from Act IV of the Italian opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Barbarina, Antonio the gardener's daughter

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: soubrette

Setting: The garden of Count Almaviva

Synopsis: Barbarina is worried because she has lost the pin that Susanna was sending the Count.

from Act I of the Italian opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Cherubino, a young page in the Count's service

Voice Part: mezzo-soprano       Fach: lyric mezzo

Setting: Seville, a room in Count Almaviva's castle

Synopsis: After being dismissed from his position as the Count's page for being discovered alone with the gardener's daughter, Cherubino tells Susanna that, suddenly, every woman excites him to no end.

from Act II of the Italian opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Cherubino, a young page in the Count's service

Voice Part: mezzo-soprano       Fach: lyric mezzo

Setting: The Countess's bedroom

Synopsis: After Cherubino arrives in his new military uniform, he sings a plea to women to see how much love he has to give.

from Act III of the Italian opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Count Almaviva, the lord of the estate

Voice Part: baritone       Fach: lyric baritone

Setting: the Count's castle in the evening

Synopsis: Count Almaviva believes Susanna will be meeting him in his gardens on the night of her marriage to Figaro, which he also may be able to prevent through legal means. He overhears the two lovers talking confidently about defeating the Count's legal challenge and becomes incensed.

from Act I of the Italian opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Doctor Bartolo, guardian of the Countess before her marriage

Voice Part: bass       Fach: lyric bass

Setting: A room in Count Almaviva's castle

Synopsis: Dr. Bartolo does not like Figaro because he prevented him from marrying the current Countess of Almaviva, who was Dr. Bartolo's ward at the time. He describes the sweetness of revenge that he will achieve.

from Act IV of the Italian opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Don Basilio, a music master

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: buffo tenor

Setting: The garden of Count Almaviva

Synopsis: Figaro has just discovered that Susanna and the Count have planned to meet. The Countess is planning to dress up as Susanna but Figaro does not know this and therefore is angry. He tells Bartolo and Don Basilio about Susanna's infidelity and, after he leaves, Basilio comments that such behavior is typical for the young.

from Act I of the Italian opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Figaro, valet to the Count of Almaviva, betrothed to Susanna

Voice Part: bass-baritone       Fach: bass-baritone

Setting: A room in Count Almaviva's castle

Synopsis: After the Count orders Cherubino to leave and join the Seville regiment for his romantic indiscretions, Figaro tells Cherubino that he must give up his easy life and his women and become a soldier.

from Act I of the Italian opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Figaro, valet to the Count of Almaviva, betrothed to Susanna

Voice Part: bass-baritone       Fach: bass-baritone

Setting: Seville, a room in Count Almaviva's castle

Synopsis: Angry at the Count for reclaiming the right to sleep with his servant on the night of her marriage in order to sleep with Susanna, Figaro decides that he will pretend that he is obedient to the Count's wishes while, in reality, he is planning to work against the Count.

from Act IV of the Italian opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Figaro, valet to the Count of Almaviva, betrothed to Susanna

Voice Part: bass-baritone       Fach: bass-baritone

Setting: The garden of Count Almaviva

Synopsis: After reading a note from Susanna to the Count, Figaro (falsely) assumes that Susanna is cheating on him. Angry, he declares that all women are roses with deadly thorns.

from Act IV of the Italian opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Marcellina, a spinster, former servant to Dr. Bartolo

Voice Part: mezzo-soprano       Fach: lyric mezzo

Setting: The garden of Count Almaviva

Synopsis: Marcellina wonders aloud why birds and animals can love in peace, but a man always betrays his woman.

from Act IV of the Italian opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Susanna, maid to the Countess of Almaviva, fiancee of Figaro

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: soubrette

Setting: The garden of Count Almaviva

Synopsis: In order to tease Figaro, who thinks Susanna is cheating on him with the Count, Susanna urges the Count to come quickly to her.

from Act II of the Italian opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Susanna, maid to the Countess of Almaviva, fiancee of Figaro

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: soubrette

Setting: The Countess's bedroom

Synopsis: Susanna sings this aria as she attempts to dress Cherubino up as a woman. Her task is made more difficult though because he continually tries to squirm away and flirt with the Countess.

from Act III of the Italian opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: The Countess Almaviva, wife of the Count Almaviva

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: lyric soprano

Setting: A hall in Count Almaviva's castle

Synopsis: The Countess describes her wish that her marriage was still as happy as it once was.

from Act II of the Italian opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: The Countess Almaviva, wife of the Count Almaviva

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: lyric soprano

Setting: The Countess's bedroom

Synopsis: The Countess laments that the Count has lost his love for her.