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The Murder of Figaro
“The Murder of Figaro” is a comical-historical-theatrical murder mystery set in Vienna in 1786, starring the rising young composer Wolfgang Amadé Mozart as the very reluctant sleuth.
On the day of the first staging rehearsal of Mozart’s ridiculously brilliant and politically daring opera "The Marriage of Figaro," a dead body is discovered in the theater. It is the Imperial Censor, who hated the theater almost as much as the theater hated him. Rehearsal is cancelled. A hasty verdict of suicide is handed down. Librettist Lorenzo DaPonte is arrested, and languishes in jail even when the verdict is changed to murder. Singers accuse each other of the murder, while witty playwrights all admit to having done it. Ultra-conservatives try to kill the opera and its revolutionary message. Freemasons flee Vienna. in a desperate scramble to save the opera, Da Ponte and their lives, Mozart and his clever wife Constanze untangle a web of lies, scandal, sex and international intrigue. Can they solve this deadly mystery? Will "Figaro" play in Vienna?
The Mozarts are commanded by their Emperor to act as detectives in order to save the opera’s chances; finding themselves caught up in dark web of intrigue, violence, vendetta, a rape, another murder and its cover-up, they invent a theatrical ‘mousetrap’ to catch the culprit.
Working on a framework of historical events and the letters and memoirs of the principal characters, the book inserts an imaginary murder mystery into their already full lives. Written in libretto form, it zips along like the opera it mirrors (62,750 words) and gives the reader a chance to sit in coffeeshops, theaters, boudoirs and jails with these interesting people and listen in on their fascinating (almost totally made-up) conversations.
On the day of the first staging rehearsal of Mozart’s ridiculously brilliant and politically daring opera "The Marriage of Figaro," a dead body is discovered in the theater. It is the Imperial Censor, who hated the theater almost as much as the theater hated him. Rehearsal is cancelled. A hasty verdict of suicide is handed down. Librettist Lorenzo DaPonte is arrested, and languishes in jail even when the verdict is changed to murder. Singers accuse each other of the murder, while witty playwrights all admit to having done it. Ultra-conservatives try to kill the opera and its revolutionary message. Freemasons flee Vienna. in a desperate scramble to save the opera, Da Ponte and their lives, Mozart and his clever wife Constanze untangle a web of lies, scandal, sex and international intrigue. Can they solve this deadly mystery? Will "Figaro" play in Vienna?
The Mozarts are commanded by their Emperor to act as detectives in order to save the opera’s chances; finding themselves caught up in dark web of intrigue, violence, vendetta, a rape, another murder and its cover-up, they invent a theatrical ‘mousetrap’ to catch the culprit.
Working on a framework of historical events and the letters and memoirs of the principal characters, the book inserts an imaginary murder mystery into their already full lives. Written in libretto form, it zips along like the opera it mirrors (62,750 words) and gives the reader a chance to sit in coffeeshops, theaters, boudoirs and jails with these interesting people and listen in on their fascinating (almost totally made-up) conversations.
199 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2019
3 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Susan Larson
3 books8 followersIn the course of my life I have been an opera star, an actress, a music teacher, a journalist, a novelist and an easel painter. While deciding what I will do next I live and tend the garden with my brilliant and beloved husband, in the leafy suburbs of Boston.
Of all the composers I sang, I have always loved Mozart best. Mozart opera roles I have sung include: Fiordiligi (Cosí Fan Tutte), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Pamina (The Magic Flute) and Cherubino (The Marriage of Figaro).
I started singing his opera arias and songs in high school. I felt that I had found a musical mentor. I read his correspondence in college and fell in love with his high ideals, his low humor, his vitality, curiosity and love of humanity. I almost felt he was talking to me personally.
I wrote “The Murder of Figaro” so I could talk with Mozart and his friends, and pretend I was sitting in Viennes cafés with them cracking jokes, talking about all the changes happening in the world, and eating gooey desserts. I used the mystery form because historical murder mysteries had just become popular and I hoped a murder mystery would lure people into reading the book; and because Mozart loved puzzles and riddles, pranks and crazy plot twists.
A bit of advice: if you haven’t heard the opera “The Marriage of Figaro,” you should do so before reading the book. It’s not obligatory, but you will catch on to more of the jokes if you do. If you want to hear me singing in it, search out the video on London Records directed by Peter Sellars. (1990).
Of all the composers I sang, I have always loved Mozart best. Mozart opera roles I have sung include: Fiordiligi (Cosí Fan Tutte), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Pamina (The Magic Flute) and Cherubino (The Marriage of Figaro).
I started singing his opera arias and songs in high school. I felt that I had found a musical mentor. I read his correspondence in college and fell in love with his high ideals, his low humor, his vitality, curiosity and love of humanity. I almost felt he was talking to me personally.
I wrote “The Murder of Figaro” so I could talk with Mozart and his friends, and pretend I was sitting in Viennes cafés with them cracking jokes, talking about all the changes happening in the world, and eating gooey desserts. I used the mystery form because historical murder mysteries had just become popular and I hoped a murder mystery would lure people into reading the book; and because Mozart loved puzzles and riddles, pranks and crazy plot twists.
A bit of advice: if you haven’t heard the opera “The Marriage of Figaro,” you should do so before reading the book. It’s not obligatory, but you will catch on to more of the jokes if you do. If you want to hear me singing in it, search out the video on London Records directed by Peter Sellars. (1990).
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 31, 2020
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 41: A Mystery.
This book was really different as it was written as a libretto for an opera rather than in a prose format.
As the reader, I was imagining the clothes and styles of Vienna in Mozart's time. However, the language was more like what I am used to (or not) today. This added to the humor of the book. It was laugh-out-loud funny many times. It was also quite instructive as to how life was generally lived at the time. For example, there were lots of infidelities, quite a bit of prejudice toward those who were not Austrians...or perhaps, those who were not Viennese, and insecurities everywhere. I enjoyed it, although I am not quite certain whodunit.
This book was really different as it was written as a libretto for an opera rather than in a prose format.
As the reader, I was imagining the clothes and styles of Vienna in Mozart's time. However, the language was more like what I am used to (or not) today. This added to the humor of the book. It was laugh-out-loud funny many times. It was also quite instructive as to how life was generally lived at the time. For example, there were lots of infidelities, quite a bit of prejudice toward those who were not Austrians...or perhaps, those who were not Viennese, and insecurities everywhere. I enjoyed it, although I am not quite certain whodunit.
June 25, 2020
The Murder of Figaro by Susan Larson
Structured like an opera libretto in four acts, a structure which oddly fits the nature of the story, the timeline and the characters involved... It reads like a quirky play with light dialogues descriptive of yet glossing over the tragedy’s severity as well as some mind bogglingly awful events with a word froth that appears designed to evoke scenes of life at once cruel, barbaric and painful but covered with lace and splendid music! ...”It’s the human condition, dear fellow. You can’t avoid it.” “Then let’s not.”
Structured like an opera libretto in four acts, a structure which oddly fits the nature of the story, the timeline and the characters involved... It reads like a quirky play with light dialogues descriptive of yet glossing over the tragedy’s severity as well as some mind bogglingly awful events with a word froth that appears designed to evoke scenes of life at once cruel, barbaric and painful but covered with lace and splendid music! ...”It’s the human condition, dear fellow. You can’t avoid it.” “Then let’s not.”
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews