Le nozze di Figaro is one of Mozart’s best-loved and most enduring works. The first of the three operas he wrote with Lorenzo da Ponte and based on Beaumarchais’s play, it established the thirty-year-old Mozart as an opera composer of the very first rank. Its combination of wit, acute psychological observation and sublime music has enthralled audiences ever since its premiere in Prague in 1786.
This guide contains articles about the historical background to the opera, as well as musical and dramatic commentaries. Further articles deal with the changes in musical performance brought about in recent times by the period practice movement and with the particular uses Mozart makes of recitatives. There is also a survey of the opera’s most important productions. Illustrations, a thematic guide, the full libretto with English translation and reference sections are also included.
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‘Neat little volumes they are, handy for carrying around, clearly printed and well set-out, complete with libretto and translation, discography and a generous selection of illustrations.’
Gramophone
'Brilliantly produced and superb value.'
The Sunday Times
'The jolliest of bargains.'
The Musical Times
'Marvellous... the best books of their kind.'
Hugh Canning
‘The first thing noticeable about these initial items in the revamped
Opera Guides series... is how much more solid and attractive these volumes are compared with the old ones. Production values are up, with more appealing design, clearer print and much better paper, making these books altogether more shelf-worthy.’
BBC Music Magazine
'This is the 'best-buy' guide to Mozart's
The Marriage of Figaro.'
BBC Music Magazine
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