graham-Hall - Susan Gritton - Liza Pulman |
The London Philharmonic conducted by BERNARD HAITINK |
SYNOPSIS The scene is set on Count Almaviva's estate outside Seville ACT 1 - A half-furnished room in Count Almaviva's palace Figaro (who, as the 'Barber of Seville', has helped Count Almaviva to win his bride Rosina from her guardian Dr. Bartolo) is now working in the Count's household, and is to be married this very day to Susanna, the Countess's maid. Susanna fears that the Count, whose room is next door, may have plans to resurrect the 'droit de seigneur' (whereby the Lord of the Manor claimed for himself the bride of any of his servants on their wedding night). Figaro is furiously jealous and resolves to make the Count 'dance to his tune'. Dr. Bartolo and his housekeeper, Marcellina, enter; Figaro has borrowed money from Marcellina, and in return has had to sign a marriage contract with her. Bartolo promises to help her win the case - and prevent Figaro's marriage to Susanna. The page, Cherubino explains to Susanna that he has been caught 'in flagrante' with Barbarina, the gardener's daughter, and ordered off the estate. He protests that he is in love with every woman he sees - but chiefly the Countess. As the Count enters, Cherubino hides. The Count makes advances to Susanna, but he is interrupted by the arrival of Don Basilio, a scandal-mongering music teacher, and also hides. Basilio tells Susanna of Cherubino's passion for the Countess, whereupon the Count emerges from hiding, only to discover the concealed page. Figaro arrives with a group of peasants, who ask the Count to place a wedding veil on Susanna's head. He evasively postpones the ceremony. Meanwhile, he rids himself of Cherubino by giving him a commission as a soldier. . ACT 2 - The Countess's boudoir The Countess mourns the loss of her husband's affection. Susanna and Figaro enter with a plan to outwit the Count: Susanna is to make an assignation with him, but her place will be taken by Cherubino, dressed as a girl. Cherubino enters and sings the Countess a love song he has just written. They lock the door and begin to dress him up. There is a knock at the door, and Cherubino is hastily concealed in the dressing-room while Susanna hides. The Count, suspicious at finding the door locked, is not convinced by his wife's flustered protestations that it is Susanna who is in the dressing-room. As he goes off to fetch tools to break down the door, taking the Countess with him, Cherubino escapes through the window and Susanna takes his place. The Count and Countess return, and Susanna emerges innocently from the dressing-room. Figaro announces that all is ready for the wedding. He is interrupted by Antonio, the gardener, who protests that someone has jumped out of the window onto his flowerbeds. Figaro, hastily improvising, claims responsibility, but is at a loss to identify the piece of paper Antonio has picked up, until the Countess prompts him - it is Cherubino's commission, which the page gave to Figaro to get it sealed. Adding to the confusion, Bartolo, Marcellina and Basilio rush in, demanding a settlement of Marcellina's marriage contract with Figaro. . ACT 3 - A hall in the palace Susanna promises to meet the Count in the garden that evening. The Count's delight turns to rage when he overhears her telling Figaro that she has 'won his lawsuit' for him. The Countess, alone, ponders the new plan - she will dress up as Susanna and keep the assignation in her place. She looks back to lost happiness, and forward to the possibility of a brighter future. Bartolo and Marcellina enlist the aid of a lawyer, Don Curzio, to argue Marcellina's case against Figaro. The Count rules that Figaro must either marry her or repay his debt. In the nick of time, it transpires that Figaro is in fact the long-lost son of Marcellina and Bartolo. Susanna enters, but at first misconstrues the happy reunion. At the Countess's dictation, Susanna writes a letter of assignation to the Count, sealing it with a pin (and asking him to return the pin as a sign of agreement). The village girls bring flowers - Cherubino is discovered in disguise among them, but is let off the hook by Barbarina, who naively reminds the Count of a former liaison and asks to be allowed to marry Cherubino. ACT 4 - The garden at night Barbarina is searching for the pin from Susanna's letter. She innocently explains to Figaro why she must find it and return it to Susanna. She hides, to await her own assignation with Cherubino. Marcellina expresses her belief that all women should unite to deal with the quarrelsome race of men. Figaro tells Basilio and Bartolo to hide and wait for a signal. Basilio explains his philosophy of pretending to be a fool and 'wearing an ass's skin'. Figaro rages against the monstrous perfidy of wives and the stupidity of duped husbands. The Countess and Susanna exchange cloaks. Knowing that Figaro is eavesdropping, Susanna infuriates him by pretending to be longing for the Count's embraces. Cherubino disrupts the plan by throwing himself on the disguised Countess, thinking she is Susanna. The Count interrupts them and himself woos the supposed Susanna, until he is driven off by Figaro. The real Susanna, disguised as the Countess, jokingly propositions Figaro, who is appalled until he recognises Susanna's voice and joins the pretence. The Count, enraged at the sight of Figaro apparently in a passionate embrace with the Countess, raises the alarm and denounces the guilty pair. But the real Countess appears and graciously pardons her husband's misdeeds, breaking the spell of intrigue and deceit. |
Recorded live at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, May 1994 Sung in Italian, with English sub-titles Director: Stephen Medcalf |
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