The Marriage of Figaro by Beaumarchais (Book Analysis)


Book Description

Unlock the more straightforward side of The Marriage of Figaro with this concise and insightful summary and analysis! This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Marriage of Figaro by Beaumarchais, the sequel to his equally celebrated play The Barber of Seville. After helping his master Count Almaviva to secure Rosine’s hand in marriage, it is now Figaro’s turn to get married, but his happiness is threatened by Almaviva’s tireless attempts to seduce his fiancée Suzanne, as well as the surprise return of a debt from his past. The play’s overtly political reflection on the unearned privileges of the nobility and the difficulties faced by ordinary people attracted the ire of the French monarchy but drew praise from figures including Georges Danton and Napoleon Bonaparte, who believed that Figaro’s attempts to challenge the established order helped to pave the way for the French Revolution. The Marriage of Figaro is one of the most popular works by Pierre-Augustin Caron, better known as Beaumarchais, who was a key figure in both the political and literary scenes of 18th-century France. Find out everything you need to know about The Marriage of Figaro in a fraction of the time! This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you: • A complete plot summary • Character studies • Key themes and symbols • Questions for further reflection Why choose BrightSummaries.com? Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you in your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time. See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!







The Figaro Trilogy


Book Description

The Barber of Seville * The Marriage of Figaro * The Guilty Mother Eighteenth-century France produced only one truly international theatre star, Beaumarchais, and only one name, Figaro, to put with Don Quixote or D'Artagnan in the ranks of popular myth. But who was Figaro? Not the impertinent valet of the operas of Mozart or Rossini, but both the spirit of resistance to oppression and a bourgeois individualist like his creator. The three plays in which he plots and schemes chronicle the slide of the ancien régime into revolution but also chart the growth of Beaumarchais' humanitarianism. They are also exuberant theatrical entertainments, masterpieces of skill, invention, and social satire which helped shape the direction of French theatre for a hundred years. This lively new translation catches all the zest and energy of the most famous valet in French literature. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.




Improbable Patriot


Book Description

The outrageous true story of the French plot to supply arms and ammunition to Washington's Continental Army, and the bold French spy, inventor, playwright, and rogue behind it all




Le nozze di Figaro


Book Description

John Wells introduces the opera with a high-spirited account of the action-packed career of the author, in many respects the prototype of Figaro himself. Basil Deane explores the score: he shows that Mozart's characters are illuminated here not so much in soliloquies but in their reactions to each other. Composer Stephen Oliver discusses how the comedy exists not just in the words but, essentially, in the music. The full Italian text is given, with a note on the order of scenes in Act Three and the alternative passages Mozart wrote for the 1789 revival. The classic translation of E.J. Dent is an excellent way to get to know the twists and turns of the plot and the stylish wit of da Ponte's innuendos.Contents: A Society Marriage, John Wells; A Musical Commentary, Basil Deane; Music and Comedy in 'The Marriage of Figaro, Stephen Oliver; Beaumarchais's Characters; Le nozze di Figaro: Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte; The Marriage of Figaro: English version by Edward J. Dent




Beaumarchais


Book Description

Few men of 18th-century letters led a more varied or controversial life than Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. Incorporating letters and firsthand accounts, this is an irresistibly lively and engaging account of an extraordinary life.




Rhythmic Gesture in Mozart


Book Description

Wye Jamison Allanbrook’s widely influential Rhythmic Gesture in Mozart challenges the view that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s music was a “pure play” of key and theme, more abstract than that of his predecessors. Allanbrook’s innovative work shows that Mozart used a vocabulary of symbolic gestures and musical rhythms to reveal the nature of his characters and their interrelations. The dance rhythms and meters that pervade his operas conveyed very specific meanings to the audiences of the day.




Part 1. Summary and analysis


Book Description




Figaro


Book Description

He's getting married in the morning, and the enterprising Figaro (servant, barber, professional troublemaker) couldn't be happier. But with everybody scheming to come between him and his bride, Figaro will need all his cunning to make it down the aisle. This new adaptation of Beaumarchais' comic masterpiece is not only hilariously funny, but has a razor sharp political edge.




Not Without Madness


Book Description

In these 12 essays, the author explores the concept of opera as a dramatic event and an essential moment in the history of theatre. Examining the meaning of opera and the devices that produce and transmit this meaning, he looks at the complex verbal, musical and scenic mechanisms in parts of 'La Sonnambula', 'Ernani', 'Aida', 'Le Nozze di Figaro', 'Macbeth' and 'Il Trovatore'. He argues that approaches to the study of opera must address performance, interpretation, composition, reception, and cultural ramifications.