Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” Overture: A Wild and Exhilarating Ride

Mozart’s 1786 comic opera in four acts, The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492, is filled with trickery, deception, overheard conversations, cunning disguises, and crazy schemes. Unfolding over the course of a single “day of madness,” it tells the story of two servants, Figaro and Susanna, who succeed in getting married despite the efforts of their lecherous employer, Count Almaviva.

The play by Pierre Beaumarchais, on which the opera was based, faced censorship because of its shameless portrayal of the intermingling of peasant classes with a buffoonish aristocracy. Napoleon called it “the revolution already in action.” Three years after the opera’s Vienna premiere, the real French Revolution broke out.

Mozart completed the Overture to The Marriage of Figaro two days before opening night. While the Overture does not contain any music from the opera itself, it does set the stage perfectly, sweeping us along on a wild ride which is as exhilarating as it is brief. It begins as a breathless whisper in the strings and bassoon, and soon explodes in a sudden, festive rush of pent-up energy. Sparkling musical conversations unfold among a cast of zany instrumental characters, each with their distinct persona. There is all of the excitement and scurrying activity of a crazy wedding day which, in the end, takes a joyful turn.

This live concert recording features John Eliot Gardiner and the English Baroque Soloists:

Recordings

  • Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492 – Overture, John Eliot Gardiner, English Baroque Soloists Amazon

Featured Image: a poster advertising “The Marriage of Figaro,” 1786

About Timothy Judd

A native of Upstate New York, Timothy Judd has been a member of the Richmond Symphony violin section since 2001. He is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where he earned the degrees Bachelor of Music and Master of Music, studying with world renowned Ukrainian-American violinist Oleh Krysa.

The son of public school music educators, Timothy Judd began violin lessons at the age of four through Eastman’s Community Education Division. He was a student of Anastasia Jempelis, one of the earliest champions of the Suzuki method in the United States.

A passionate teacher, Mr. Judd has maintained a private violin studio in the Richmond area since 2002 and has been active coaching chamber music and numerous youth orchestra sectionals.

In his free time, Timothy Judd enjoys working out with Richmond’s popular SEAL Team Physical Training program.

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