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Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), K. 492
180'
Italian
Synopsis
In the palace of Count Almaviva near Seville, the clever valet Figaro and the maid Susanna prepare for their wedding. The Count, who had abolished the lord's "droit du seigneur," now seeks to reinstate it to seduce Susanna. With the help of the Countess and the amorous page Cherubino—who is infatuated with all women—the servants devise a scheme to expose the Count's infidelity. Through a series of mistaken identities, secret letters, and a mock trial, the Count is publicly shamed and forced to beg for forgiveness, leading to a joyous reconciliation.
Composer
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Lyricist / Librettist / Playwright
Lorenzo Da Ponte (1749-1838), based on the play La Folle Journée, ou Le Mariage de Figaro by Pierre Beaumarchais
Year of composition/publication / premiere
1786
Genre
Opera
LGBTQAI+ category
Queer, Trans
Level of centrality
Secondary character
Characters
Cherubino
Voice type
Mezzo-Soprano
Pronouns
he/him
Publisher / Rights holder
Public domain. Modern scholarly editions: Bärenreiter, Ricordi, Hal Leonard
Where to buy / access the work
Scores available from major retailers like Hal Leonard, Ricordi, Bärenreiter, or free on IMSLP
Performance rights
For performance rights, please contact the composer and/or publisher to ensure legal compliance.
Official website
Audio recording(s)
Video performance(s)
Keywords
Puttee, Erin. "Undressing Cherubino: Reassessing Gender and Sexuality in Mozart's 'Le nozze di Figaro'" (Master's thesis, 2012); Longoni, Francesca. "En travesti: Cherubino e la fenomenologia del trouser role" (2024)