One of Mozart's supreme compositions, Figaro premiered in 1786 as a "commedia per musica," and elevated the time-honored opera buffa of Italian tradition to new heights. Since then, according to noted British musicologist Spike Hughes, Figaro has been regarded as a "masterpiece of comic opera that has never been equalled." Lorenzo da Ponte's original Italian libretto is featured in this indispensable rehearsal aid for performers at all levels.