# Beaumarchais' Figaro trilogy

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaumarchais-figaro-trilogy/258409>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 5, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaumarchais-figaro-trilogy/258409 "2004-08-05T04:27:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaumarchais-figaro-trilogy/258409/1 "2004-08-05T04:27:47Z")

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Two of Beaumarchais’ trilogy of plays form the basis of well-known operas: the \*Barber of Seville \* by Rossini and the \*Marriage of Figaro \* by Mozart. Has the third play in the trilogy (\*La Mère Coupable \* i.e. the Guilty Mother) ever been used as the basis of an opera?

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaumarchais-figaro-trilogy/258409/2 "2004-08-05T04:31:40Z")

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Sure - _L’Hare coupable_, starring B. Bunny and E. Fudd, reprising their roles from _Rabbit of Seville_.

😛

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaumarchais-figaro-trilogy/258409/3 "2004-08-05T04:39:20Z")

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Très drôle, mon ami. I must make sure that I catch it next time there’s a production here in Sydney. 🙂

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**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaumarchais-figaro-trilogy/258409/4 "2004-08-05T11:17:22Z")

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_The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera_ (OUP, 1964, 1980) by Rosenthal and Warrack says (p328) that an opera of the third play was composed in 1966 by the French composer Darius Milhaud. They also note (p37) that Andre Gretry (1741-1813) “seriously considered” adapting it.

They’re surprisingly silent about _L’Hare coupable_ and shamefully ignore the _Rabbit of Seville_.

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaumarchais-figaro-trilogy/258409/5 "2004-08-05T22:35:32Z")

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Thank you **bonzer**. I must see if I can track down a recording of Milhaud’s work.