Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais was a French playwright whose influence spanned from watchmaking to revolution. His theatrical works, particularly the Figaro plays, garnered the most acclaim and remain celebrated for their wit and social commentary. Beaumarchais's career was remarkably multifaceted, involving roles as a diplomat, spy, and arms dealer, reflecting the turbulent era in which he lived. His involvement in supporting American independence and his participation in the early stages of the French Revolution highlight his active role in the political currents of his time.
A witty and irreverent comedy of manners that skewers convention and society's obsession with wealth and status. Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais and Thomas Holcroft's play is a timeless masterpiece of social satire, as relevant today as it was when it was first performed.
First performed in 1778, The Follies of a Day is a classic French comedy that satirizes the nobility and their frivolous pursuits. This edition features an English translation by Thomas Holcroft, with additional alterations by actor and playwright John Philip Kemble. With its witty dialogue and playful plot, The Follies of a Day remains a beloved classic of the stage.
This timeless comic opera, based on the classic work of Beaumarchais, is a beloved gem of the classical repertoire. The Marriage of Figaro is an opulent, lively and hilarious work that explores the foibles and follies of human relationships. With its memorable music and witty dialogue, this opera has stood the test of time and remains as entertaining and relevant today as it was when it was first performed over two centuries ago.
[Beaumarchais'] fame rests on Le Barbier de Seville (1775) and Le Mariage de Figaro (1784), the only French plays which his stage-struck century bequeathed to the international repertoire. But his achievement has been adulterated, for 'Beaumarchais' has long been the brand name of a product variously reprocessed by Mozart, Rossini, and the score or so librettists and musicians who have perpetuated his plots, his characters, and his name. The most intriguing question of all has centered on his role as catalyst of the Revolution. Was his impertinent barber the Sweeney Todd of the Ancien Régime, the true begetter of the guillotine? . . . Beaumarchais' plays have often seemed to need the same kind of shoring up as his reputation, as though they couldn't stand on their own without a scaffolding of good tunes. Yet, as John Wells' lively and splendidly speakable translations of the Barber, the Marriage, and A Mother's Guilt demonstrate, they need assistance from no one. [Beaumarchais] thought of the three plays as a trilogy. Taken together, they reflect, as John Leigh's commentaries make clear, the Ancien Régime's unstoppable slide into revolution. --David Coward in The London Review of Books
Originally published: Oxford World's Classic paperback, c2003.
A French courtier, secret agent, libertine and adventurer, Beaumarchais (1732-99) was also author of two sparkling plays about the scoundrelly valet Figaro triumphant successes that were used as the basis of operas by Mozart and Rossini. A highly engaging comedy of intrigue, The Barber of Seville portrays the resourceful Figaro foiling a jealous old man's attempts to keep his beautiful ward from her lover. And The Marriage of Figaro condemned by Louis XVI for its daring satire of nobility and privilege depicts a master and servant set in opposition by their desire for the same woman. With characteristic lightness of touch, Beaumarchais created an audacious farce of disguise and mistaken identity that balances wit, frivolity and seriousness in equal measure