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It was this long awaited, wildly received French opening and its accompanying publicity that attracted Italian-born librettist Lorenzo da Ponte and composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to the piece. They knew that the play, itself, could not be given in Vienna, but they thought that a somewhat expurgated opera on the subject would be permitted and was likely to attract untold numbers of ticket buyers. Thus, on 1 May 1786, their work, Le nozze di Figaro, began a successful run of performances that attracted a much wider audience than that which was usually found in the opera house.
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Isabel Bayrakdarian (Susanna) and Sarah Castle (Cherubino) in San Diego Opera's production of Mozart's 'The Marriage of Figaro'. Photo © 2007 Ken Howard
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On 11 May 2007, San Diego Opera presented this two-century-old masterpiece at the Civic Theater in a traditional production by Linda Brodsky with exquisitely detailed sets and costumes by Zack Brown.
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Mariusz Kwiecien (Count Almaviva) and Isabel Bayrakdarian (Susanna) in San Diego Opera's production of Mozart's 'The Marriage of Figaro'. Photo © 2007 Ken Howard
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Copyright © 30 May 2007
Maria Nockin, Arizona USA
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