The work:
---------
Le Nozze di Figaro ossia la folle giornata (KV 492)
Dramma giocoso in quattro atti
(Burgtheater Vienna, 1-May-1786)
(The Marriage of Figaro)
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(*27-Jan-1756 Salzburg, +5-Dec-1791 Vienna)

Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte (Emanuele Conegliano)
(*10-Mar-1749 Ceneda, +17-Aug-1838 New York)

based on the comedy "Le mariage de Figaro" (Paris, 1784) by
Beaumarchais (Pierre Augustin Caron)
(*24-Jan-1732 Paris, +19-May-1799 Paris)

Transcribed from G. Ricordi & C. Editori, Milano 1985
by Michael Bednarek [mb@tgm.com.au] <http://mcmbednarek.tripod.com/>

Background:
-----------
The score I used is much more than a piano excerpt; in fact, I'm convinced
that some parts are unplayable: it really is a condensed orchestral score.

I transcribed these pieces for the pleasure of seeing W.A. Mozart at work and,
my own practical instrumental skills being limited, making the sounds come
to live. I'm grateful to the author of "Mozart", a notation program like no
other in its very pleasing method of using the computer keyboard economically
to enter a musical score.

The piece:
----------
Atto primo - Duetto - No.1: "Cinque... dieci... venti..." (Soprano e Basso)
Scena prima. Camera non affato ammobligliata, una sedia d'appoggio in mezzo.
Figaro con una misura in mano, e Susanna allo specchio, che si sta mettendo
un cappellino ornato do fiori.

First Act - Duet - No.1: "Five... Ten... Twenty..."
First Scene. A not yet fully furnished room, an armchair in the middle.
Figaro with yard-stick in hand, Susanna putting on a flower ornamented
wreath in front of a mirror. (You have to find an English score for a proper
translation.)

Figaro, measuring what will be his quarters after his marriage to Susanna
(up to bar 30), doesn't pay much attention to Susanna who admires her bridal
wreath in the mirror (bars 30 to 49). Eventually he turns to her (bars 49 to
61) and they confirm their love for each other in a duet, consisting mainly
of parallel thirds, which is close to unison.


As with most pieces I did for "Nozze", the orchestra is represented by MIDI
instrument 49 "String Ensemble 1"; Figaro is 58 "Trombone", Susanna 74 "Flute".
Spatial orientation has the high strings left, low strings right, Susanna a bit
left, Figaro a bit right.

Details:
--------
Dynamics are only shown as visible on the right hand part and hidden on the
left hand.

Bars five to seven showcase Mozart's (the program; the composer will be
referred to as W.A. Mozart) dynamics when played as MIDI.

The second and eighth note in bar eight should be grace notes; so is the sixth
in bar 17. There are more, although some of them (e.g. bar 64, Susanna, Figaro,
notes one and five) are only syntactical.

The introductory bass line shows the effect of staccato marks.

A fermata, like in bar 67, has to be explicitly written using tempo changes.
Similarly, the tenuto on the last note. That could be done with MIDI controls
if Mozart allowed for them; a future version.

The space between staves is unfortunately not always sufficient for the text.
This could only be solved if Mozart allowed varying stave metrics; a minor
quibble.

The right hand in bars 83 and 84 are really double beamed half notes (minims).
Is there a term for this?

I am grateful for notification of any mistakes I may have made, or just for a
brief email from anyone who used this file.

October 2003: Minor layout changes.