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Article: Success at the opera.
- Article from:
- Calliope
- Article date:
- April 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Mozart saw his "kick on my arse ... by order of my Prince-Archbishop" as an opportunity. The year was 1781, and Mozart Wanted to be his own man, writing music his own way. The Prince-Archbishop called him a "miserable brat" and threw him out--with a boot in the backside to get him going.
Mozart's ambition was to write for the theater, so he headed for Vienna. He knew people flocked to the city's theaters to hear the popular Italian operas of the day and also to play cards and gossip. Musical standards were excellent, and ticket sales boomed.
Mozart wrote a German opera, The Abduction from the Seraglio, which boosted his reputation, but earned him little. ...