Great Moments In Opera, "Cinque, Dieci, Venti, Trenta" - The Opening Of Mozart's Opera "Figaro"

The opera "Figaro" starts off with an aria which iswhat will be their wedding bed. Figaro, however is won
explosive in its opening notes. It building up to anover by Susana's near ecstasy, as he starts singing
enthusiastic first piece which is called "Cinque, Dieci,with her that her hat is indeed beautiful and all would
Venti, Trenta" (five, ten, twenty, thirty); these being theappear to be made just for them in the sheer delight
numbers which Figaro is using to measure a space inwhich surrounds them. It is in my opinion that this
the room he hopes will be the one he and his wife toparticular area captures almost to perfection the joy
be; Susana will be sleeping in. It is as Figaro iswhich most couples experience before they are about
measuring a space for his wedding bed that histo get married as well as the general mood which
fiancée, Susana enters the room asking him to lookencircles them before such an event.
at a hat which she has made for herself by sayingFrom my point of view, I also find this opening piece to
"guarda un po mi caro Figaro, guarda un, guardobe the one which sets the tempo of the opera, not
adesso il mio capello", (take a look at my hat). Theonly musically but of the story and its eventual happy
music at this point builds up as one can sense theending which goes through several moments of humor
almost ecstatic joy which Figaro and Susana feelbefore Figaro and Susana; can be declared man and
knowing that they soon will be man and wife. It beingwife. Apart from liking this aria another reason why I
as if they are in a climatic spiral, where things could nothave chosen to write about it is because the opera
get any better than they already are; as they are on"Figaro" will be performed this year in Warsaw's
the threshold of the most wonderful thing the world"Teatr Wielki" for the first time and it is with
has to offer.tremendous hope that I might be escorted by my
Figaro, for his part on the one hand is glad that SusanaJoannuszka Slisznuszka that I try to point out the
has made herself such a lovely hat and that they willmagnificence of this particular piece. It being one of
be getting married but on the other hand, is slightlymany classics in the opera "Figaro" which in fact is one
annoyed that she will not let him concentrate onof Mozart's most successful operas along with "Don
measuring the space in which he has planned to placeGiovanni" and "The Magic Flute".