Synopsis

Synopsis

The setting is Count Almaviva's castle near Seville in the late 18th century. The important "back story" is recounted in Rossini's The Barber of Seville, in which the Count and his friend Figaro, a barber, won the beautiful Rosina from the clutches of her ward, Dr Bartolo. Three years on, Count Almaviva is now married to Rosina but their love has gone cold, mainly because of his philandering. Figaro is now the Count's valet and is engaged to Susanna, the Countess' maid but Almaviva has Susanna in his lecherous sights.

ACT I

Figaro is measuring his none-too-spacious room to see if it will accommodate a double bed for his bride-to-be while she is trying on her wedding hat. He's happy that the room is close to the apartments of the Count and Countess but Susanna isn't - she wants to keep the amorous Count at a safe distance. On realising the implications, Figaro vows to outwit his master. Dr Bartolo arrives to give assistance to his former housekeeper, Marcellina, who has lent money to Figaro on the condition that, if he can't repay it, he must marry her. Susanna and Marcellina trade insults for a while and then Cherubino the page comes in, declaring that he is in love with all women! His flirtation with Barbarina, the gardener's daughter, has enraged the Count who, in typical fashion, is eyeing her up for himself. Cherubino hides behind a chair and is witness to the Count's attempts to seduce Susanna but then Don Basilio, the music master and a famous gossip, shows up and the Count must also conceal himself. He leaps up when Basilio declares that Cherubino is in love with the Countess and is even more irate when he discovers Cherubino's hiding place. At this point, Figaro returns with a group of servants, praising the Count's abolition of the droit de seigneur - the right of a nobleman to sleep with his servant's new bride on their wedding night. Almaviva then banishes Cherubino to a distant army post to get him out of the way.

ACT II

The Countess is in her apartments, bemoaning the fact that her husband's affections lie elsewhere. She is in on Figaro and Susanna's plans and promises to help them so that she can win back Almaviva's love. In the meantime, Figaro has sent the Count an anonymous note outing Cherubino as the Countess' lover, in order to distract him and allow the wedding to take place. Figaro suggests that they dress up Cherubino in women's clothes for a romantic meeting with the Count and they set to work when the page comes in. Susanna goes off to find a ribbon and the Count knocks on the door, returning early from a hunting expedition. Cherubino hides in an ante-room and Almaviva enters the room. He hears a noise but doesn't believe the Countess when she says it is Susanna and leaves to find tools to break down the door, suspecting that Cherubino is in there and they have been up to no good! Susanna, who has been hiding, helps Cherubino to escape out of a window and takes his place in the ante-room. The Almavivas return, both surprised to find Susanna. Somewhat placated, the Count still wants to know the source of the anonymous letter, and Susanna and the Countess reveal that it was written by Figaro. An angry Antonio, the gardener, enters with crushed carnations, which had the misfortune to be growing under the window Cherubino jumped out of! Figaro, who has come running to say that the wedding can proceed, must say it was he who squashed the flowers and fakes a sprained ankle. But then Marcellina, Bartolo and Basilio also arrive, brandishing a court summons for Figaro for his failure to honour his marriage bargain with Marcellina. The Count is delighted: this will further delay the wedding!

ACT III

Susanna pretends to accept the Count's advances but Almaviva catches her conspiring with Figaro and vows revenge. Figaro is ordered to pay his debt or marry Marcellina, but the deal is off when he discovers that he is the long-lost love child of Marcellina and Bartolo. Mother and son embrace, infuriating Susanna until she learns the truth. There is now to be a double wedding: Marcellina and Bartolo will also marry! Alone, the Countess sings a touching aria lamenting the loss of her happiness with the Count. Susanna returns and they write a note inviting Almaviva to the garden that evening for a supposed rendezvous with the new bride. During the wedding ceremony, Susanna slips the note - sealed with a hatpin - to the Count. He pricks his finger and drops the pin, which Figaro picks up. The Count calls for a grand party to cover up his proposed rendezvous.

ACT IV

Barbarina is searching for the hatpin. She tells Figaro and Marcellina about the secret meeting and Figaro concludes that Susanna is about to cheat him on their first night as man and wife. He leaves, cursing all womankind. In the garden, Susanna and the Countess arrive, dressed as each other. Alone, Susanna sings of her love for Figaro, but he overhears and thinks she is referring to the Count. Susanna hides as Cherubino arrives, looking for Barbarina. He decides that any woman will do, and flirts with the Countess, who is dressed as Susanna. The furious Count chases him away and sends his wife - who he thinks is Susanna - to a nearby arbour. Figaro by now understands the elaborate joke and joins in the fun, and frantically woos "the Countess". Almaviva returns to find his valet apparently flirting with his wife and, getting more apoplectic by the moment, calls everyone to witness the scene. The real Countess steps up and the plot is revealed. The Count admits defeat and begs his wife for forgiveness.