Le nozze di Figaro for Chamber Orchestra (Parts)

Le Nozze di Figaro premiered on May 1, 1786, at the Burgtheater in Vienna. Based on Pierre Beaumarchais' play La Folle Journée, the opera unfolds over a single day of comic intrigues, mistaken identities, and social subversion within an aristocratic household. Mozart’s music illuminates the characters’ inner lives with extraordinary psychological insight and grace. Blending humor with humanism, the opera critiques class privilege and celebrates the resilience of love and wit. Today, it remains one of the most frequently performed operas in the world.

Figaro for Chamber Orchestra (15-26 players)

Mozart scored Le Nozze di Figaro for a Classical orchestra: strings, pairs of woodwinds, horns, trumpets, timpani, and continuo (harpsichord or fortepiano). The orchestral forces are modest (about 35 players), making the opera well-suited to intimate theaters or chamber reductions. While modern productions sometimes use larger orchestras, the opera’s transparency and elegance shine in leaner interpretations faithful to Mozart’s original conception. Figaro for Chamber Orchestra requires:

• Flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon
• (French) Horn, trumpet
• Optional timpani
• String orchestra (9-18 players):
• 3-6 first violins
• 3-6 second violins
• 2-3 violas
• 1-2 cellos
• Optional bass
• Continuo (conductor)