One of the most important French playwrights and authors, Pierre Beaumarchais is known for his Figaro trilogy, composed of Le Barbier de Séville, Le Mariage de Figaro, and La Mère coupable, all of which have been adapted into operas. He was also a polymath, adept at being a musician, watchmaker, horticulture, spy, and a revolutionary known in both France and America.
His literary work aside, Beaumarchais rose in prominence during Louis XV’s tenure, and was responsible for inventing and implementing newer technology and also teaching music that would be used in opera performances. His “Figaro” series of plays was taking potshots at the aristocracy and he was responsible for ushering in a new operatic era when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart set a libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, which was based on the second of hisFigaro plays, to music.
Le Nozze di Figaro and Beaumarchais impact:
Beaumarchais’s most prominent work, “The Marriage of Figaro’’ sees him defend both male and female morality through views on money, vanity, and love. The themes are explored across all classes of society. The play was originally banned by the court before being reinstated by King Louis XVI’s brother, Artois.
The reason behind this was that the king felt the performance would require Bastille’s destruction. Once the ban was lifted, the play was equal parts scandalous and successful, with the playwright himself triggering groups of conservatives and moralists.
His early plays were performed privately, mainly at his friend Charles Lenorman d’Etoiles’ salon. d’Etoiles was the husband of Mme de Pompadour, and allowed Beaumarchais to use his premises to practice. His first full drama was titled, Eugenie and featured themes of false promises in marriage and the humiliation of women by the nobility.
The theme was considered too out there, and the play never saw more than its opening day. A critic even lambasted Beaumarchais by claiming that he would never achieve anything, and this included mediocrity!
Eugienie was set in London and was loosely based on Beaumarchais’ sister in Spain. She had fallen in love with a Spanish nobleman who turned out to be penniless and eventually broke off the engagement. The play also inspired Goethe’s Clavigo among others.
His second play, Memoires, was one created out of complicated, elaborate lawsuits. The playwright had sued Paris-Duverney’s heir for money owed to him by the estate but ended up losing the suit.
His most prominent work:
Before his path-breaking work in Figaro, he had already written The Barber of Seville, which was also later transformed into an opera.
The work was condemned by the King, and was only performed after Beaumarchais edited the main manuscript by a large amount. His subsequent play, the Marriage of Figaro too, was condemned and banned by Louis XVI until he eventually decided to allow its performance.
Beaumarchais’ disdain was one of the main reasons his plays were rejected by the royalty. Louis XVI even argued that Figaro would trigger the public to eliminate the monarchy. He later retreated and even changed his stance by recognising its popularity.
The playwright had a strong grip on 18th-century social institutions through the adaptation of his works into operas. With the help of lyrics, drama, and texts, he properly engaged the spirit and incited laughter and regale to his characters. His dramas were also a breath of fresh air and extremely original in the way they portrayed versatile characters, mainly in the social sphere.
His humanization of stereotypes was another reason for his memory living on to this day. You can catch renditions of the same not only through productions of his plays, but also through the operas based on his works. Learn more about the latter on Operabase. He displayed his thoughts to the public and held a mirror to the zeitgeist of the time. Through his wit and talent, Pierre Beaumarchais and Le Nozze di Figaro will live on forever.
