Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro

Author

Wofgang Amadeus Mozart (1751-1791, Austrian)
 (see previous post)

About the Piece

(much of thedescription comes from elements that were brought out by Forney and Machlis, The Enjoyment of Music, and the accompanying DVD)

  • Genre is Opera buffa
  • Starts with an aria by Chereubino about love, specifically love from the perspective of a young (~13 years old) boy.
  • Aria takes form ABAC
  • long dialogue section (recitative) next leads into a trio
  • the trio is still dialogue of sorts, but much more dramatic
  • several counterpunctual phrases simulate interruption in converstion
  • as is characteristic of the Classical era, this piece maintains virtuosity without long single-word melismas

Purpose

  • entertainment
  • meant to be comic

Reflections

Once again the language barrier is an issue, though not as much in the singing sections. I find myself reading the "dialogue" (or recitative) section and hearing it in my head differently that it is being sung. But once the trio section starts, the phrases get shorter, and it gets easier to guess what words are being emphasized. Language aside, however, I like Classical opera better than Baroque because it is so much broader.