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Though he probably didn't know it at the time, playwright Pierre-Augustin
Caron de Beaumarchais's The Marriage of Figaro in many ways heralded
a turning point in history, an end of an era marked by opulence and
wealth for nobility and clergy but social inequality and poverty by
most. The play was an immediate, though controversial, success when
it premiered in 1784. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was looking to make a
name for himself in Italian opera and, never to shy away from controversy,
was in fact attracted to the play in part because of its notoriety.
For more background and a complete plot synopsis, read host Brandi Parisi's
opera overview.
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