42 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JANUARY 2026
On Jan. 9 and 16, we present Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro and the
classic 19th century ballet, Giselle.
Le nozze di Figaro premiered in Vienna in 1786. Mozart and his
librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte had to pass muster with the Austrian
censors. e story upon which it is based is a Pierre Beaumarchais
play, La folle journée. e play criticizes the behavior of upper-
class rulers and was banned by the Austrian Emperor (brother of
Marie Antoinette). You may recall the scene in the film Amadeus
where Mozart begs for the emperor's indulgence – "Cinque, …
dieci … venti …". Mozart prevailed to the benefit of us all, as it is
one of the most beloved of all his works.
Our production is from the 1994 Glyndebourne opera festival
and features baritone Gerald Finley as Figaro, Alison Hagley
as Susana, Renée Fleming as the countess Almaviva, Andreas
Schmidt as the count Almaviva and Marie-Ange Todorovitch as
Cherubino. A recap of the storyline will begin at 5:30 pm, followed
by the opera. e opera runs three hours and 10 minutes. We
will have a 10-minute intermission at the 90-minute mark.
Our ballet presentation is Giselle, the pinnacle of Romantic era
ballet. It premiered in 1841 in Paris. e music is by Adolphe
Adam with original choreography by Coralli and Perrot, but
reworked by Marius Petipas in the late 1800s. It is the Petipas
choreography that is performed today.
e story follows a beautiful peasant girl who is deceived by a
disguised nobleman, Albrecht. Albrecht woos Giselle and wins
her love. It is later revealed that he is already engaged to marry
Bathilde. In fitful heartbreak, she dances herself to death. Later
that night, Albrecht visits Giselle's grave to beg her forgiveness and
is set upon by the Willis (demonic spirits of deceived maidens),
but Giselle's love for Albrecht saves him from being danced to his
death. Her saving Albrecht also breaks the power of the Willis
to haunt and control any one else. In the ballet's finale, Giselle
returns to her grave to rest in peace.
e ballet runs about two hours. We will begin at 6 pm with a
synopsis. We won't have an intermission.
Seat reservations are advised and may be requested via email
to the address below. See you at the eater! ~ Harvey Toyama,
admin@fsbopera.org, (951) 524-3765
Opera
Club
Giselle - Royal Danish Ballet Glyndebourne Le Nozze di Figaro
