Funeral of Figaro by Ellis Peters


published 1962




[a young opera singer wants to go out, but is stuck in her dressing-room]

Her eyes had begun to dance as soon as she saw her way to a victory. She scrambled back into Cherubino’s embroidered coat, smoothed on the powdered with its neat black ribbon queue, and shot her ruffles with a swagger in the mirror. Gleaming pale-blue satin breeches, white silk stockings, black buckled shoes, full shirt-sleeves knotted with black ribbon billowing in the wide cuffs of the sky-blue coat, and pearl-grey waistcoat stiff with silver thread. Nothing could possibly be more respectable.



She twisted the full skirts of her coat before the mirror a last time, clapped the silver-braided tricorne on top of her wig [and said] “West End, here I come!”

comments: Hero Truscott is playing the page Cherubino in Mozart’s opera Marriage of Figaro – a part always (?) ** played by a young woman, a mezzo, and known as a trouser role. Hero’s costume goes down very nicely amongst the gawping public on her trip to London, though her date does not go well.

Her father owns and runs an opera house somewhere just outside London. The phrase ‘the poor man’s Glyndebourne’ comes up in the book, just when you are thinking it sounds like Glyndebourne. The theatre is full of Johnny Truscott’s connections from his days as a wild man during World War 2, an intricate network of former military comrades and friends, and people who need a safe berth. They are staging The Marriage of Figaro, and have to unexpectedly bring in a new singer for the title role: his name is Marc Chatrier, and he is a very good singer, but his history and bad behaviour quickly unspool. It turns out a lot of people might have reason to want him out of the way, though he also seems to be no loss. And then someone dies on stage during the complex final act of Figaro – very important to track exactly where everyone was, and luckily there is an opera-loving policeman, Inspector Musgrave, in the audience. He (hilariously) is forever critiquing the staging, the choices, the management of the house – all in rather a grumpy way, and not really connected to the murder.



In last year’s entry on Mick Herron’s Joe Country I said one section of that book was ‘like the last act of Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro, only worse weather and harder to sort out’**. The scenes in the opera are set in a garden at night, full of people hiding, impersonating each other, pretending they do or don’t know who another person is, being threatening, or else flirting with and charming the right person and the wrong one. So ideal for a murder…

Pretty much everyone agrees that Chatrier is no loss, but everyone is – as in all these books – terribly worried about each other, and covering up and ready to go a long way to save each other. But who actually did it?

It is short, sharp and very entertaining, particularly for the opera fans among us, who indeed know that Marcellina always wears black lace gloves. (Not a spoiler, just one of many facts).

Ellis Peters was a very distinguished crime writer, famous for the Cadfael books, but also the author of many contemporary books. I looked to see what else I had featured by her, and there was The Will and the Deed, which also had an opera theme – Rosenkavalier in that case. (I also featured some rather splendid Barbie knitting patterns in a post on the book.) Rosenkavalier is not a well-beloved opera for me, for reasons I explain in this post on a Somerset Maugham book.

But another Strauss opera, Elektra, is a great favourite, and in this post on Colm Toibin’s House of Names I explain why, if only I had any talent, I would particularly like to have appeared in it. I feel I could have given quite the performance.

In fact there are a lot of posts on the blog featuring opera, one way or another, I was quite surprised when I checked at how often I had managed to smuggle it in. I particularly recommend James Yaffe’s My Mother the Detective (‘She’s no Renata Tebaldi’) and the sublime Terry Pratchett, with the witches going to see Lohenshaak and La Triviata.

**almost always a woman– but watch out for the legendary Kimchilia aka Kangmin Justin Kim, a counter-tenor who performed it at the Royal Opera House in London last year: I saw his performance just before writing about the Mick Herron book, as mentioned above, and hence the comparison.

Aged photo from the NYPL.

Headshot from an opera book of 1916, via Internet Book Images.

The colour picture is the wonderful Angelika Kirchschlager playing the role of Cherubino.

















Comments

  1. Wonderful picture at the top.
    Your description of The Marriage of Figaro reminded me of Victor Borge's very funny sketch on opera. 'Why this happens, nobody knows except Mozart.' Anyone else old enough to remember VB?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do remember him! My family loved him, we used to watch whenever he was on TV. We just have to make our peace with the way opera plots work...

      Delete
  2. I've often thought that operas are great contexts and settings for murder mysteries, Moira. And it sounds as though in this one, the mystery and the opera reflect each other in enough ways that they go together, if that makes sense. I've read some mysteries that take place in the context of Shakespeare's plays, and the good ones do the same thing. Glad you enjoyed this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, Margot, I think we share that love for certain kinds of settings. And opera and theatre are particular favourites - they work so well.

      Delete
  3. I adore the Cadfael novels, but have been wary of Ellis Peters' other work since reading A Derangement of Epitaphs, which was dreadful But this sounds most enjoyable. By the way, the Barbie knitting patterns are wonderful - if I didn't have the one at the top, then I had one very like it. I distinctly remember producing some very mis-shapen woollen garments for her and, sadly, my knitting skills haven't improved much over the years! I know I've said this before, but I do love following the links in your posts, which always lead me to more links, and more good books which must be read... it's like a treasure trail, with clues scattered along the way!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What kind words Christine - thank you. I made clothes for my own Barbies and then made them for my daughter: I didn't use patterns much but made squares and put the clothes together. At least they were quick to make, and used up bits of wool.

      Delete
  4. Very interesting. I just recently read the first Cadfael book and was surprised to like it so much. I have also read one of the Inspector Felse series and plan to read another. But I was not aware she had done other mysteries. This one sounds very good and also seems to be available and at a reasonable amount.

    Last night I purchased a copy of The Women in Black (at not so reasonable a price). I had been thinking about it and looking into the film based on the book, so just gave in and bought it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't ever get on with Cadfael much, and hadn't realized till relatively recently that she wrote so much not-historical. I have liked the ones I read. Not sure which the Inspector Felse ones are, I must investigate.
      I hope you DO enjoy Women in Black - I found the film on a paid-for streaming service, and am thinking of watching it again, I think a perfect film to get lost in in this current crisis!

      Delete
  5. No idea why, but I am suddenly able to comment again. Must read this, I think I'd love it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh how nice that you are back on with us! And yes, this is such a classic crime book, think you will like.

      Delete
  6. Pretty sure something from Peters sits on the pile. I kind of bought one from everyone of the heralded authors and promptly read none of them. Thanks for the reminder of Herron.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is such a Col sentence, such a Col thing to do! Herron probably more up your street than this..

      Delete

Post a Comment