What type of opera is Die Entführung aus dem Serail?
Q: What type of opera is Die Entführung aus dem Serail?
A: Die Entführung aus dem Serail is an example of a Singspiel, which is a type of German opera that features both spoken dialogue and singing.
Q: Who wrote the libretto for the opera?
A: The libretto for Die Entführung aus dem Serail was written by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner, although it was changed slightly without his permission by Gottlieb Stephanie.
Q: Who commissioned Mozart to write the opera?
A: Mozart was commissioned to write Die Entführung aus dem Serail by the Austrian emperor Joseph II's sponsored National Singspiel company.
Q: What is the story about?
A: The story follows Belmonte and his servant Pedrillo as they attempt to rescue Belmonte's beloved Konstanze from the Pasha Selim's seraglio (palace).
Q: What makes this opera unique?
A: This opera stands out because it features Turkish music or what Europeans thought was Turkish music at that time, as well as some very difficult-to-sing arias like Konstanze's "Martern aller Arten". Additionally, it combines spoken dialogue with singing in order to tell its magical story.
Q: How successful was this opera when it first premiered?
A: When it first premiered, Die Entfürhung aus dem Serail was incredibly successful and earned Mozart quite a bit of money; however, he did not get paid properly for later performances so he didn't become rich off of it.
Q: What did Emperor Joseph II say when he heard the piece?
A: When Emperor Joseph II heard Die Entfürhung aus dem Serail he said there were “too many notes”; to which Mozart replied “There are just as many notes as there should be”.
