Behind the Opera: Le Nozze di Figaro

With Le nozze di Figaro, Mozart composed a tragicomic classic that has been a crowd favourite since its premiere in 1786. Mozart and librettist Da Ponte combine playful intrigues with existential questions about life and social criticism, which, under Kirill Serebrennikov’s direction, remain as relevant as ever. During this evening, we will delve into the underlying themes of Mozart’s masterpiece about love, power, and deceit.

The opera takes place over the course of one day full of craziness. Figaro and Susanna are preparing for their wedding, but their employer, Count Almaviva, turns out to have a crush on Susanna. Meanwhile, his wife, the Countess, is seduced by the young Cherubino.

Being an unconventional director, Kirill Serebrennikov reveals the passions and motivations behind the characters in this household, which presents an orderly exterior but harbours turbulence on the inside. Bearing resemblance to a thriller, the relationships are pushed to a breaking point. Serebrennikov adds an extra storyline by splitting the role of Cherubino – a teenage boy, conventionally performed by a female singer – into a male and a female character. The silent but lively Cherubino—played by a male actor—is brimming with sexual desire yet fails to notice the love that the singing Cherubina feels for him.

During Behind the Opera, we’ll take a closer look at the origins and the staging of this work, and explore themes from the opera: how do you control your desires, or do your desires control you? And how does social criticism affect the making of an opera that confronts the viewer with the struggle of releasing your inhibitions?

Behind the Opera is an initiative from De Balie in collaboration with De Nationale Opera en Ballet. This evening at De Balie offers an introduction to Serebrennikov’s Le nozze di Figaro ahead of its premiere on May 8th.