In 1781, the enlightened Emperor Joseph II abolished serfdom, ensuring society’s least privileged – servants like Figaro and Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro – of certain civil freedoms, including marriage. In their opera, Mozart and his librettist Da Ponte reflect on the remnants of the old guard and look towards a future of greater equality. The Count and Countess might learn a few lessons in love and life from their cunning personnel. Royal College of Music’s new production, directed with wit and charm by Jeremy Sams, is set in a crumbling 1980s French chateau. Above all, Slippedisc courtesy of OperaVision, offers our readers the opportunity to see the new guard of excellent singers and musicians, anticipating a happy future for opera right now.
The Plot: take a philandering and arrogant Count who is no match for his wily servant Figaro and his soon-to-be-wife Susanna, as manipulative as she is charming. Add in one beautiful, disillusioned Countess and one irrepressible, testosterone-laden teenage boy Cherubino. Mix with the genius of Mozart and you have one of the most perfect operas ever written.
Streamed Friday 29th August 2025 at 1900 CET / 1800 London / 1300 New York
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