CCP’s The Met: LIVE in HD spotlights the melodic genius of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” this July

 The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) presents Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s brilliant arias in “Le Nozze di Figaro” as the sixth installment of CCP’s The Met: LIVE in HD - Season 10 this July 1, 2025, at 5:30 p.m., at Glorietta 4, Cinema 1 in Makati City.

Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) centers on servants Figaro and Susanna, who are about to marry. The Count and Countess, each with personal reasons, hope to stop the wedding. While trouble lurks in the shadows, Figaro and Susanna juggle shocking truths with their immense love for each other.

Chasing greater fame and financial security, Mozart based Le Nozze di Figaro on Paisiello’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, which Beaumarchais’s Le Barbier de Séville had influenced. He worked with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte to finish the opera. The then-emperor had refused permission to stage Beaumarchais’s iteration because of its German translation. As a precaution, Da Ponte omitted political content from Mozart’s work. After it succeeded, the two continued their partnership with Don Giovanni (1787) and Così fan tutte (1790).

The impeccable comedy welcomes the audience with whisper-like melodies that quickly build into a short-breathed little theme. Despite narrating comedic scenes, the piece is quite self-contained. Its overture beautifully sustains a slow middle section with a melancholy oboe solo.

Through scampering violins, flutes, and clarinets, Mozart narrated the Le Nozze di Figaro’s twists and turns in a succession of hectically upbeat figurations. Generally, the opera won over its audience’s affection. Hungarian poet Ferenc Kazinczy and “Father of the Symphony” Joseph Haydn even praised its lively ensemble scenes.

In 2017, BBC News surveyed opera singers for the best opera written. Le Nozze di Figaro easily came out on top of the 20 featured operas.

For this Met Opera’s version, lyric soprano Olga Kulchynska plays the forgiving Susanna while bass-baritone Michael Sumuel is her lover Figaro. Italian soprano Federica Lombardi also breathes life into the Countess. Joanna Mallwitz, chief conductor and artistic director of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, makes her Metropolitan Opera conducting debut in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. 

Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro is laced with themes of love, class, and gender. Catch this classic on the sixth installment of CCP’s The Met: LIVE in HD Season 10 on July 1, at 5:30 p.m., at Glorietta 4’s Cinema 1 in Makati City. 

The CCP, in partnership with the Metropolitan Opera of New York, the Filipinas Opera Society Foundation, Inc., and Ayala Malls Cinemas, showcases Mozart’s masterful melodies in excellent Dolby Surround and high-definition video.

While introducing Filipino audiences to world-class artistic experiences through CCP’s The Met: LIVE in HD, CCP keeps true to its commitment to developing the nation’s appreciation for all art forms. Screening The Met’s intricate stagings in Philippine cinemas teases a deep admiration for the beauty of operas.

Regular tickets for CCP’s The Met: LIVE in HD - Season 10 are priced at Php350. Students and young professionals can avail of the special price of Php100 per ticket upon presentation of a valid ID. To purchase tickets, visit the ticket booth at the venue or book online via www.sureseats.com.

Keep track of the latest screenings of CCP’s The Met: LIVE in HD through the official Facebook account of the CCP Film, Broadcast, and New Media or the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph). For current and future event updates, follow the CCP’s official social media accounts on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.