Mozart painted his female characters with an exceptionally deft brush, subtly and sensitively colored, making each one distinct from the others.
Performer Biography
Diana Damrau, the soprano on this recording, made her professional operatic debut in 1995 as Barbarina in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.
Compositional Technique
In 'Senti l'eco' from La finta semplice, Rosina compares the echo, provided by oboe and violins, to how a lady should respond to a lover's approach.
Compositional Technique
Konstanze's aria 'Martern aller Arten' from Die Entführung aus dem Serail features a long orchestral introduction, with the soprano joining the instruments in a concerto movement, including a written-out cadenza.
Composition History
Mozart's opera La finta semplice was commissioned by Habsburg Emperor Joseph II in 1768, but its public premiere was cancelled due to intrigues.
Historical Context
Die Entführung aus dem Serail is the only surviving work from Emperor Joseph II's attempt to establish a repertory of opera in the German language.
Composition History
Mozart's opera Mitridate, rè di Ponto was commissioned for the Carnival season in Milan and premiered on December 26, 1770.
