Music #182 - Mozart The Marriage of Figaro

Le nozze di Figaro

- aka "The Marriage of Figaro" opera,
《费加罗的婚礼》, K.492

It is an opera buffa (comic opera) composed in 4 acts by Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on Pierre Beaumarchais's stage comedy La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro.

It contains music of great beauty. The Countess's poignant aria, Porgi amor, is one of Mozart's greatest.

* A short overview

* 3-hour opera (with English subtitles) - part 1  -part 2 

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From the Amadeus (1984 movie):

* The overture starts the movie

* Happy ending in Act 4: the Countess forgives her husband with Mozart conducting, Salieri commenting, and Emperor Joseph II yawning once.

Bonus à la carte:

* Aria: "Non piu andrai, farfallone amoroso", at end of Act 1

* Aria: “Porgi amor” / Grant me love, in Act 2

* Aria: "Voi che sapete che cosa è amor" / "You ladies who know what love is", in Act 2

* Duet: "Sull'aria...che soave zeffiretto" (On the breeze...What a gentle little Zephyr) in Act 3

In the duettino (a short duet), Countess Almaviva (a soprano) dictates to Susanna (also a soprano) the invitation to a tryst addressed to the countess' husband in a plot to expose his infidelity.

* The above beautiful Letter Duettino  broadcasted in the Shawshank Redemption (1994 movie)