The Marriage of Figaro

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Jun 2013 · Courier Corporation

About this ebook

Now available for the first time in a sturdily produced, reasonably priced paperbound edition is the complete orchestral score of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, widely considered the greatest comic opera ever written. Based on the second play of a trilogy by Beaumarchais (the first was The Barber of Seville), Figaro elevates the time-honored opera buffa of Italian tradition to new heights, transfiguring persons and scenes with glorious melodies and superb dramatic characterizations.
This edition, based on Mozart's autograph manuscript and early German translations of the libretto, embodies both the original Italian libretto of Lorenzo Da Ponte and a new corrected version of the German text. It is totally complete and contains all passages, including some that are missing from other editions and often cut in performances. In addition, the Editor's Commentary includes a complete review of all dubious passages and text problems.
This full orchestral score is an indispensable aid for study and for anyone listening to recordings or live performances. In no other manner can the listener or student keep full awareness of the many elements that make up this opera.

Ratings and reviews

While this is a perfectly acceptable scan of the hardcopy, the score is a little too small to read easily without having to zoom into every page. In addition, headings etc fall at various spots on the page resulting in titles for new arias at the bottom of the page. The commentary in the beginning is very clear, bright, and easy to read. For a few extra dollars it is worth your while purchasing the hardcopy. This hasn't put me off buying scores here in the future.

The score is far too blurry and is unusable for anything music related. The title page is quite pretty though. That is the only redeemable quality about this. Take a look at the preview, the blurriness doesn’t get better with purchase

About the author

A child prodigy who blossomed into the Classical era's most influential composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–91) wrote more than 600 works in his brief life. His oeuvre encompasses a wide variety of genres, including symphonic, chamber, operatic, and choral music.