SYNOPSIS

ACT I

It is the wedding day of Susanna and Figaro, who are in the employ of Count Almaviva. Susanna informs Figaro that Almaviva has ulterior motives to assign them a special room, Figaro is infuriated, and wants revenge. Bartolo and Marcellina wish to stop the wedding. Figaro has borrowed money from Marcellina and promised to marry her as surety for the debt. Bartolo, for his part, wants to get back at Figaro for having lured away from him the young Rosina, who is now the Countess Almaviva (this is the story of Il barbiere di Siviglia).

The young page Cherubino’s amorous interests clash with those of the Count, and he asks Susanna to put in a word for him with the Countess as he is facing imminent dismissal. The Count arrives, and Cherubino barely manages to hide. After a brief exchange between the Count and Susanna, Basilio the music teacher enters, and the Count also has to hide. As Basilio gossips about Cherubino’s wooing of Susanna and the Countess, the Count emerges from hiding and demonstrates how he caught Cherubino in the house of Barbarina’s father Antonio – and discovers Cherubino again. Figaro asks the Count for his consent to wed Susanna that very afternoon. The Count puts on a brave face, but persists in packing Cherubino off to the army, having promoted him to an officer.

ACT II

The Countess is unhappy about her husband’s infidelity. Figaro, intent on removing all obstacles to his wedding, reveals to the Countess that he has smuggled an anonymous letter to the Count, with the intention to rouse his jealousy. The letter insinuates that the Countess plans an amorous rendezvous. At the same time, Susanna will grant the Count a tender tryst in the park – although it will be Cherubino disguised as Susanna who will be there instead. Cherubino sings his love poem to the Countess, whilst being disguised as a woman. When the Count knocks on the door of the Countess's room, Cherubino hides in a side room and locks the door. But when the Count enters the large room, he is upset that the door to the side room is locked and forces his wife to join him in fetching tools to break the lock.

Susanna helps Cherubino to escape via the balcony. When the Count returns, he finds Susanna behind the locked door instead of Cherubino. Antonio discloses he has just seen someone leap from the balcony, destroying his flowerbed and dropping Cherubino’s commission. Figaro pleads guilty, and claims Cherubino had asked him to pass call-up papers back to the Count for authorization. Basilio, Bartolo and Marcellina hand over the signed promissory note, demanding that Figaro honour his contract. The wedding is postponed again.

INTERVAL

ACT III

The Countess asks Susanna to set up a romantic tryst with the Count in the garden. The Count overhears Susanna speaking to Figaro, and promises to exact revenge. During Figaro’s trial, the Countess expresses hopes of winning her husband back. Bartolo and Marcellina turn out to be Figaro’s parents, and the Count can no longer impede the marriage between Figaro and Susanna. The Countess dictates a letter to Susanna, specifying the place for the Count’s rendezvous. She instructs him to return the pin sealing the letter as confirmation. A chorus of girls, the disguised Cherubino amongst them, sings for the Countess. As the wedding ceremony commences, Susanna smuggles the letter to Count Almaviva.

ACT IV

Barbarina searches for the pin which the Count has asked her to return to Susanna. Marcellina intends to warn Susanna of her husband’s wrath. Figaro bursts into a jealous rage. The Countess and Susanna appear disguised as each other. The Count and Figaro are fooled into believing that the Countess is Susanna. The Countess reveals herself to her contrite husband once Figaro and Susanna have confronted each other and become reconciled.