Mozart during his short life created a huge number of various musical works, but he considered operas to be the most important in his work. In total, he wrote 21 operas, with the very first, Apollo and Hyacinth, at the age of 10 years, and the most significant works fell on the last decade of his life. The plots mostly correspond to the tastes of that time, they depict ancient heroes (opera-seria) or, as in opera buffa, inventive and crafty characters.
A truly cultured person is simply obliged to know which operas Mozart wrote, or at least the most famous ones.
"The Wedding of Figaro"
One of the most famous operas is Le nozze di Figaro, written in 1786 after the play by Beaumarchais. The plot is simple - there will be a wedding of Figaro and Suzanna, but Count Almaviva is in love with Suzanna, seeking to get her favor at any cost. All this intrigue is built around this. Claimed as opera buffa, The Marriage of Figaro, however, went beyond the genre due to the complexity of the characters, their personality, created by the music. Thus, a character comedy is created - a new genre.
"Don Juan"
In 1787, Mozart wrote the opera Don Juan based on a medieval Spanish legend. By genre - this is opera buffa, Mozart himself defines it as a "fun drama." Don Juan, trying to seduce Donna Anna, kills her father, Commander, and hides. After a series of adventures and disguises, Don Juan invites the statue of the Commander he killed to a ball. And the Commander is. As a formidable weapon of retaliation, he carries the libertine into hell ...
Vice punished, as required by the laws of classicism. However, the Mozart don Juan is not just a negative hero, he attracts the viewer with his optimism and courage. Mozart goes beyond the genre and creates a psychological musical drama, which is close to Shakespeare by the intensity of passions.
"So do all"
The opera-buff "That's what everybody does" in 1789 was commissioned by Mozart by Emperor Joseph. It is based on a real story that happened at court. In the story, two young men, Ferrando and Guglielmo decide to make sure of the fidelity of their brides and are disguised as them. A certain Don Alfonso incites them, claiming that there is no such thing in the world as female loyalty. And it turns out right ...
In this opera Mozart adheres to the traditional genre of buff, its music is full of lightness and grace. Unfortunately, during the lifetime of the composer, "This is the way everyone acts" was not appreciated, but at the beginning of the 19th century they began to perform it on the largest opera stages.
"Titus's Mercy"
"Titus's Mercy" Mozart writes to the accession to the throne of the Czech emperor Leopold II in 1791. As a libretto, he was offered a very primitive text with a banal plot, but what kind of opera Mozart wrote!
Remarkable work with sublime and noble music. The center of attention is the Roman Emperor Titus Flavius Vespasian. He reveals a conspiracy against his own person, but finds in himself the generosity to forgive the conspirators. This theme was best suited for coronation celebrations, and Mozart coped brilliantly with the task.
"Magical flute"
In the same year, Mozart wrote an opera in the German national singspiel genre, which particularly attracted him. This is the "Magic Flute" on the libretto by E. Shikanedera. The plot is replete with magic and miracles and reflects the eternal struggle between good and evil.
The magician Sarastro abducts the daughter of the Queen of the Night, and she sends the young man Tamino to find her. He finds a girl, but it turns out that Sarastro is on the side of good, and the Queen of the Night is the embodiment of evil. Tamino successfully passes all the tests and gets the hand of her beloved. The opera was staged in Vienna in 1791 and was a huge success thanks to the magnificent music of Mozart.
Who knows how many more great works he created, what operas Mozart wrote if fate had given him at least a few more years of life. But what he managed to do in his short life belongs to the treasures of world music.
The author - Elena Vasilyeva
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