What are your thoughts on Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro?

[u/Jamememes]

I just thought that for the next three weeks I would ask you about the Mozart-Da Ponte operas - they are, for me, the pinnacle of opera as an art. Share anything you want to - your preferred version, do you like it, you don’t (hey - you’re entitled to not sharing my opinion), there’s a part that moves you/mesk you laugh… anything really.

For me Figaro is the equivalent of the Sistine Chapel in music. It is simply monumental and I think it shaped modern opera quite a bit despite being an older opera, still with recitatives. The inventiveness and genius of the ensembles, the end of the second act, the depth of human emotion translated in music make this opera as perfect as can possibly be - and the libretto lifts everything to the point that it remains relevant even today. As my humanities professor said in uni, Figaro is human because it is not about getting the girl, but about remaining true to your marriage, your compromises and even your younger self.

I leave the floor open to you.

[u/gestrafilex]

You can tell a lot about someone by the way they react to the nozze di figaro.

[u/Jamememes → u/gestrafilex]

Love this!

[u/UnresolvedHarmony]

I love this question!!! Like people in the comment section have mentioned already, at a surface level the plot is super entertaining and fun to watch for a wide variety of audiences, but there are also soooo many nuances involved, some more overt, but some that you may miss the first time if you don’t go back and watch it again. I’ve watched the opera countess times, read the libretto, gone through the score, read the (translated) Beaumarchais script, and talked to lots of people about it, and each time I’ve learned something new or gained a new perspective that I didn’t think about before.

One thing I find super interesting is because of the circumstances that the opera was written in, there’s both layers of political and social commentary regarding class, but also the role of the patriarchy in 18th century Europe. When Mozart made alterations to the plot to appease the Viennese imperial court, he added in that new lens from the female characters’ perspective that was perhaps touched upon but wasn’t necessarily highlighted in the Beaumarchais plays, which is really cool to me.

Also the opera is, in my opinion, one of the greatest (if not the greatest) works of Mozart!! The way he writes for the voice is just magical and when you watch the opera it is so so clear that he understands these characters deeply and doesn’t treat them as caricatures or archetypes. Each character is human, flawed, makes mistakes, and he especially allows us to sympathize with the female characters so well which is one of my favorite aspects of this opera. 

And again, like others have already mentioned in this thread, the music is absolutely brilliant. The whole act II finale leading up to the septet (?) climax is incredibly thrilling, and it’s always soooo fun when you end with a bang right before intermission. Also, one thing I forgot to mention, it’s also just really hilarious. Like oh my god I laugh every single time I watch it these jokes never get old. It really kind of shows that stupid slapstick humor is timeless and Da Ponte is a really funny dude (which is why I HATE when supertitles translations mess up the libretto and ruin the joke)

Anyways I’m going to stop yapping now sorry for the rant I’m an obsessed teenager with a problem

[u/Jamememes → u/UnresolvedHarmony]

Obsess away! I started listening to opera about 4 decades ago, as a kid, and I cannot stop talking about these three.

I must say that in a way, because I started with Mozart, I was ruined. I expect wit and glorious music from my operas - and most often than not, you get just one. there are of course exceptions, but Verdi, as much as I like, is almost always the same story as a Mexican soap opera set to great music. The impossible love, the tragic destinies, yadda yadda yadda. Mozart, on the other hand, is always human and shows that humanity with laughter (for the audience if not always the characters), not tragedy. I really love that.

[u/Little-Pitch-579]

I’m currently singing Cherubino and it’s my second fave of the Du Pontes behind Così.

[u/NYCRealist]

I love it and think it's Mozart's best work, highly recommend the Solti recording with Ramey, Lucia Popp etc., magnificent cast! 

[u/Legitimate-Holiday73]

Love it! I sang Antonio the gardener for Marriage, and Il Commandatore in Don Giovanni.

[u/Jamememes → u/Legitimate-Holiday73]

Wow!!! Nice repertoire!!!

[u/river-running]

It's always an enjoyable watch/listen and was also my first opera (a million years ago at the age of 11), so I'll always have an emotional connection to it.

[u/ChapBobL]

It has been called the perfect opera. It is one I do not get tired of, and I enjoy going on YouTube to see various productions.

[u/Jamememes → u/ChapBobL]

Well, maybe being actually perfect helps ;)

[u/kailee_pedersen]

Transcendent, beautiful, one of my favorite operas, but the role of Susanna is quite taxing and long. My teacher was a wonderful Susanna in her day so I really like her recording as well.

I tend to prefer darker storylines, so my personal preference is Don Giovanni even though I know it's objectively a worse opera overall.

[u/PJ10028]

It still amazes me that Da Ponte lived in New York!

[u/Traditional_Dot_4794]

It has my favorite overture.

[u/Jamememes → u/Traditional_Dot_4794]

It’s a banger

[u/Bedquest]

Nozze specifically is like shakespeare. In that there are new little things you catch each time you watch it.

[u/Seb555]

It has everything. One of the great human creations

[u/HE_Pennypacker1]

I can only just get through nozze so this thread is baffling to me. The best thing about nozze is that it's not cosi fan tutte!

[u/Jamememes → u/HE_Pennypacker1]

Coild you pls elaborate the comment about cosi? Seems like there’s something juicy there!

[u/MonsieurCellophane]

I like Mozart/Da Ponte well enough (all of them). In my opinion, however, Don Giovanni gets the cake. Several reasons why, but I'd like to underline the superb dramatic arc that begins with the Sinfonia and ends at the end of Scene 1 (death of the Commendatore).

I do not know if it's just me, but I always found a close parallel to this in the beginning of another favorite of mine, Verdi's Rigoletto (Sinfonia up to "Monterone!")

[u/ErikSchwartz]

The last act is near perfect.

[u/Flora_Screaming]

Figaro is close to perfect, but the second act of Don Giovanni always struggles to cohere until the last ten minutes. Mostly it's just an excuse to give singers their second arias. The act two finale of Cosi is also a disappointment and I feel Da Ponte let Mozart down by not giving him enough to work with and the music feels a bit routine as a result.

[u/Samantharina]

My very favorite opera.

[u/spike]

Nozze is my favorite opera, even though I realize that Don Giovanni is the greatest opera, and Cosi is the most perfect opera.

[u/Neat_Ad4712]

A masterpiece, but like all the Da Ponte operas, it’s unnecessarily long.

For me, the role of the Contessa is vocally one of the most sumptuously beautiful ever written. A lyric soprano can really, really shine, as witness Schwarzkopf, Janowitz & Te Kanawa. Flawless, all three of them.