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The Figaro Trilogy: The Barber of Seville, the Marriage of Figaro, the Guilty Mother Paperback – 12 June 2008

by Beaumarchais (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 74 ratings
Edition: 1st
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The Barber of Seville * The Marriage of Figaro * The Guilty Mother Eighteenth-century France produced only one truly international theatre star, Beaumarchais, and only one name, Figaro, to put with Don Quixote or D'Artagnan in the ranks of popular myth. But who was Figaro? Not the impertinent valet of the operas of Mozart or Rossini, but both the spirit of resistance to oppression and a bourgeois individualist like his creator. The three plays in which he plots and schemes chronicle the slide of the ancien régime into revolution but also chart the growth of Beaumarchais' humanitarianism. They are also exuberant theatrical entertainments, masterpieces of skill, invention, and social satire which helped shape the direction of French theatre for a hundred years. This lively new translation catches all the zest and energy of the most famous valet in French literature. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0199539979
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0199539970
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press UK
  5. Publication date
    12 June 2008
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    19.05 x 2.79 x 12.7 cm
  8. Print length
    352 pages
  9. See all details
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Product description

Review

'Coward's introduction is a small masterpiece, weaving information and interpretation into a compelling narrative in a way which makes it alone worth the modest price of the volume.' 'David Coward's translations cope admirably with Beaumarchais' wide range of tones and registers in three very different plays, and are as speakable as they are readable.' 'this excellent volume provides an admirable introduction for the English-speaking reader to Beaumarchais' greatest creation' ― Times Literary Supplement

Review

`'Coward's introduction is a small masterpiece, weaving information and interpretation into a compelling narrative in a way which makes it alone worth the modest price of the volume.' 'David Coward's translations cope admirably with Beaumarchais' wide range of tones and registers in three very different plays, and are as speakable as they are readable.' 'this excellent volume provides an admirable introduction for the English-speaking reader to Beaumarchais' greatest creation'' Times Literary Supplement

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press UK; 1st edition (12 June 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199539979
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199539970
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 19.05 x 2.79 x 12.7 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 74 ratings

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  1. Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais

    Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais

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Harykert
5.0 out of 5 stars Für Operndirigenten unabdingbar
Reviewed in Germany on 27 January 2024
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Wer offene Fragen zur komplexen Handlung von Mozarts Figaros Hochzeit hat, findet alle Antworten hier. Das Vorwort ist auch sehr einleuchtend.
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Harsh Nevatia
3.0 out of 5 stars Classic But Not Contemporary
Reviewed in India on 21 June 2023
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The Marriage of Figaro is a well-known classic and is a landmark in the history of European literature. If you approach it from that perspective, it is a must read

However, if compared with contemporary narrative writing, it seems to be a badly written "romedy". It begins well but the plot gets unnecessarily entangled that you either skip read to the end or give up.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 November 2015
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Excellent translation!
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L. Richard Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars Intensly interesting plays, wonderful translation
Reviewed in the United States on 11 February 2014
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I love the operas based on the first two plays and was eager to compare with the original sources. The plays, especially through the brilliant translation, add a fascinating dimension to the stories. They explore human relations in extremely witty ways. The characters become more realistic as more facts about their personalities come out (particularly the facts about Cherubino, which were better anticipated in the play version of Marriage). The third play (Guilty Mother), the one that did not lead to a popular opera, fully explains Cherubino and ties most of the other loose ends together in a surprising but satisfying manner.

It is hard to understand how such a valuable and enjoyable collection of these plays could be sold for such a low price.
4 people found this helpful
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M Clark
5.0 out of 5 stars Reveals how witty and clever the original Figaro plays were
Reviewed in Germany on 21 August 2023
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Figaro is a well-known and beloved figure from the operas of Rossini and Mozart. The origin of the stories for these operas were the three plays from Beaumarchais. This translation of the plays from David Coward for the Oxford World Classic series reveals how witty and clever the original plays were. This edition also has an appropriate level of annotations to explain the more obscure references.

The first two plays follow the story of the operas closely. The third play, however, is not a comedy. It is, instead, a drama with an Iago-style villain who Figaro needs to outwit. This book is strongly recommended especially for fans of the Figaro operas.
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