The Murder of Figaro

It's 1786, and "The Marriage of Figaro," a new comic opera by Amadé Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte, has just begun its first onstage rehearsal when a corpse makes an appearance in the wings: it's the Imperial Censor, whom everybody wanted to kill at one time or other. Mozart and his clever wife Constanze are commanded to solve this deadly mystery. If they fail, "Figaro" will never play in Vienna! The book is structured like an opera libretto, in four acts. There is even an overture, followed by two more overtures, just for fun. The plot follows that of "The Marriage of Figaro" in a loose fashion, with lots of coffee breaks and detours into Shakespeare, other Mozart operas, hot news and scandals of the day, and the American Revolution. Susan Larson was a professional concert and operatic soprano for thirty years. She sang many of Mozart's most iconic soprano roles(Cherubino, Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, Fiordiligi, etc.) and performed in the famous Peter Sellars/Craig Smith Mozart/Da Ponte productions. Says Larson about her approach to the book: "The original singers in 'Figaro' have always fascinated me. They are largely forgotten, but were hard-working international stars in their day. Did they love the music written for them by the brash young upstart Mozart? Did they squabble and throw prima-donna fits? I invented rather messy lives for them, because humans have messy lives." Regarding Mozart himself, she adds: "I invented lots of chit-chat with Mozart and his friends, because I always wanted to talk to him myself. He is one of my favorite human beings. I'm sorry I put him through the labor of solving a murder when all he wanted to do was produce his opera."
ASIN: 1939113334
VSKU: BVV.1939113334.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Larson, Susan
Binding: Paperback
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.