The Marriage of Figaro - 1976

History

A Note on the Production…

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to our performance of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. What you will see is an experiment in the training of your performers in the craft and technique of operatic performance. (That sounds rather pompous and clinical doesn’t it?) Simply stated, the purpose of this production is to give our student’s a chance to perform a complete role from the standard repertory. Performers learn by performing.

Unfortunately, opera productions are very expensive. We wish our budget could allow us use of lavish sets and the beauty of Mozart’s orchestration. This quarter, however, we cannot afford them. This is the experiment; in the past the workshop has presented many scenes and excerpts in this theater with piano accompaniment. But this year we realized that 98% of our students had never performed a role from an operatic standard cover to cover. And so, this production was conceived. Props and costumes were created from our past productions or loaned to us by the UCLA Theater Arts department. Our accompaniment is supplied to two pianos. This isn’t the Marriage of Figaro that Mozart or da Ponte had envisioned in 1786. But our approach has been to portray their work as faithfully as we can. When these students get the opportunity to perform the Marriage of Figaro in a full production (and some of them certainly will) they will have a stronger understanding based on real experience. I think Mozart would understand.


Act I
An incompletely furnished room between the chambers of the Count and Countess

Act II
The boudoir of the Countess

Act III
A hall in the Count’s palace

Act IV
The garden of the castle

Our thanks to the UCLA Theater Arts Department for their assistance in the production of this opera.