Le Nozze di Figaro: Director's Notes

March 15, 2025

A note from the director

Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro has been a staple in the operatic canon since its premiere in 1786. The piece is inspired by La Folle Journée, a play by French writer Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais which premiered just two years before the creation of Mozart’s opera. La Folle Journée was written amongst the political turmoil which preceded the French revolution. Its satirisation of the upper class was extremely critical of aristocratic and political corruption. Despite the play’s success amongst middle class audiences, it was banned by the aristocracy in both Vienna and Paris. Mozart and his librettist, Da Ponte, received special permission to write their opera, with the condition that it would be less disparaging of the upper class than Beaumarchais’s play. Despite this attempt at censorship, Le Nozze di Figaro remains critical of class and power imbalances.

Our production is set in 1938 during the Spanish Civil War and the rise of Spain’s fascist dictator, Francisco Franco. With Franco’s rise to power came the resurgence of conservative gender roles and a threat to women’s rights and individual autonomy. It was a period when the divide between economic classes grew wider and the elite became more powerful. We see this contrast throughout Le Nozze di Figaro while over the course of the opera, the established order begins to break down. As these hierarchical power structures fall to pieces, those who were originally of lower status gain power over their individual stories and their environment.

The Count, who begins the opera with the highest status, appears in vibrant red, while the servants wear grey and white. As the Count’s plot unravels and the scales of power begin to balance, he loses his saturated hue and begins to resemble the rest of the servant class. We begin to see that status is an illusion and power is fickle.

Throughout the course of the opera, the chorus plays the important role of the observer. Although they may say very little, they manage to create enough social pressure to change the course of the events of the opera. Their presence makes a difference and serves as a reminder that we, the people, have a responsibility to hold those in positions of power accountable for their actions. Although Le Nozze di Figaro is full of laughs and lighthearted fun, its social and political commentary remains relevant to audiences today.

Mabel Wonnacott