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1786, Vienna. Mozart and Lorenzo da Ponte turn a controversial French play into The Marriage of Figaro – a daring new opera that combines comedy, politics and human emotion.

1786, Vienna. A banned play, a cautious Emperor and an ambitious composer. When Mozart and his librettist Lorenzo da Ponte set out to adapt Beaumarchais's controversial Marriage of Figaro, they are forced to tread carefully. Beneath the comedy lies a story about class, privilege and the abuse of power.

As servants outwit masters and lovers test each other's loyalties, Mozart creates characters of unusual depth and complexity. Drawing together the immediacy of comic opera with the emotional range of serious drama, The Marriage of Figaro helps redefine what opera can achieve, placing recognisably human emotions at the heart of the story.

Gillian Moore is joined by a roster of distinguished historians for this major new ĢƵ Radio 3 series, charting a course through 1000 years of classical music history. For the next eight programmes, historian Simon Schama is in the chair, as together they explore the rich musical world of the Classical era.

Producer: Chris Taylor
Academic Consultant: Professor Laura Tunbridge, University of Oxford
Story Consultant: Kate Leys
Series Editor for ĢƵ Audio: Emma Harding

Key Changes theme tune composed by Joseph Howard and performed by the ĢƵ National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Kerem Hasan.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro – “Voi che sapete" (extract)
Frederica von Stade (mezzo-soprano)
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Georg Solti (conductor)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro – Overture
Concerto Köln
René Jacobs (conductor)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro – “Se vuol ballare”
Cesare Siepi (Figaro), bass
Vienna Philharmonic
Erich Kleiber (conductor)

Pergolesi: La Serva Padrona: Duet - Lo conosco, a quegli occhietti
Amanda Forsythe (Serpina), soprano
Christian Immler (Uberto), bass-baritone
Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble
Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs (conductors)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro – “Non so più”
Ann Murray (Cherubino), mezzo soprano
Vienna Philharmonic
Riccardo Muti (conductor)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro – "Dove Sono"
Kiri Te Kanawa (Rosina), soprano
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Georg Solti (conductor)

John Corigliano: The Ghosts of Versailles - "Once there was a golden bird"
Renée Fleming (Marie Antoinette), soprano
Philharmonia Orchestra
Sebastian Lang-Lessing (conductor)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro – Finale of Act II
Lucia Popp (Susanna), soprano
Samuel Ramey (Figaro), bass
Thomas Allen (Count Almaviva), baritone
Kiri Te Kanawa (Countess Almaviva), soprano
Giorgio Tadeo (Antonio), bass
Jane Berbié (Marcellina), mezzo-soprano
Robert Tear (Don Basilio), tenor
Kurt Moll (Doctor Bartolo), bass
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Opera Chorus
Sir Georg Solti (conductor)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Cosi fan Tutte - "Soave sia vento"
Miah Persson (Fiordiligi), soprano
Angela Brower (Dorabella), mezzo-soprano
Rolando Villazón (Ferrando), tenor
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, (conductor)

To listen to this programme using most smart speakers, just say "Ask ĢƵ Sounds to play Key Changes."

25 days left to listen

56 minutes

Music Played

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    The Marriage of Figaro Overture

    Ensemble: Concerto Köln. Conductor: René Jacobs.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI : HMC-901818.20.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
    • 1.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    The Marriage of Figaro, Act 1, No.3: Se vuol ballare

    Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Erich Kleiber. Singer: Cesare Siepi.
    • DECCA : 417-315-2.
    • DECCA.
    • 4.
  • Giovanni Battista Pergolesi

    La Serva Padrona, Act 1, No.4: Lo conosco a quegl'occhieti

    Performer: Paul O’Dette. Performer: Stephen Stubbs. Singer: Christian Immler. Singer: Amanda Forsythe. Ensemble: Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble.
    • CPO : 555622-2.
    • CPO.
    • 10.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    The Marriage of Figaro, Act 1, No.6: Non so piu cosa son

    Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Riccardo Muti. Singer: Ann Murray.
    • WARNER CLASSICS : 2435741295.
    • WARNER CLASSICS.
    • 12.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    The Marriage of Figaro, Act 3, No.19b: Dove Sono

    Singer: Kiri Te Kanawa. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Georg Solti.
    • DECCA : 410-151-2.
    • DECCA.
    • 23.
  • John Corigliano

    The Ghosts of Versailles, Act 2: Once there was a golden bird

    Singer: Renée Fleming. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Sebastian Lang-Lessing.
    • DECCA : 4785107.
    • DECCA.
    • 16.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    The Marriage of Figaro, Act 2, No.15: Finale

    Singer: Lucia Popp. Singer: Samuel Ramey. Singer: Thomas Allen. Singer: Kiri Te Kanawa. Singer: Giorgio Tadeo. Singer: Jane Berbié. Singer: Robert Tear. Singer: Kurt Moll. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Choir: London Opera Chorus. Conductor: Georg Solti.
    • WARNER CLASSICS : 7777479785.
    • WARNER CLASSICS.
    • 10.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Cosi fan Tutte, Act 1, No.10: Soave sia vento

    Singer: Miah Persson. Singer: Rolando Villazón. Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Yannick Nézet‐Séguin. Singer: Angela Brower.
    • DG : 479-064-1.
    • DG.
    • 20.

Broadcast

  • Saturday 13:00