Posted By BillHeise on October 19, 2009

These are some female arias from my favorite opera, The Marriage of Figaro.

In 1785, four years before the French Revolution began, Mozart sat down with Lorenzo Da Ponte and they plotted to set the infamous play by Beaumarchais, La Marriage de Figaro, down in operatic form. This was no small feat, as Emperor Joseph II had banned the production of the play on the stage in light of its treatment of the motif of the “clever servant” (Figaro), who is plotting against their corrupt master, the Count of Almaviva. Beaumarchais did not disguise his contempt for the Count in his work, and this is what led to scandal and condemnation.

Nevertheless, the play continued to be performed to private audiences; and, as such please do, became a sensation are being suppressed. (Yeah, I’m an 18th-century rebel, Dotty).

The opera was written in two months (two months!) without the promise of a performance but only with the zeal of Mozart and De Ponte to put their passion for the play into music. Like many other works of Mozart (Die Zauberflöte in particular), the meaning is concealed because of the pressures put on artists by the political culture.

But this is not why I love the opera so much. I love it because it was here that I learned some very important lessons about my taste in music.

• The first of these is that I’m not particularly interested in lyrics, particularly lyrics that are so watered down that it’s difficult to see the heart of the artist at work.
• Second lessons was that I love the female voice. And this is why I have included only my favorite four female arias. There’s nothing wrong with the male leads. I just don’t care for them nearly as much as I do for the female voice.

The first is Non so più cosa son. The the part is for a young boy, but it is sung by a woman.

The second is entitled Voi che sapete:

One of my favorite pieces of music anywhere comes when the Contessa begins to realize that her husband is not faithful to her. She begins to sing Dove e sono, as she attempt to work out how things have gotten to this sorry state. She was young once. Now she’s older and had little to show for the ideals of her youth.

The last clip is my favorite this week. In it, Susanna, knowing that Figaro is hiding in the bushes nearby, sings of the man she loves (It’s Figaro, stupid!). The aria is entitled Deh vieni, non tardar:

Categories: What I'm Listening to This Week
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