Mozart - The Aria of the Countess (The Marriage of Figaro)

Description

Dual Italian/English edition analyzing the Aria della Contessa in Mozart's opera 'The Marriage of Figaro'. Doubts regarding who really wrote this aria are detailed. "The early Mozart writer Franz Niemetschek (1797 /8) tells us : 'At this time (i.e. around 1785 onward) the comedy of Beaumarchais's Figaro prevailed in all the theatres. Mozart was allowed by the Emperor to equally render it famous with music on the Italian version, after that a Singspiel was expanded.' Figaro first existed as a Singspiel! It was, and Niemetscheck has little choice but to admit it, common knowledge. Note carefully the above text. It does not say Mozart was commissioned by the Emperor to compose a new opera. It says Mozart was 'allowed' to work on a Vienna production. Certainly, Niemetscheck attributes Figaro to him. As he must. But we will see evidence indicates a German Singspiel already existed at the time and this was not, as we will see, by either Mozart nor Da Ponte." 1. Introduction 2. Historical Background 3. Analysis of Manuscript Sources 4. Conclusion 5. Bibliography 6. Transcript of the Aria della Contessa