The Marriage of Figaro

Opera buffa in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart · Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte based on the comedy
In Italian with German subtitles

"Every number in Mozart's 'Figaro' is a miracle to me; it's absolutely inconceivable how someone could create something so perfect." Brahms' glowing description of Mozart's brilliantly crafted musical figuration possibly echoed what Emperor Joseph II of Austria thought at hearing Mozart's brand-new opera for the first time in 1786. Although the Emperor had banned the performance of Beaumarchais’ original play because of its biting criticism of the political status quo, he was swayed by Mozart/Da Ponte's adaptation. The composer and librettist were not so much interested in the play's political innuendos on the eve of the French Revolution, but rather in its human aspect − love that blossoms in its freedom and longs for confirmation in its human dignity.

Figaro and Susanna, servants to Count Almaviva, want to get married. But Count Almaviva is bored by his wife Rosina and is now showing a romantic interest in Susanne. Frustrated by her rejections, he wishes to exercise his recently renounced right to spend the "first night" with Susanne. Whether Susanne can marry Figaro with a joyful heart is decided in a fast-paced game of intrigue involving night-time masquerades, feigned tête-à-têtes and a secret letter to the unhappy Countess...

The new production of this delightful opera buffa is the first in a series by General Music Director Kirill Karabits which highlights Weimar's Mozart tradition based on three Da Ponte operas: "Le nozze di Figaro", "Don Giovanni" and "Così fan tutte". This production is the second directed by Michael Talke at the DNT since his debut of Massenet's "Werther".