Opera title: | Le Nozze di Figaro |
Composer: | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |
Language: | Italian |
Synopsis: | Le Nozze di Figaro Synopsis |
Libretto: | Le Nozze di Figaro Libretto |
Translation(s): | English |
Type: | aria |
Role(s): | Bartolo |
Voice(s): | Bass |
Act: | 1.08 |
Previous scene: | Ed aspettaste il giorno fissato |
Next scene: | Tutto ancor non ho perso |
W.A. Mozart
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO / Die Hochzeit Der Figaro
Studio Production from the Hamburg State Opera, 1967
Sung in German
Se vuol ballare - La vendetta, oh la vendetta - Via resti servita - Non so più cosa son, cosa faccio
Count Almaviva: Tom Krause
Countess Almaviva: Arlene Saunders
Figaro: Heinz Blankenburg
Susanna: Edith Mathis
Cherubino: Elisabeth Steiner
Marcellina: Maria Von Ilosvay
Don Basilio: Kurt Marschner
Bartolo: Noel Mangin
Antonio: Karl Otto
Barbarina: Natalie Usselmann
Members of the Corps de Ballet of the Hamburg State Opera
Chorus of the Hamburg State Opera
The Philharmonic State Orchestra Hamburg
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, conductor
Joachim Hess, director
The Marriage of Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro) is set in Count Almaviva's castle in Seville in the late 18th Century. It is based on Beaumarchais's 1784 play La Folle Journée, ou Le Mariage de Figaro, a sequel to his earlier play, Le Barbier de Séville (The Barber of Seville), familiar to opera audiences through Rossini's great opera (Mozart's opera premiered in 1786; Rossini's premiered in 1816). In Le Barbier, Count Almaviva, with substantial help from Figaro, wooed and won the lovely Rosine away from her crusty old ward and would-be husband, Dr. Bartholo.
In The Marriage of Figaro, Beaumarchais continued their story. The Count has married Rosine but their marriage has gone sour because of his philandering. Figaro has quit barbering and is now the Count's major-domo. He is engaged to Suzanne, who is Countess Rosine's maid — and the Count's intended conquest. Old Bartholo is back to seek revenge on Figaro for taking Rosine away from him, with the help of the slimy music-master, Don Bazile. Adding to the fun are an amorous teenager, a scheming old maid, a drunken gardener, and a silly young girl. Much happens on a single "folle journée" — a crazy day.
Mozart's librettist, Lorenzo da Ponte, took this popular play, removed "political" content that would have offended the Viennese imperial censors (the French Revolution was only a few years away), and faithfully translated the rest into Italian — the customary opera language of the day. With Mozart's masterpiece of a score, the result was a witty yet profound tale of love, betrayal, and forgiveness.
BARTOLO
La vendetta, oh, la vendetta!
È un piacer serbato ai saggi.
L'obliar l'onte e gli oltraggi
è bassezza, è ognor viltà.
Con l'astuzia...coll'arguzia...
col giudizio...col criterio...
si potrebbe...il fatto è serio...
ma credete si farà.
Se tutto il codice
dovessi volgere,
se tutto l'indice
dovessi leggere,
con un equivoco,
con un sinonimo
qualche garbuglio
si troverà.
Tutta Siviglia
conosce Bartolo:
il birbo Figaro
vostro sarà.
parte
BARTOLO
Revenge, yes, revenge
Is a pleasure meant for the intelligent;
To forget insults and outrages
Is always low and base.
With astuteness and acuteness,
With judgment and discernment,
I can do it ... The case is serious;
But, believe me, I'll bring it off.
If I have to search the whole legal code,
If I have to read through the whole statute book,
With a quibble or a paraphrase
I'll find some obstacle.
All Seville knows Dr. Bartolo:
That rascal Figaro will lose the day!
Exit
Sheetmusic for aria | ![]() |
Sheetmusic for opera | ![]() |
MP3's for this aria | on Amazon.com |
DVD/CD's for this opera | on Amazon.com |