The Abduction of Figaro is acomic opera in three acts, described as "A SimplyGrand Opera byP. D. Q. Bach", byPeter Schickele. It is a parody ofopera in general, and the title is a play on two operas byWolfgang Amadeus Mozart:The Abduction from the Seraglio,K. 384, andThe Marriage of Figaro, K. 492. Those two operas, as well asCosì fan tutte andDon Giovanni, andGilbert and Sullivan'sThe Pirates of Penzance are among the core inspirations for the piece.The Abduction of Figaro is numbered S. 384, 492 in Schickele'scatalogue of works.^[1]

Schickele was commissioned to "discover" this opera by theMinnesota Opera, where the piece premiered on April 27 and 28, 1984.^[2] In addition to parodying Mozart, the music incorporates diverse influences and musical quotes, from traditional camp songs like "Found a Peanut" to popular songs like "Macho Man" by theVillage People. The opera has been released on VHS and DVD.^[3]

Several characters' names and roles closely resemble those of characters in Mozart operas:

• Al Donfonso (doctor): Don Alfonso, a philosopher inCosì fan tutte
• Figaro (retired haircutter): Figaro inThe Marriage of Figaro
• Susanna Susannadanna (Figaro's wife): Susanna inThe Marriage of Figaro
• Donald Giovanni: Don Giovanni in theopera of the same name
• Schlepporello (servant to Donald Giovanni): Leoporello, servant to Don Giovanni
• Donna Donna (jilted lady): Donna Elvira and Donna Anna inDon Giovanni
• Pecadillo (servant to Susanna): Pedrillo, servant to Belmonte inThe Abduction from the Seraglio
• Blondie (servant to Donna Donna): Blonde, servant to Constanze inThe Abduction from the Seraglio
• Pasha Shaboom: Pasha Selim inThe Abduction from the Seraglio
• Opec (servant to the Pasha): Osmin, groundskeeper for the Pasha Selim inThe Abduction from the Seraglio
• Papa Geno (swineherd): Papageno, a birdcatcher inThe Magic Flute
• Mama Geno (Papa Geno's wife): Papagena, Papageno's sweetheart inThe Magic Flute

Additionally, much of the first act takes place at the palace of the "Count and CountessAlmamater", a reference to the Count and Countess Almaviva fromThe Marriage of Figaro, though neither character is physically seen in the opera.

A dyingFigaro lies in bed, attended by his wife Susanna Susannadanna, her servant Pecadillo, doctor Al Donfonso, and a chorus of townspeople. Donfonso detects a heartbeat after removing a couple ofpeanuts out of Figaro's pocket. He says Figaro must get rest if he's going to live. Shortly after Donfonso leaves, Figaro sits up as if trying to say something but falls back down, prompting everyone to call the doctor back. Donfonso returns and appliesmedicinal leeches, much to everyone's disgust. He insists it was a treatment used onGeorge Washington, but admits that Washington didn't survive (Introduction/"Found a peanut!").

Susanna is left alone with Figaro. She puts a pillow under him because his back hurts, then tearfully pleads for his health to improve, supported by threedoo-wop singers ("Stay with me"). A noble lady suddenly enters, stating that she is looking for a man namedDonald Giovanni who has betrayed her ("Perfidy, thy name is Donald"). After being subdued by Susanna and Pecadillo, she introduces herself as Donna Donna. Pecadillo is immediately drawn to her servant, Blondie. All four express their views onlove in a quartet ("Love is gone").

Outside, in the palace courtyard, Donald Giovanni arrives with his servant Schlepporello. Schlepporello wants to sing anaria, but Giovanni tells him he's amute character and shouldn't even be speaking. Susanna and Blondie emerge on the balcony. While Pecadillo sings a serenade to Blondie while playingukulele ("Behold, fair maiden"), Giovanni calls to Susanna, who eventually invites him inside ("Thy lofty tree").

Susanna shows Giovanni her husband lying asleep. Donfonso returns to check on Figaro. Donna Donna enters and recognizes Giovanni, demanding that he marry her or be shot. Before Donna Donna can shoot Giovanni, apirate emerges from a chest and threatens to kill anyone who moves. He introduces himself as Captain Kadd ("My name is Captain Kadd") and announces he's "taking this ship toCuba" in search of a hidden treasure. Donfonso awkwardly explains that they aren't on a ship, but rather in Figaro's bedroom, "in a town on the coast ofSpain orItaly or somewhere". Undeterred, Kadd takes Figaro and his bed hostage and rolls out of the room. Everyone else laments about the situation, and Susanna dramatically faints from shock ("What a downer!").

Giovanni descends a ladder from the balcony, but Donna Donna is waiting for him outside. Lying, he assures her he isn't trying to flee. He explains that he is going to find Figaro and bring him back ("No man"). He recruits the unwilling Pecadillo to join him and Schlepporello. At a dock, Giovanni and Pecadillo promise to be faithful to Donna Donna and Blondie and say goodbye ("Ah, though we must part"). The three men board a ship and sail off. Immediately, there's a storm, and the ship sinks in the distance (Act 1 finale).

Several days later, the men reach an unknown shore somewhere in theTurkish Empire ("God be praised"). They meet Opec, who sings a nonsensical song while picking various tropical fruit off of a single tree ("Fish gotta swim"). Opec tells the trio that they are at the palace of thePasha Shaboom. The Pasha enters with his entourage ("Hey, make way"), and a group of dancers perform theDance of the Seven Pails. Opec informs the Pasha of the three suspicious foreigners he has found, but the Pasha is clearly stoned and isn't bothered. After the Pasha and his company leave, Giovanni and Pecadillo express their admiration of two veiled women. However, the women reveal themselves as Donna Donna and Blondie in diguise and promptly leave, feeling insulted by the men'slack of fidelity ("May I introduce").

Blondie and Donna Donna commiserate. Blondie laments that there aren't any faithful men, but Donna Donna still wants a man who will be true to her ("Macho, macho"). Pecadillo begs for Blondie's forgiveness while playing apedal steel guitar ("You can beat me"). Donna Donna angrily comes out, but Giovanni insists that she still has his heart. She initially succumbs to his advances, but quickly breaks off and denounces him. She becomes so angry that she breaks thefourth wall, telling the orchestra'sconductor that "I'm not even going to sing myaria!" before storming offstage.

Giovanni tells Pecadillo and Schlepporello that it's time to continue their quest to rescue Figaro. Opec asks to join them, offering to provide a ship and crew. The quartet sets sail for Cuba, "the land ofcoconuts andrum" (Act 2 finale).

On a tropical island, there's aballet which has nothing to do with the story. The four men enter, believing they're in an enchanted forest or perhaps dreaming, but Pecadillo decides they're simply lost ("A magic forest"). Schlepporello still wants to sing, but Giovanni harshly reminds him he's not allowed to.

The group meets Papa Geno and Mama Geno, a pair of poverty-strickenswineherds ("I am a swineherd"). They explain that they've been living on the island ever since they were in ashipwreck. Captain Kadd arrives, still with Figaro's bed. Kadd recognizes Papa Geno as his former ship's cook and receives a map from him. The directions lead to the bed, where everyone discovers that Figaro is missing. Where he was lying, though, is theMaltese Falcon. That's why Figaro's back was hurting; the treasure was in the bed the whole time.

Kadd discovers that the hollow statuette, which is supposed to contain the treasure, is empty and halts the performance midway through the opera'sfinale (Finale, part 1). He argues with the opera company'smanager, who wants Kadd to go on and simply pretend that the treasure is there (despite the entire audience now knowing the truth), but Kadd insists the production is supposed to be fully staged. Schlepporello, nowbreaking character, reveals he has intentionally hidden the treasure and that he'll return it on the condition that he is allowed to sing, suggesting an aria of Donald Giovanni's that was "cut" from the second act during rehearsals. The manager gives in ("Why, oh why").

After an underwhelming vocal performance andtap dance, Schlepporello produces the treasure, and the finale concludes with Kadd celebrating his newly acquired wealth. An offstage narrator briefly summarizes the later life of the main characters, such as Giovanni dying of "unnatural causes" and Figaro moving toParis to starta newspaper (Finale, part 2).

DVD bonus tracks

• Excerpts from the Gross Concerto for Divers Flutes and Orchestra, S. −2^[4]
• Professor Peter Schickele in conversation with Gordon Hunt

• Peter Schickele/P. D. Q. Bach homepage

• P. D. Q. Bach
• Operas
• 1984 operas
• English-language operas
• English comic operas
• 1984 video albums
• Works based on Die Entführung aus dem Serail
• Works based on The Marriage of Figaro
• Works based on Così fan tutte
• Works based on Don Giovanni

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Official website not in Wikidata