Leipzig certainly knows a thing or two about revolutions. In »The Marriage of Figaro«, revolution and romance intertwine in exuberant turmoil on a truly follied day – »follied« in its madness, and a »masterpiece« in its perfection. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte struck gold with their very first collaboration. Although they had to blunt the overtly revolutionary edge of Beaumarchais’ provocative source »The Follies of a Day«, the opera nevertheless brought revolution to the stage. Its message remains relevant today: Hierarchies are renegotiated. The Count, for whom Figaro once removed every obstacle, has set his sights on Figaro’s fiancée, the maid Susanna, and now seeks to revive an old feudal right. But he has reckoned without Figaro – and certainly without Susanna, who surpasses her betrothed in wit and charm. She also allies herself with her mistress, the Countess, forging a bond between servants and rulers. Will this cross-class solidarity hold? Can Susanna evade the Count?

Director Ilaria Lanzino, acclaimed by critics and audiences alike for »Mary, Queen of Scots« (Oper Leipzig 2023), demonstrates a keen understanding of Mozart’s masterpiece, which weaves together love, upheaval and politics into a sparkling comedy on a stage as versatile as the action itself.