This aria introduces Figaro’s character in Act 1. An aria is a song for solo voice and is used to communicate the emotion of a character.

The libretto (text) reads:

ʻSo little master youʼre dressed to go dancing
Dressed in your best to go strutting and prancing
Iʼll put an end to your fun pretty soon.
You may go dancing but Iʼll call the tune, yes!ʼ

For this vow of revenge, you might expect Mozart to have written an aggressive, fast paced number with leaps of register and dynamic markings. Instead, with typical wit and intended surprise, Mozart wrote a quaint minuet, a cavatina for pizzicato strings and two horns. Only a third of the way through the piece do we see forte markings for the first time. The dance is a great match for Da Ponteʼs libretto.

Iʼll call the tune, yes!ʼ Notice the ʻYesʼ is on the second beat of the bar. This displaces the strong first beat, designed to knock the Count off pedestal. Mozart then departs from the expected pattern of a da-capo aria (A section; B section; A section repeated with embellishments) and inserts a fast, presto middle section in 2/4 time. This would have been unexpected by audiences at the time. ʻI will be cunning, slyly deceiving, cutting and running, ducking and weavingʼ. Mozart demonstrates his own cunning, by having Figaro manipulate the musical structure just as he wants to manipulate the Count. 

2. Hear my prayer [Porgi amor] Act 2
One of the most famous of Mozart arias, it was designed to communicate the pain and grace of the Countess. She is forgotten by her husband who now pursues Susanna.

ʻHear my prayer, humbly I beg you.
Soothe my sorrow, my lonely sigh…
May his love be reawakened or forsaken let me die.ʼ

The first thing to notice within this aria is that we are presented with both a new character and new instrument. The beginning of Act 2 heralds the primary appearance of the Countess but also two clarinets. Mozart introduces a new instrumental colour to illustrate her entrance within the drama, and emphasise her difference to the characters we have already seen. This is the first time in the opera that two clarinets, two bassoons and two horns appear together. The wind pairings add a depth of feeling to the Countess’ loneliness in their mellow instrumental tone. They clarinets soar together in thirds, and the winds in thirds, fifths and octaves. These underpin the harmony and gently support the texture, adding comfort and elegance to the Countess’ plea.

3. Figaro’s accompanied recitative: No. 26 Act 4

This short section of recitative is a real gem. Recitative (or recit) is the sung text that moves the story along. In its rhythms and simple musical phrases, it imitates speech and involves no repetition. Normally a recitative is accompanied by the continuo section – cello and harpsichord or forte piano (heard here in the recording). For this accompanied recitative, Mozart chooses a full string orchestra  to play with Figaro. This marks the moment out as one of heightened emotion. Every phrase from the libretto is elaborated  by an orchestral comment:

ʻThereʼs someone coming…
Susanna?…
No one there…
Darkness surrounds me…ʼ

And later:
ʻOh Susanna, what a blow you have dealt me!…
With all your girlish glances…
And your innocent laughter…
Who would not have believed you?ʼ

To draw us deeper into the drama, Mozart depicts Figaro as completely bereft, plagued by his wifeʼs assumed infidelity.

ACTIVITY: Presented with Mozartʼs interpretation of the text, consider why Mozart made the following choices:

• The tentative tutti string arched phrases (No one there?)
• The undulating ascending and descending arpeggios (Darkness surrounds me…)
• The ʻshamelessʼ flattened seventh chord (How shameless to betray me on the night of our wedding)
• The scornful, trivial dotted skipping rhythms and despised, flirtatious upper string phrases (…all your girlish glances…innocent laughter..)

4. Come quickly my beloved… [Deh vieni] Act 4

Mozart writes for four soloists within this number: flute, oboe, bassoon and soprano. Each instrument within the wind trio operates with a degree of new-found independence. The melodies are simple, but their phrases join up beautifully, seamlessly threading in and out of the vocal line. They both complement and support Susannaʼs melodic phrases.

ʻCome quickly my beloved I implore you.
All of my being is aching, waiting for you.
Do you not hear the voice of nature calling?
Share my secret delight as night is fallingʼ

ACTIVITY: Notice the pizzicato strings. The orchestration is again very poignant. Susanna is waiting for the Count to arrive.

• Does the pizzicato increase her anticipation?
• How would it have sounded if Mozart had instructed the strings to play ponticello, col legno, flautando or even tremolo? The audience would have perhaps heard a different sentiment conveyed by Susannaʼs elegant line.

ʻA breathless hush descends on all creation, nature trembles in anticipation.ʼ
ʻCome quickly my beloved, while all the world reposes
…I will crown you with roses…ʼ

From bar 51 the strings change to play with their bows. At this point Da Ponte writes ʻ…all the world reposes…ʼ Perfectly, to match the phrase, Mozart writes one long single note (C) for the bassoon. Matching the text: even the woodwind are waiting, before the trio is collected together by the bassoon in ascending staccato semiquavers. Long appoggiaturas in the vocal line pervade the movement; ʻAll of my being is waiting, aching for you…ʼ  Through the appoggiaturas we feel Susannaʼs aching. Yet this is also a set-up, overacted to ridicule Figaro and trick to the Count.

With thanks to Hannah Conway