Archived Discussion Theatre / TheMarriageOfFigaro

This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.

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Blue Byrd: Not meaning to start an edit war, but took out the following

• Write Who You Know: It is widely accepted that Mozart wrote himself into the Opera through the role of Cherubino. His fun-loving nature, complete lack of cordial manners, and perpetual state of being in love with anything that moves is a perfect characterization of Mozart.
  • Mozart did this again, with Papageno in The Magic Flute.
    • This had the added bonus of being in a vocal range that Mozart could attain without yanking up his pants

because I'd like to see some concrete examples of it being "widely accepted" that either Cherubino or Papageno represent self portraits on Mozart's part. I, for one, am not buying it. Characterisation is a matter of dramaturgy, so Cherubino's "fun-loving nature" and "perpetual state of being in love" were as much due to the efforts of Beaumarchais and Da Ponte. As for Papageno, he was tailored to suit the talents of Emanuel Schikaneder, The Magic Flute's librettist and creator of the part. Mozart himself appears to have been a tenor (cf. the so-called Ribbon Trio, KV 441), so he would not have been in an ideal position to take either part anyway - nor do I recall reading of him having ever actually performed on stage.