Figaro plays
Other operas based on the Figaro plays "Le Barbier de Séville" (The Barber of Seville), "Le Mariage de Figaro" (The Marriage of Figaro), and "La Mère coupable" (The Guilty Mother) by the 18th century French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais:
Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) - Gioachino Rossini
Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) - Giovanni Paisiello
Le nozze di Figaro (The marriage of Figaro) - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Information about the opera Le nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the best recordings available on CD or DVD, or for download.
Mozart's most popular opera, and possibly the most popular comic opera in the repertory.
Recommended recordings on CD
Varviso/Blankenburg/Freni (Glyndebourne GFOCD 001-62)
An excellent production recorded live at Glyndebourne in 1962.
Glyndebourne Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Silvio Varviso, 1962.
Cast: Heinz Blankenburg (Figaro), Mirella Freni (Susanna), Gabriel Bacquier (Count Almaviva), Leyla Gencer (Countess Almaviva), Edith Mathis (Cherubino).
Glyndebourne GFOCD 001-62
Jacobs/Regazzo/Ciofi (Harmonia Mundi HMC901818/20)
Opera winner of the Gramophone Awards 2004, this is a very informal performance that you'll either love or hate.
Collegium Vocale Gent, Concerto Köln, conducted by René Jacobs.
Cast: Lorenzo Regazzo (Figaro), Patrizia Ciofi (Susanna), Simon Keenlyside (Count Almaviva), Véronique Gens (Countess Almaviva), Angelika Kirchschlager (Cherubino).
Harmonia Mundi HMC901818/20
Gui/Bruscantini/Sciutti (EMI Classics 7243 CZS5 73845-2)
Despite its age this is still a highly recommended recording, and is now available at bargain price.
Glyndebourne Festival Orchestra, Glyndebourne Festival Chorus, conducted by Vittorio Gui, 1955.
Cast: Sesto Bruscantini (Figaro), Graziella Sciutti (Susanna), Franco Calabrese (Count Almaviva), Sena Jurinac (Countess Almaviva), Risë Stevens (Cherubino).
EMI Classics 7243 CZS5 73845-2
Recommended recordings on DVD
Korsten (Arthaus Musik 101 589)
Filmed in 2006 at La Scala.
Milan La Scala Chorus, Milan La Scala Orchestra, conducted by Gérard Korsten, 2006.
Arthaus Musik 101 589
Ticciati/Priante/Teushcer (Opus Arte OA 1102 D)
A production updated to the 1960s, recorded live at Glyndebourne Festival, June 2012.
Glyndebourne Chorus, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, conducted by Robin Ticciati, 2012.
Cast: Vito Priante (Figaro), Lydia Teushcer (Susanna), Audun Iversen (Count Almaviva), Sally Matthews (Countess Almaviva), Isabel Leonard (Cherubino).
Opus Arte OA 1102 D
Pappano/Schrott/Persson (Opus Arte OA 0990 D)
This is a perfect performance in every respect. The sets and lighting work wonderfully on DVD, and David McVicar's production brings out the best of Mozart's music and comic timing. Highly recommended.
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus, Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra, conducted by Antonio Pappano, 2006.
Cast: Erwin Schrott (Figaro), Miah Persson (Susanna), Gerald Finley (Count Almaviva), Dorothea Röschmann (Countess Almaviva), Rinat Shaham (Cherubino).
Opus Arte OA 0990 D
Pritchard/Skram/Cotrubas (Arthaus Musik 101 089)
A wonderful Glyndebourne production from 1973 with a near-perfect cast.
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Glyndebourne Festival Chorus, conducted by John Pritchard, 1973.
Cast: Knut Skram (Figaro), Ileana Cotrubas (Susanna), Benjamin Luxon (Count Almaviva), Dame Kiri Te Kanawa (Countess Almaviva), Frederica von Stade (Cherubino).
Arthaus Musik 101 089
Cambreling/Regazzo/Murphy (Opus Arte OA 0960 D)
A contemporary production which attempts to transfer the story to a wedding-dress shop and a shabby registry office, and fails to be convincing. It was recorded live at the Palais Garnier, Paris, in 2006.
Orchestra and Chorus of the Opéra National de Paris, conducted by Sylvain Cambreling, 2006.
Cast: Lorenzo Regazzo (Figaro), Heidi Grant Murphy (Susanna), Peter Mattei (Count Almaviva), Christiane Oelze (Countess Almaviva), Christine Schäfer (Cherubino).
Opus Arte OA 0960 D