NAME: FIDEL F.

NAMISI
NUMBER: 0409466M
FILM VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
ASSIGNMENT NUMBER 4
TUTORIAL GROUP: 5
TUTOR: DONATO SOMMA

ESSAY TOPIC: LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
Discss M!"#$% #&' D# P!&%()s The Marriage of Figaro *i%+ $(,($(&c( %!:
E&-i.+%(&/(&% %+!.+%
S(0#- 1!-i%ics
Dis.is(2M#s3($#'(
T+( c!&4(&%i!&s !, c!/ic !1($# 5opera buffa)
Date Due: Friday 22
nd
of October
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In contemporary culture, the mere mention of the word opera engenders two typical
associations in most minds: that of the ydney opera house, and that of !Figaro"# $s%
any typical man on the street for an e&ample of opera and you will get a multicolored
rendition of what has become the most famous aria of all time' ()argo al factotum* in
+ossini"s The Barber of Seville# $s% him to hum a typical opera tune and you will most
li%ely get a barely recogni,able -ersion of the o-erture of .o,art"s The Marriage of
Figaro. It is interesting to note that this character, Figaro, has become the most enduring
representation of what the opera is# Is it because of the musical masters who
transformed him from /ust another protagonist in a play to a lo-able and memorable
opera character0 Or is it because the -alues that Figaro represents are those closest to
the human heart0 1he answer is not easily arri-ed at# 2hat we can be sure of though, is
that The Marriage of Figaro and The Barber of Seville ha-e become the two most
famous operas of all time# 2hether it is due to the talented musicians who composed
their scores, or the historical period within which they were concei-ed, or the sheer
charisma of the protagonist they share, is the business of this essay to in-estigate#
3oncentrating on .o,art"s and Da 4onte"s The Marriage of Figaro, we will loo% at the
ingredients that went into the ma%ing of this hallmar% of the opera, paying special
attention to enlightenment thought, se&ual politics, disguise and mas5uerade and the
con-entions of comic opera#
3omic opera, or opera buffa had reached the pea% of its popularity at the time when
.o,art

composed The Marriage of Figaro. It is therefore not surprising that .o,art felt
particularly attracted to use it in The Marriage of Figaro, more so due to the fact that up
to that time most of the opera pieces aimed at the aristocracy adopted seria con-entions,
and buffa was considered to be for the general populace# In %eeping with his free
spirited nature, .o,art not only used the con-entions of buffa for a piece primarily
aimed at the aristocracy, but he also de-eloped and redefined the -ery con-entions that
he used#
1he typical themes of opera buffa were the themes of the e-eryday life of the lower
classes# 6owe-er, .o,art chose to address highly political themes in The Marriage of
Figaro, something that had ne-er before been done in opera buffa. 6e contrasts the
aristocratic ideals with the realities of their immoral and fri-olous li-es# 6e creates a
hero and heroine out of lower class ser-ants, and colours them as being more intelligent

7&cept when referring to the musical score, any reference made to .o,art with respect to the
composition of The Marriage of Figaro also includes Da 4onte, the librettist#
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and witty than their masters# It is this intelligence that helps them thwart the in/ustice
that the aristocracy imposes on them in the form of the droit du seigneur, which ga-e
feudal lords se&ual access to their maidser-ants on their 8the maidser-ants"9 wedding
night 8+orich, 2::;9#
.o,art and Da 4onte wrap these political themes in a plot that is typical of the opera
buffa genre# The Marriage of Figaro ta%es place in a single day# In fact, the alternate
title of the opera is The Crazy Day. In that one cra,y day, many e&traordinary and
humorous e-ents occur that are cle-erly wo-en together by intrigue, mista%en identity
and the submission of the not<so<e-il -illain# 1his submission creates the happy ending
that is typical of opera buffa, which is in star% contrast to the tragic endings of its
counterpart, opera seria. In fact, a rule of thumb that is used to distinguish the two is
contained in the endings: opera buffa ends with the marriage of the main characters
whereas opera seria ends with the death of the main characters# .o,art, howe-er,
stretches the con-ention a little# The Marriage of Figaro, despite the title, does not end
with any wedding# It merely hints at the wedding that will ta%e place with the song (o
let us all be happy* at the end of the play when all the contro-ersies ha-e been resol-ed#
$ con-ention of opera buffa that .o,art ma%es a decided brea% with is the length of the
operatic piece# The Marriage of Figaro ta%es a whopping four hours to perform, a feat
that Da 4onte apologises for in the preface to one of his published librettos# 6e howe-er
/ustifies this length on the grounds of the -ast thematic content of the piece, a content
that is largely incidental in nature but ne-ertheless apposite to the opera# 6e then
proceeds to tease the audience that in fact the musical pieces are so well constructed and
sublime that the length will not be noticed# $s time has shown, this claim was
absolutely true#
.o,art colours his opera buffa masterpiece with the con-entional number construction,
although, of course, his numbers are themsel-es masterpieces that pay fitting tribute to
the musical genius who composed them# Opera buffa is constructed of arias, duets,
trios, ensembles and choruses that are separated by recitati-es# 1he recitati-e carry
forward the story, and the numbers mar% seminal moments in the plot# .o,art
composed the numbers in The Marriage of Figaro so masterfully that, if they are
performed well, they are usually followed by applause# In fact, two of the numbers from
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The Marriage of Figaro are so tuneful that they are regularly performed outside the
opera to which they belong: (Do-e sono* and (>oi che sapete*#
$nother con-ention of opera buffa that .o,art uses in The Marriage of Figaro is that of
the character who essence is to pro-ide a catalyst for comedy# 1his character is none
other than 3herubino, the lo-able thirteen<year<old boy who has /ust disco-ered the
opposite se&# .o,art, howe-er, does not let this character e&ist only for the sa%e of
comedy, and uses him to reinforce the enlightenment ideals of lo-e that are e-ident in
the play# In this way 3herubino does not become /ust one more buffoon but a
memorable and highly rele-ant character in the opera 8+orich, 2::;9#
1he whole atmosphere of buffa is %ept up and enhanced by the cle-er use of disguise
and mas5uerade# .ost of the humorous incidents in the story occur precisely when
someone disco-ers that someone else is not who they thought they were# For instance,
when 3herubino escapes from the 3ountess" dressing room in the second act and is
replaced by usanna, her nonchalant pretence of ha-ing being actually in the dressing
room all the time coupled with the 3ounts confusion causes a lot of laughter# In
addition, it is also -ery funny to see the 3ount ma%ing amorous o-ertures to his wife in
the fourth act thin%ing that she is actually usanna#
1he use of disguise and mas5uerade also ad-ances the narrati-e greatly# In act two,
Figaro hatches a plot that is based on the use of disguises to show up the 3ount for his
philandering ways# 1he machinations of this plot are what enable a rather comic
occurrence to ta%e place in the form of the scene around the dressing room# In fact, the
whole of act two is based on that primal plot since it basically re-ol-es around the
conception of the plot, its machinations and its failure# In act three, usanna and the
3ountess hatch yet another plot that will show up the 3ount for the unfaithful scoundrel
that he is# 1his plot that is based on the earlier one, also re-ol-es around the use of
disguise and mas5uerade and dri-es most of the fourth act# In fact, it can be said that
disguise and mas5uerade is the means thorough which usanna and Figaro show their
cle-erness and also the means through which reconciliation is achie-ed at the end of the
play
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1hese con-entions of opera buffa are used to dri-e home the most powerful themes in
the play

, which all ha-e to do with the enlightenment ideals that were steadily gaining
popularity in eighteenth century 7urope and to which .o,art subscribed# In fact,
.o,art himself was a freemason, and freemasonry was the -ery social embodiment of
the ideals of the enlightenment# 1o gain a better understanding of how The Marriage of
Figaro is a -ehicle for the dissemination of the ideals of the enlightenment, we must
first gain a better understanding of what the enlightenment was#
1he enlightenment was the name gi-en to a largely philosophical mo-ement that was
posited in its recogni,able form by French philosophers of the 1?
th
century such as
>oltaire and +ousseau# It was named the enlightenment to /u&tapose it with the so<
called !dar%" ages, that is, the preceding four centuries that were mar%ed by the power of
the aristocracy and the 3hurch# 1he two pillars on which this mo-ement based itself
were humanism and rationalism# 6umanism is the school of thought that centres itself
on the power of the human being# 1he human being becomes the most important
creature in the uni-erse 8the so called uber man9 and has all the intellectual and
emotional resources to transcend the problems that face him as an indi-idual and the
society# +ationalism is the school of thought positing that all beha-iour and opinion
should be based on reason and not on feelings or religious belief#
It is therefore not surprising that empiricism, deism and anticlericalism became the
-isible manifestations of the enlightenment, which was mainly championed by the
freemasons# It is for this reason that all freemason insignia contain some reference to
light, since they are the illuinati, the men who see with the unfailing light of reason#
1hus we see that .o,art belie-ed in human beings being able to o-ercome all the
problems that separated them from each other -ia the simple use of reason# 6e belie-ed
in reconciliation, and to put it more generally, we can say that .o,art was a firm
belie-er in !liberty, e5uality, and fraternity", the motto of the French re-olution and of
its seed, the enlightenment#
The Marriage of Figaro has precisely this motto as its main theme# $nd this theme ta%es
the form of reconciliation at the end of the opera# 1his is what ma%es the piece so

In reference to The Marriage of Figaro, the words play and opera are used interchangeably chiefly
because the librettist, Da 4onte, made a point of ne-er referring to his piece as an opera, but would
instead use the word !play"#
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mo-ing, especially at its close, because the audience is left with the feeling that the
world can and indeed would be a better place if we human beings decided to reason out
the solutions to our problems#
2e can of course argue that reconciliation is found in almost all dramatic pieces, since
they almost always in-ol-e the resolution of tensions that ha-e been established in the
plot# 1he answer to this ob/ection is in the consideration of the degree of reconciliation#
1hough reconciliation is found in almost all dramatic pieces, The Marriage of Figaro
ta%es this perennial theme to a new all<encompassing dimension# It is analy,ed with
great finesse and shown in so many instances that it lodges itself in the memory of the
audience as the central theme of what they ha-e seen 8+obinson: 1;9# Figaro is
reconciled with .arcellina and Don Aasilio when he disco-ers that he is their son# 6e is
also reconciled with usanna when he reali,es that she has indeed not gi-en in to the
3ount"s ad-ances# 1he 3ount is reconciled with the 3ountess when he gi-es up his
philandering ways at the end of the play# 6e is also reconciled with Figaro and usanna#
1hese and many other instances of reconciliation are what ma%e it the o-erarching
theme of the opera#
1his reconciliation is achie-ed -ia that other great hallmar% of the enlightenment B
reason# 1hrough the intelligence of Figaro and usanna chiefly, and to a lesser e&tent,
that of the 3ountess, all the tensions that are established in the play are resol-ed
peaceably at the end# 1he musical score is also an ode to reason# It has been said by
many critics and musical analysts that in terms of sheer rational structure and harmony,
the compositions of .o,art are thus far unparalleled# 1his rational application of his
musical genius is e&hibited almost to an e&tra-agant degree in the score of The
Marriage of Figaro# 1he finale of the second act is perhaps the finest e&ample of the
marriage of these two conceptions of reason in The Marriage of Figaro 8+obinson: 1@9#
Other ideals of the enlightenment that find their way into The Marriage of Figaro are
the re-olution of thought against the noble classes and the relocation of power to the
masses# The Marriage of Figaro e&pressed -iews that dissented from those held by the
nobility at the time# 1he central one was a criti5ue against the droit du seigneur, which
.o,art set out to disparage in his opera# 1his droit du seigneur went all out against the
ideals of liberty, fraternity and e5uality, and therefore no enlightenment thin%er could
remain uncritical towards it# $lso the mere fact that the heroes of the story are lower
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class and the -illain is aristocrat help dri-e home enlightenment ideals# In fact, it can be
said that the hero of the story, Figaro, is the embodiment of the ideals of the
enlightenment# 6e is the one who uses intelligence to sol-e his problems by reali,ing
that the changing world will support him in his 5uest to rob the count of his despicable
pri-ilege#
2hereas Figaro is the embodiment of the enlightenment rationalism, usanna is the
embodiment of enlightenment humanism# 1hrough her common sense, she always
manages to remain firmly in control of the situation and she uses humor as a means to
get her point across effecti-ely# For instance, in the opening scene where Figaro is
measuring the space for their bed, she wittily informs him of the improper ad-ances the
3ount has been ma%ing towards her# In fact, (it is her humanity, founded on common
sense, that guides the thread of the narrati-e through all its comic machinations*
8+orich, 2::;9#
The Marriage of Figaro can also be said to be the application of enlightenment ideals to
se&ual politics# Ay se&ual politics it is meant the relationships of power in se&ual
matters or between the se&es, and from our brief e&planation of the ideals of the
enlightenment one can easily see that for the enlightened society, the legitimacy of the
marriage contract largely depended upon freedom and lo-e#
.o,art brings this message out in The Marriage of Figaro -ia a number of means# First
and foremost, when the opera begins, Figaro is to be married to two people: to
.arcellina out of ci-ic duty and to usanna out of a duty of lo-e# 7nlightenment ideals
would ne-er permit the former marriage, and it con-eniently fails to ta%e place by
means of the disco-ery that .arcellina is actually Figaro"s own mother# 1hus the path is
cleared for Figaro to marry the woman whom he lo-es#
1he other marriage that is detailed in The Marriage of Figaro is that of the 3ount and
3ountess $lma-i-a# 1his marriage is on the roc%s because the 3ount does not lo-e the
3ountess enough to remain faithful to her# 6is philandering has reduced the 3ountess to
an emotional wrec%, prompting her to sing her emotional aria, (7ither gi-e me bac% my
lo-ed one, or in mercy let me die#* 1his is a criti5ue of the marriages of the aristocrats,
which are not founded on lo-e and end up being a source of pain to both parties#
$lthough the 3ount and 3ountess are reconciled at the end of the play, .o,art lea-es us
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with a feeling that this reconciliation was too perfunctorily achie-ed and that it is only a
matter of time before things go bac% to the way they used to be# Figaro"s and usanna"s
marriage on the other hand, seems to be well on its way to eternal bliss since it is based
on the unsha%eable foundations of lo-e and mutual respect#
In a lesser degree, The Marriage of Figaro shows the influence of the enlightenment
thought on se&ual politics through the character of 3herubino# ince the enlightenment
celebrated all things human, including pubescence, mar%ed by its heightened interest in
sensual lo-e, 3herubino can be said to be the perfect embodiment of the enlightenment
youth# 2e notice that his sensuality, rather than being disparaged, is actually celebrated,
in %eeping with the humanistic tone of the enlightenment 8+orich, 2::;9#
In conclusion, I thin% that The Marriage of Figaro is a masterpiece of the opera# Da
4onte and .o,art used it as a -ehicle for the dissemination of the seminal ideals of the
time, which happened to be those of the enlightenment# 6owe-er, they did not let their
play degenerate into a clumsy social commentary, but crafted it with immense care to
musical, thematic and dramatic detail# 1he result was an opera that not only reflected
the ideals of the time in which it was set, but reflected a beauty that is truly sublime and
eternal# It for this reason that The Marriage of Figaro is a classic, to be en/oyed,
appreciated and lo-ed by men and women of e-ery age, despite their different
ideologies#
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BIBLIOGRAP7Y
3lass Eotes on The Marriage of Figaro. .ary +orich# October 2::;#
+orich, .# 2::;# .o,art and his 2orld#
+obinson, 4# Opera Ideas#
1utorial Eotes on The Marriage of Figaro. Donato omma# October 2::;#
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