Discussion Board 4 – Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro"

200 Words

Before listening to the aria, recitative and trio from the end of Act I of The Marriage of Figaro, review the characters and the scenario (Chapter 32). Take note of the stylistic differences in the music for Cherubino, Susanna, and the Count. Given the roles of these characters and the situation they are now in, how does Mozart use musical elements (from Part 1) to express the nature of the scene? How does the music cue a comic/serious event or character? What role does the orchestra play? Are the instrumentalists simply providing background music? Or are they also participating in the events that are unfolding? How does the instrumentation differ between the three different sections (aria/recitative/trio), and how does the changing instrumentation impact the scenes overall?