Thread: Mozart's most meaningful opera

It is a general thought that Mozart's compositions were not really deep -loftiness- in content. But some of his operas shown otherwise.

Which of this Mozart's Opera gives us a hint of more deep thoughts about existence, human nature and destiny.

There is an 'other' option if you think that the selection given is not complete. Please mention it.

Thanks.

For "human nature", Le Nozze Di Figaro and Cosi fan Tutte are the most telling. While couched in farce, the former is a sublime statement on the nature of love and forgiveness. The latter, a more cynical, slightly disturbing, yet wiser commentary on the same virtues. To me these two operas are opposite sides of the same coin and give more insight into the human condition than any other opera by Mozart or anyone else for that matter.

Originally Posted by Ondine

It is a general thought that Mozart's compositions were not really deep -loftiness- in content.

Heh, I couldn't disagree more.

Originally Posted by StevenOBrien

Heh, I couldn't disagree more.

Yes. I disagree too with this idea. I don't know why but some people tell me this any time I express my delight about Mozart music.

I think that this idea was heavily reinforced due to the Milos Forman's 'Amadeus' film.

Originally Posted by Olias

For "human nature", Le Nozze Di Figaro and Cosi fan Tutte are the most telling. While couched in farce, the former is a sublime statement on the nature of love and forgiveness. The latter, a more cynical, slightly disturbing, yet wiser commentary on the same virtues. To me these two operas are opposite sides of the same coin and give more insight into the human condition than any other opera by Mozart or anyone else for that matter.

Yes. Mozart operas were deeply thought. We have to remember that Mozart's historical context was that where doing music was in the same level as cleaning a royal room, cooking, or dressing a princess. So, freedom for Mozart was seriously limited. His political thought had to be extremely disguised.

Die Zauberflöte! All those awesome lyrics and music pieces. How can't you see that?!

Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja!

Pa-pa-pa-papagena!

I would say Le nozze di Figaro is the most meaningful

Originally Posted by Ondine

Yes. I disagree too with this idea. I don't know why but some people tell me this any time I express my delight about Mozart music.

I think that this idea was heavily reinforced due to the Milos Forman's 'Amadeus' film.

Mozart's music is like a bon bon. It's deceptively soft and sweet on the surface, but with a bit of work and patience, it gets harder, AND THEN, you reach the chewy toffee underneath.

I believe most of Mozart's Operas are superb works from any point of view. My soft spot is "Le Nozze di Figaro". In this Opera, the psychological characterisation is of a constant subtlety: Figaro's humour moves from the jovial to sardonic; Suzanna can be superficilally charming and deeply profound; The antipathetic Count can exercise his charme to the ridicule, let alone Cherubino, an "adrogyne" role, to be the most sensual character of the work.
The libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte serves very well Mozart's music to the extent that it can cover carefully and with utmost subtlety and sensitivity the subversive character of the play by Beaumarchais. Wolfgang most cleverly provides three brilliant Arias to the valet and only one (a rather conservative one, though beautiful enough) to the Count, while the "comic" roles have the right of some exquisite accompanying recitatives, usually reserved for the noble characters of an Opera of the time.
Some other intriguing features of the work rely on the challenges as for the various aspects of interpretation. The actual leading role is Suzanna, the domestic. She is better and more served by both the music and libretto. Out of 28 numbers of the work half are for the ensemble. The role of timing is of utmost significance, while the role of the verbal exchanges between voices, voices and orchestra or even between the intruments themselves (even in the Overture) is of paramount importance. For instance, the extended Finales of the Act II (with the superb Septet) and IV are some of the greatest and most sublime moments in the whole Opera History.
Recordings have served the Opera maybe better than any other one by Mozart (with the exception of the other big and "heavy-weight" one, namely Don Giovanni).

Principe

I

Originally Posted by Ondine

It is a general thought that Mozart's compositions were not really deep -loftiness- in content. But some of his operas shown otherwise.

Which of this Mozart's Opera gives us a hint of more deep thoughts about existence, human nature and destiny.

There is an 'other' option if you think that the selection given is not complete. Please mention it.

Thanks.

I have never heard of this "general thought", "Le Nozze di Figaro" is a comment on the social situation of the time and strongly critical.

Originally Posted by Ondine

It is a general thought that Mozart's compositions were not really deep -loftiness- in content.

George Bernard Shaw, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Gustave Flaubert, Søren Kierkegaard, Charles Rosen, Einstein, Gounod, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Ingmar Bergman, Thomas Bernhard, etc. would disagree

Cosí any day. It's one of the most intensely human of operas, and certainly Mozart's greatest Italian opera.

Originally Posted by StevenOBrien

Mozart's music is like a bon bon. It's deceptively soft and sweet on the surface, but with a bit of work and patience, it gets harder, AND THEN, you reach the chewy toffee underneath.

Ooooo, I love Mozart-Kugeln!

I guess if you compare Mozart to Beethoven or Wagner, the words "lofty" and "profound" would better describe the latter. However, Mozart's music is not just candy corn for the ears -- the powdered wig version of pop music, say. Mozart's music is mature and controlled, and if it doesn't usually go for the instrumental and emotional extremes reached by Beethoven, I don't think it is any less emotionally genuine.

As befits the classical era, Mozart came from a culture that viewed art as expressing clarity, logic and beauty above all else. The emotions in his work may not be always on his sleeve, but they are there. To answer the poll, I would say that some of Mozart's most touching music can be found in Die Zauberflote -- for example, Pamina's "Ach ich fuhls" aria.

Originally Posted by Glissando

I guess if you compare Mozart to Beethoven or Wagner, the words "lofty" and "profound" would better describe the latter.

One can not possibly compare such group.

With words like lofty and profound, Don Giovanni's ouverture is just as such as Die Wälkure or Siegfried's Vorspiel.

The Commendatore's motif is one of the darkest sounds ever written, even compared to the curse or treasure motives in Der Ring..

Qui tollis peccata mundi from Mozart's Great Mass as the strength of, for example, Kyrie from Missa Solemnis.

Also one cannot diferent eras. On cannot compare very distinct phyllosophies. Mozart had not lived the French Revolution, for example, as Beethoven did or Wagner had with revolution in Dresden.

And certainly one can not compare the achievements acquired by some one who died at 35 years, when by that age none of these composers had reached their zenith.

Each one, in their time, were superbs at what they did with the resources they had.

Imagine what they would have done with today's technology...