Roles:
- Count Almaviva - Baritone
- Countess Rosina - Count Almaviva's wife - Soprano
- Figaro - The Count's servant - Baritone
- Susanna - Figaro's fiance and Countess Rosina's maid - Soprano
- Cherubino - A page boy - Mezzo Soprano
- Doctor Bartolo - Doctor - Bass
- Marcellina - Doctor Bartolo's housekeeper - Mezzo Soprano
- Don Basilio - Music Teacher - Tenor
- Antonio - Gardener - Bass
- Barbarina - The Gardener's daughter - Soprano
- Don Curzio - Lawyer - Tenor
- Villagers, peasants, servants, wedding guests - Chorus
ACT 1
In Seville, Figaro and Sussana are getting ready for their wedding and Susanna admits to Figaro that the Count tried to seduce her. Figaro wants to take revenge.
In the meantime, Dr. Bartolo and Marcellina run into Susanna. Marcellina and Susanna are rude to each other since they both know that Marcellina wants to marry Figaro. She keeps on reminding Figaro of their contract, by which he is obliged to return the money he had borrowed from her or otherwise marry her.
When Susanna returns to her room, Cherubino walks in as well. He expresses his love for all of the household's wishes and speaks very fondly of the Countess. Their conversation is interrupted by the Count's appearance and Cherubino hides in the room. Not realizing that he is not alone in the room with Susanna, the Count tries to seduce her again however, Don Basilio walks in and the Count steps back.
Don Basilio lets Susanna know that Cherubino is fond of the Countess and that everyone knows about it. The Count is not please with what he hears. Walking in the room he also discovers Cherubino, who overheard him trying to seduce Susanna, something that makes him very angry.
He chases Cherubino and bumps into Figaro, in the great hall, who was preparing a small celebration with the household members, in order to praise their master. The count is then asked to bless Figaro and Susanna's marriage and asks for Cherubino to join the army, in order to silence him, something that Figaro obeys and send Cherubino to the war.
ACT 2
The Countess, sitting in her bedroom, reminisces the love she shared with the count, but is now gone.
Susanna enters the room and discuss with the countess their plan. Along with Susanna and Figaro, they plot a plan to see if the count is unfaithful. They have agreed to set a date between the Count and Susanna, only for the Count to find out that Susanna is actually Cherubino in disguise. In the meantime, an anonymous letter will be given to the Count by Figaro, suggesting that the countess is seeing another man.
Cherubino enters the room. Susanna and the Countess want to dress him up in order to prepare him for their plan and they lock the door. Susanna leaves the room to bring more clothes. The Count knocks on the door only to find out that the door is locked and gets angry.
The Countess hides Cherubino in her wardrobe. The Count enters the room and when he hears an unexpected sound he confronts his wife. The Countess informs him that Susanna is in the dressing room, however the Count does not believe her.
He asks the Countess to follow him while he searches for the relevant equipment to open the door and they leave the room. Susanna then enters, helps Cherubino escape by jumping off the window and she takes his place.
When the Count returns he is speechless to find Susanna in the dressing room. At the same time Figaro enters the room talking about the celebrations for his wedding, however the count asks him about the strange note he received. Figaro tries to avoid the questioning from the count when the gardener interrupts them by entering the room reporting that someone jumped off the countess's bedroom window. Figaro pretends that it was him who jumped off the window.
In the meantime, Basilio, Marcellina and Dr Bartolo enter and want to have a word with the count. They explain to the count the contract that Figaro has with Marcellina which obliges him to marry her.
More than happy, the Count announces that Figaro's wedding with Susanna is not to take place, since he has to marry Marcellina.
ACT 3
Susanna meets the Count in the great hall and talks to him about their secret meeting that night. The Count is pleased until he overhears Figaro and Susanna plotting a plan against him. He then promises that he will take revenge.
At the same time, the Countess reminisces the happy times she had with the Count.
Marcellina on the other hand, demands that Figaro pays his debt to her or marry her. Her lawyer, Don Curzio, accompanies her when talking to Figaro. Figaro explains to her that he cannot marry without his parents' blessing. However, he doesn't know who his parents are since he was abducted as a new born. However, when revealing his birthmark, Marcellina recognizes him as the son who was taken from her as a baby.
When Susanna arrives, Marcellina hugs her. However, Susanna thinks that Figaro has betrayed her until she learns the truth, by which she is shocked.
Alone, the Countess decides to execute her plan against her husband and asks Susanna ta write a letter to the Count confirming their meeting that night in the garden.
Cherubino arrives with his girlfriend Barbarina, Antonio's daughter, even though he is disguised as a girl. Antonio however, reveals that the girl next to Barbarina is Cherubino, since he has found his hat.
In hearing that, the Count is furious by Cherubino's disobedience, however, Barbarina confronts the Count and tells him that when he tried to seduce her, he give his word to offer her anything she wanted. The Count listened carefully when Barbarina asked the Count to marry Cherubino, something that the Count cannot refuse now.
The preparations for Susanna and Figaro's wedding are under way in the house. Susanna, while dancing with her master, she hands him the note she composed with the Countess, confirming their secret meeting in the garden that night.
ACT 4
Barbarina, alone in the garden is anxious, realizing that she lost the pin she was supposed to hand to Susanna, as a confirmation that the count has received the letter. Marcellina and Figaro join her in the garden. She then informs them about the secret meeting that will take place at night between Susanna and the Count.
Figaro, is angered, thinking that his future wife is unfaithful to him and decides to hide in the garden to see the secret meeting.
In the meantime, the Countess and Susanna appear. The Countess dressed as Susanna and Susanna as the Countess. When left alone and realizing that Figaro is listening to her, Susanna sings of love. She secretly enjoys the fact that Figaro is jealous and things that she will cheat on him with the Count.
Cherubino on the other hand, appears and courts the Countess, who is dressed as Susanna.
The Count arrives and asks Cherubino to leave Susanna (i.e. the countess in disguise) alone, while Figaro realizes the "game" and joins in the fun by also declaring his love to the Countess (i.e. the Susanna in disguise).
The Count returns and see Figaro courting his wife (i.e. Susanna in disguise). He explodes with anger. The Countess then, reveals that she is dresses as Susanna and that Figaro is in fact courting his wife.
Ashamed by his actions, the Count asks for forgiveness. The Countess forgives him and the everyone celebrates the happy ending!
Reference:
Britannica Encyclopedia
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