The Marriage of Figaro

Just got back from seeing The Marriage of Figaro by the Armonico Consort at the Warwick Arts Centre. With an excellent libretto by Kit Hesketh Harvey ” .. rock on…..its time to put your frock on”.

I once thought opera was silly, but now I realise that women pretending to be men pretending to be women is not just silly, its really funny. I thought opera was worthless and Mozart was really wussy. Many years ago I got into Wagner, and found that – well, this very unpleasant anti-Semite had created what looked like one of the greatest works of art ever conceived. He got a sound out of an orchestra which was fantastic, while starting the revolution in music which led to 12 tone serial technique. Eventually I had to admit that others (OK Britten) could write opera as well. And now – well Mozart for Godhood.

I could go all analytic, and observe that its weird because it depends on us making a judgement about what another character is thinking (being deceived by) a third character, while everyone involved knows its not true. And maybe wonder about Mozart and masonry and whether there is a deep symbolic message in the antics of Figaro and the Count and Suzanne etc. But I prefer to think that a Mozart opera is just a big lump of civilisation.