The political references were removed, as was Figaro’s (the protagonist) original climactic rant, and the whole thing was transformed into poetic Italian.
“The Marriage of Figaro” was first banned in Vienna, but Da Ponte eventually managed to acquire the Emperor’s official approval. The operatic version was a grand success. This was the first collaboration between Mozart and Lorenzo. Wolfgang had approached Da Ponte with “The Mad Day,” while the latter crafted the libretto within six weeks. The political references were removed, as was Figaro’s (the protagonist) original climactic rant, and the whole thing was transformed into poetic Italian.