List of operas by Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's operas comprise 22 musical dramas in a variety of genres. They range from the small-scale, derivative works of his youth to the full-fledged operas of his maturity. Three of the works were abandoned before completion and were not performed until many years after the composer's death. His mature works are all considered classics and have never been out of the repertory of the world's opera houses.^[1]

From a very young age Mozart had, according to opera analyst David Cairns, "an extraordinary capacity [...] for seizing on and assimilating whatever in a newly encountered style (was) most useful to him".^[2] In a letter to his father, dated 7 February 1778, Mozart wrote, "As you know, I can more or less adopt or imitate any kind and style of composition".^[3] He used this gift to break new ground, becoming simultaneously "assimilator, perfector and innovator".^[2] Thus, his early works follow the traditional forms of the Italian opera seria and opera buffa as well as the German Singspiel. In his maturity, according to music writer Nicholas Kenyon, he "enhanced all of these forms with the richness of his innovation",^[1] and, in Don Giovanni, he achieved a synthesis of the two Italian styles, including a seria character in Donna Anna, buffa characters in Leporello and Zerlina, and a mixed seria-buffa character in Donna Elvira.^[1]

Ideas and characterisations introduced in the early works were subsequently developed and refined. For example, Mozart's later operas feature a series of memorable, strongly drawn female characters, in particular the so-called "Viennese soubrettes" who, in opera writer Charles Osborne's phrase, "contrive to combine not true instinct".^[4] Music writer and analyst Gottfried Kraus has remarked that all these women were present, as prototypes, in the earlier operas; Bastienne (1768), and Sandrina (La finta giardiniera, 1774) are precedents for the later Constanze and Pamina, while Sandrina's foil Serpetta is the forerunner of Blonde, Susanna, Zerlina and Despina.^[5]

Mozart's texts came from a variety of sources, and the early operas were often adaptations of existing works.^[6] The first librettist chosen by Mozart himself appears to have been Giambattista Varesco, for Idomeneo in 1781.^[7] Five years later, he began his most enduring collaboration, with Lorenzo Da Ponte, his "true phoenix".^[8] The once widely-held theory that Da Ponte was the librettist for the discarded Lo sposo deluso of 1783 has now been generally rejected.^[9] Mozart felt that, as the composer, he should have considerable input into the content of the libretto, so that it would best serve the music. Musicologist Charles Rosen writes, "it is possible that Da Ponte understood the dramatic necessities of Mozart's style without prompting; but before his association with da Ponte, Mozart had already bullied several librettists into giving him the dramatically shaped ensembles he loved."^[10][11]

Contents 1 Compiling the list 1.1 Basis for inclusion 1.2 Sequence 2 List of works 3 References

Compiling the list

Basis for inclusion

The list includes all the theatrical works generally accepted as composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In this context "theatrical" means performed on a stage, by vocalists singing in character, in accordance with stage directions. Some sources have adopted more specific criteria, leading them to exclude the early "Sacred Singspiel" Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots,^[12] which they classify as an oratorio.^[13] However, as Osborne makes clear, the libretto contains stage directions which suggest that the work was acted, not merely sung, and it is formally described as a "geistliches Singspiel" (sacred play with music), not as an oratorio.^[14]

Sequence

In general, the list follows the sequence in which the operas were written. There is uncertainty about whether La finta semplice was written before or after Bastien und Bastienne, and in some listings the former is given priority.^[15] Thamos was written in two segments, the earlier in 1774, but is listed in accordance with its completion in 1779–80. Die Zauberflöte and La clemenza di Tito were written concurrently. Die Zauberflote was started earlier and put aside for the Tito commission,^[16] which was completed and performed first and is usually listed as the earlier work despite having a higher Köchel catalogue number.

List of works

Note: Eng refers to English translation of title

Köchel No.[17]	Year composed	Title	Language	Type of opera[18]	Librettist[19]	Voice parts[20]	First performance details[21]
K.35	1767	Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots Part I[22] Eng: The Obligation of the first and foremost Commandment Score	German	Sacred Singspiel	Ignaz von Weiser[23]	3 soprano, 2 tenor	Archbishop's Palace, Salzburg, 12 March 1767
K.38	1767	Apollo et Hyacinthus Eng: Apollo and Hyacinth Score	Latin	Musical setting of a Latin text [24]	Rufinus Widl, after Ovid's Metamorphoses	2 soprano, 2 alto, 1 tenor, 2 bass, chorus[25]	Great Hall, University of Salzburg, 13 May 1767
K.50[26]	1768	Bastien und Bastienne Eng: Bastien and Bastienne Score	German	Singspiel in one act	F. W. Weiskern and J. H. Muller[27]	1 soprano, 1 tenor, 1 bass	First confirmed performance: Architektenhaus, Berlin, 2 October 1890. Unconfirmed performance Vienna, October 1768 in garden of Dr Franz Mesmer[28]
K.51[29]	1768	La finta semplice Eng: The Feigned Simpleton Score	Italian	Opera buffa in three acts	Marco Coltellini, after Carlo Goldoni	2 soprano, 1 contralto (or mezzo-soprano), 2 tenor, 2 bass[30]	Archbishop's Palace, Salzburg, 1 May 1769
K.87[31]	1770	Mitridate, re di Ponto Eng: Mithridates, King of Pontus Score	Italian	Opera seria in three acts	Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi, after Giuseppe Parini, after Jean Racine	4 soprano, 1 alto, 2 tenor[32]	Teatro Regio Ducal, Milan, 26 December 1770
K.111	1771	Ascanio in Alba Eng: Ascanius in Alba Score	Italian	Festspiel[33] in two acts	Giuseppe Parini	4 soprano, 1 tenor, chorus[34]	Teatro Regio Ducal, Milan, 17 October 1771
K.126	1772	Il sogno di Scipione Eng: Scipio's Dream Score	Italian	Azione teatrale, or Serenata drammatica, in one act	Metastasio, after Cicero	3 soprano, 3 tenor, chorus	Archbishop's residence, Salzburg, probably 1 May 1772[35]
K.135	1772	Lucio Silla Eng: Lucius Sulla Score	Italian	Dramma per musica in three acts	Giovanni de Gamarra, revised by Metastasio	4 soprano, 2 tenor, chorus[36]	Teatro Regio Ducal, Milan, 26 December 1772
K.196	1774	La finta giardiniera Eng: The Pretend Garden-Maid Score	Italian	Dramma giocoso in three acts[37]	Probably Giuseppe Petrosellini[38]	4 soprano, 2 tenor, 1 bass, chorus	Redoutensaal, Munich, 13 January 1775
K.208	1775	Il re pastore Eng: The Shepherd King Score	Italian	Serenata in two acts	Metastasio, amended by Giambattista Varesco[39]	3 soprano, 2 tenor[40]	Archbishop's Palace, Salzburg, 23 April 1775
K.345[41]	1773 & 1779	Thamos, König in Ägypten Eng: Thamos, King of Egypt Score	German	Choruses and entr'actes for a heroic drama	Tobias Philipp von Gebler	Chorus and soloists: soprano, alto, tenor, bass	Kärntnertor Theatre, Vienna 4 April 1774 (two choruses); first complete performance Salzburg, 1779–80
K.344[42]	1779	Zaide Eng: Zaide Score	German	Singspiel (incomplete)	Johann Andreas Schachtner	1 soprano, 2 tenor, 2 bass, ensemble (mini-chorus) of 4 tenors, 1 speaking role	Frankfurt (location unrecorded), 27 January 1866. Not performed during Mozart's lifetime
K.366	1780–81	Idomeneo, re di Creta Eng: Idomeneo, King of Crete Score	Italian	Dramma per musica in three acts	Giambattista Varesco, after Antoine Danchet	3 soprano, 1 mezzo-soprano, 4 tenor, 1 baritone,2 bass, chorus [43]	Court Theatre (now Cuvilliés Theatre), Munich, 29 January 1781
K.384	1782	Die Entführung aus dem Serail Eng: The Abduction from the Seraglio Score	German	Singspiel in three acts	Gottlieb Stephanie, based on text by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner	2 soprano, 2 tenor, 1 bass, 2 speaking roles[44]	Burgtheater, Vienna, 16 July 1782
K.422	1784	L'oca del Cairo Eng: The Goose of Cairo Score	Italian	Dramma per musica (incomplete)	Giambattista Varesco	(Provisional) 4 soprano, 2 tenor, 2 bass, chorus	Theatre du Fantaisies-Parisiennes, Paris, 6 June 1867 Not performed in Mozart's lifetime
K.430[45]	1784	Lo sposo deluso Eng: The Deluded Bridegroom Score	Italian	Opera buffa (incomplete)	Unknown, once attributed to Lorenzo Da Ponte.[46] Possibly Guiseppe Petrosellini[9][47]	(Provisional) 3 soprano, 2 tenor, 2 bass	Theatre du Fantaisies-Parisiennes, Paris, 6 June 1867[48] Not performed in Mozart's lifetime
K.486	1786	Der Schauspieldirektor Eng: The Impresario Score	German	Comedy with music in one act	Gottlieb Stephanie	2 soprano, 1 tenor, 1 bass, 6 speaking roles	Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, 7 February 1786
K.492	1786	Le nozze di Figaro Eng: The Marriage of Figaro Score	Italian	Opera buffa in four acts	Lorenzo da Ponte, after Pierre Beaumarchais	3 soprano, 2 mezzo-soprano, 2 tenor, 1 baritone, 3 bass, chorus[49]	Burgtheater, Vienna, 1 May 1786
K.527	1787	Don Giovanni[50] Eng: Don Giovanni or Don Juan Score	Italian	Dramma giocoso in two acts	Lorenzo Da Ponte	3 soprano, 1 tenor 1 baritone, 3 bass, chorus	Estates Theatre, Prague (also known as Nationaltheater and Tyl theatre), 29 October 1787[51]
K.588	1790	Così fan tutte Eng: Women are like that[52] Score	Italian	Dramma giocoso in two acts	Lorenzo Da Ponte	3 soprano, 1 tenor, 1 baritone, 1 bass, chorus	Burgtheater, Vienna, 26 January 1790
K.621	1791	La clemenza di Tito Eng: The Clemency of Titus Score	Italian	Opera seria in two acts	Metastasio, revised by Catterino Mazzolà	2 soprano, 2 mezzo-soprano, 1 tenor, 1 bass, chorus[53]	Estates Theatre, Prague, 6 September 1791
K.620	1791	Die Zauberflöte Eng: The Magic Flute Score	German	Singspiel in two acts	Emanuel Schikaneder	6 soprano, 2 mezzo-soprano, 1 alto, 4 tenor, 1 baritone, 4 bass, chorus	Theater auf der Wieden, Vienna, 30 September 1791

References

Notes

Cited sources

• Batta, Andreas (editor) (2000). Opera: Composers, Works, Performers (English edition ed.). Cologne: Könemann. ISBN 3 8290 3571 3. 
• Cairns, David (2006). Mozart and his Operas. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 0 140 29674 3. 
• Dell' Antonio, Andrew (1996). "Il Compositore Deluso: The Fragments of Mozart's Comic Opera Lo Sposo Deluso (K424a/430)". In Stanley Sadie (ed.). Wolfgang Amadé Mozart: Essays on His Life and Work. London: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0 198 164 432. 
• Glover, Jane (2005). Mozart's Women. London: MacMillan. ISBN 1 4050 2121 7. 
• Holden, Anthony (2007). The Man Who Wrote Mozart: The extraordinary life of Lorenzo Da Ponte. London: Phoenix. ISBN 978 0 7538 2180 0. 
• Kenyon, Nicholas (2006). The Pegasus Pocket Guide to Mozart. New York: Pegasus Books. ISBN 1 933648 23 6. 
• Osborne, Charles (1992). The Complete Operas of Mozart. London: Victor Gollancz. ISBN 0 575 03823 3. 
• Rosen, Charles (1997). The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. New York: Norton. ISBN 0 393 00653 0. 
• "Köchel's Catalog of Mozart's Works". ClassicalNet. 2008. http://www.classical.net/music/composer/works/mozart/. Retrieved 16 July 2008. 
• "Neue Mozart-Ausgabe (New Mozart Edition)". Bärenreiter-Verlag. http://dme.mozarteum.at/DME/nma/start.php?. Retrieved 17 July 2008. 

Other sources

• Dent, Edward J. (1973). Mozart's Operas: A Critical Study. Oxford: OUP. ISBN 0 192 84001 0. 
• Gutman, Robert W. (2000). Mozart: A Cultural Biography. London: Secker and Warburg. ISBN 0 304 31135 9. 
• Heartz, Daniel (ed.) (1990). Mozart's Operas. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0 520 07872 1. 
• Mann, William (1986). The Operas of Mozart. London: Cassell. ISBN 0 304 311359. 
• Newman, Ernest (1954). More Opera Nights. London: Putnam. 
• Robbins, Landon, H. C. (1990). 1791: Mozart's Last Year. London: Fontana. ISBN 0 00 654324 3. 
• Steptoe, Andrew (1988). The Mozart–Da Ponte Operas. Oxford: OUP. ISBN 0 198 16221 9. 
• Till, Nicholas (1993). Mozart and the Enlightenment. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 0 571 17042 0. 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Family Leopold Mozart Anna Maria Mozart Maria Anna Mozart (Nannerl) Constanze Mozart Maria Anna Thekla Mozart (Bäsle) Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart Karl Thomas Mozart Johann Georg Mozart Joseph Lange Cäcilia Weber Josepha Weber Aloysia Weber Sophie Weber Georg Nissen Family trees Biography Name Grand tour Smallpox Scatology Italy Berlin Death Biographies Works Köchel catalogue List of compositions Works for solo piano Concert arias, songs, canons Masses Horn concertos Piano concertos Operas Mozart's compositional method Dances Symphonies Sonatas Influences Haydn and Mozart Salieri and Mozart Mozart and Beethoven Mozart and Prague Mozart and Roman Catholicism Mozart and Freemasonry