MOZART: LE NOZZE DI FIGARO (THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO) arr. for woodwinds - AMADEUS ENSEMBLE, JULIUS RUDEL

FIGARO liner notes

Thanks to performances, recordings, movies, television commercials, and of course Mozart’s creative genius, the music in Le Nozze di Figaro today has become more popular than ever. Of all Mozart’s operas, Le Nozze di Figaro probably contains the greatest number of recognizable melodies, from the vivacious, sprightly Overture to the humorous “Non piů Andrai” to the tender “Deh vieni non tardar.” In 1791, six years after the premiere of Le Nozze di Figaro, Johann Nepomuk Wendt (1745-1801) transcribed the 15 numbers from the opera that are heard here. Arrangements of this sort were the rage at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century, and in essence made the music heard in the opera house accessible to more people. Clearly it was easier to put together an ensemble of eight or nine players than to gather a full orchestra, soloists, a chorus and a conductor for a complete opera performance. And Mozart’s glorious music translates beautifully to the blended sounds of the eight woodwinds and string bass. In his arrangement Wendt managed to recapture the many human moods and emotions that Mozart conveyed through the music and Da Ponte conveyed through the words. All in all, Wend’s arrangement puts the "hit tunes" of Mozart's opera into abeautifully blended, inti mate form in which the orchestra and vocal lines are carried by the woodwinds. It is a delightful, wordless version of some of the greatest masterpieces ever.