Pierre de Beaumarchais was one of the greatest comic French playwrights best-known as the author of The Barber of Seville (Le Barbier de Séville) and its sequel, The Marriage of Figaro (Le Mariage de Figaro).
The two plays were adapted into even more famous operas, with The Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia) composed by Gioachino Rossini, and The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) by Wolfgang Amadeus Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Both are typical light comedies which became popular in Europe in the 18th century classical music repertoire, and continue their wide acclaim all over the world's cultural performing theatres.
Early Life of Pierre de Beaumarchais
Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais was born on January 24, 1732 in Paris. He took the name of Beaumarchais in 1757. A son of a watchmaker, he learned the trade himself. He even invented a new form of escapement, a mechanism that controlled the speed of watches.
Beaumarchais led varied and exciting life. He became a music teacher to the daughter of King Louis XV. He also became a secret agent; as a spy, he was sent to Britain and his business speculations included supplying guns to the American revolutionaries for their fight against the British.
Beaumarchais the Playwright
The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro were first produced when Beaumarchais was 43 and 52, respectively. These two best known works are satires that show clever servants outwitting their aristocratic employers.
As a playwright, Beaumarchais took great care over stage details, including characterizations and costumes. His successes were immediate and far-reaching. His works were translated that within a year of translation, they appeared in England of their first French performances. Mozart's librettist, Lorenzo da Ponte, worked on Figaro and a year later, opera Le Nozze di Figaro was performed. It has become one of the most famous operas of wunderkind Mozart to this day.
Beaumarchais's Political Leanings
Pierre de Beaumarchais was critical of the nobility and showed great sympathy for the lower classes. Opposition to aristocratic privilege was growing in France at the time, soon to explode in the French Revolution. It has been said that the performance of The Marriage of Figaro might have sparked the revolution. For anyone familiar with the play, the theme is apparent and something significant during the period.
Ironically, despite his support for the revolution, the revolutionaries forced Beaumarchais to go into exile in 1792. His former association with the royal court and his wealth made them suspect that he still favoured aristocracy. Pierre Caron de Beaumarchais died in Paris at the age of 67, on May 18, 1799.
Books by Beaumarchais
- Eugénie, 1767
- The Two Friends, 1770
- Memoirs of Sir Beaumarchais, 1774-1778
- The Barber of Seville or The Useless Precaution, 1775 (Il barbiere di Siviglia)
- The Marriage of Figaro or A Mad Day, 1784 (Le Nozze di Figaro)
- Tarare, 1787
- The Guilty Mother, 1792
Sources:
- Goring, Rosemary, Ed. Larousse Dictionary of Writers. New York: Larousse, 1994.
- McGovern, Una, Ed. Biographical Dictionary. Edinburgh: Chambers / Harrap Publishers, 2002.
- Payne, Tom. The A-Z of Great Writers. London: Carlton, 1997.
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