The complete Mozart operas

Everything you always wanted to know, but were too afraid to ask, about the legendary composer's 23 operatic works

The collection

A child prodigy, a consummate man of the theatre, and an artist of infinite creativity: experience a lifetime of excellence in our full collection of operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Beyond his best-known masterworks (like Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, and Così fan tutte — the Da Ponte Trilogy, showcased here in a spectacular recent production from the Royal Opera of the Château de Versailles), discover seven rarely performed works from the prestigious Salzburg Festival, new to our catalogue, by a genius whose music captured human nature in its lightest and darkest aspects.

Die Schuldigkeit des Ersten Gebotes K35

1767

Apollo et Hyacinthus K38

1767

Bastien und Bastienne K50

1768

La finta semplice K5

1769

Mitridate, re di Ponto K87

1770

Ascanio in Alba K111

1771

Betulia liberata K118

1771

Il sogno di Scipione K126

1772

Lucio Silla K135

1772

La finta giardiniera K196

1775

Il re pastore K208

1775

Idomeneo K366

1781

Die Entführung aus dem Serail K384

1782

Der Schauspieldirektor K486

1786

Le nozze di Figaro K492

1786

Don Giovanni K527

1787

Così fan tutte K588

1790

Die Zauberflöte K620

1791

La clemenza di Tito K621

1791

Zaide K344

1866

T.H.A.M.O.S. *after Mozart

1780

Abendempfindung *after Mozart

2006

Rex Tremendus *after Mozart

2006

The Da Ponte trilogy

Lorenzo Da Ponte

What do the famed Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte have in common? In addition to their composer, these monuments of the classical repertoire, created in the space of only four years, are the work of Italian librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte. The exquisite subtlety of the Venetian poet's prose, combined with Mozart's unforgettable music, is a gift to the heritage of opera, and all three operas are still as appreciated today as they were in the 18th century.

The figure of Lorenzo Da Ponte remains an enigma in many respects. Born near Venice to a Jewish family, this friend of Casanova was in turn a Catholic priest, a librettist to the greatest composers of the European courts of his time, and — after crossing the Atlantic — the first professor of Italian literature at Columbia University. In the United States, he was responsible for introducing Mozart's operas to the New World, and laid the foundations for the institution that would later become the Metropolitan Opera. Immerse yourself in the world of this fascinating figure with three extraordinary productions staged in 2023 at the sublime Royal Opera of the Château de Versailles.

The Marriage of Figaro

Composed in 1786, the quintessential comic opera Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) picks up a few years after Rossini's The Barber of Seville, following the (mis)adventures of the lascivious Count Almaviva (Thomas Dolié) as he tries to pull one over on his wife Rosina (Ana Maria Labin), his valet Figaro (Robert Gleadow, whose "agile performance and delightfully expressive singing" in all three operas make him the "trump card" of this trilogy, according to none other than Le Figaro), and Figaro's fiancée Susanna (Angela Brower), object of the Count's unwanted advances…

Highlights (to name just a few among many!) include the world-famous Overture; Figaro's irresistibly catchy first-act aria "Non più andrai"; Act II aria "Voi, che sapete" by the womanizing Cherubino (one of the great trouser roles, performed here by Miriam Albano); Rosina's Act II lament "Dove sono"; and the duet "Sull'aria … che soave zeffiretto" from Act III, used to poignant effect in The Shawshank Redemption.

Don Giovanni

A tale of divine retribution with dark comic undertones, Don Giovanni (1787) depicts the debauched excesses of the titular nobleman (a superb Alexandre Duhamel), whose blithe lack of remorse for his crimes against nearly everyone he encounters — with broken romances and even murdered officials in his wake — finally catches up with him in the guise of supernatural vengeance. The cast also includes a scene-stealing Robert Gleadow as Don Giovanni's servant Leporello, as well as the versatile Iulia Maria Dan as Donna Anna, whose father's murder at the hands of Don Giovanni sets of a chain of events that will lead the libertine to his hellish fate…

Even if it's your first time watching this diabolical masterpiece, you may recognize some of its most famous moments: Leporello's "catalogue" aria in Act I, "Madamina, il catalogo è questo," in which he recounts his master's flabbergasting list of romantic conquests all over Europe; the Act I duet between Don Giovanni and the peasant woman Zerlina, "Là ci darem la mano," a simple and immediately memorable melody that has inspired dozens more composers through the centuries; and "Il mio tesoro" from Act II, in which Donna Anna's betrothed, Don Ottavio (Julien Henric), promises his beloved that he will exact vengeance on her father's murderer.

Così fan tutte

Così fan tutte, first performed in 1790, is the final Mozart / Da Ponte collaboration and the only one of the three not based on existing literary sources. A comedy of errors heightened to the point of absurdity, its supposed frivolity belies an incisive critique of Enlightenment values, offering "sweeping observations on the human condition," according to esteemed conductor Jane Glover in The Guardian. Soldiers Guglielmo (Florian Sempey) and Ferrando (James Ley), challenged by the old cynic Don Alfonso (Alexandre Duhamel, fresh off his titular turn in Don Giovanni), disguise themselves in order to test the fidelity of their fiancées, sisters Dorabella (Angela Brower) and Fiordiligi (Ana Maria Labin), with the help of mischievous maid Despina (Miriam Albano) — but all may end up getting a bigger dose of reality than they bargained for…

Every tune in this opera is a standout, but you're guaranteed to be stopped in your tracks by the sheer beauty of the sublime Act I trio "Soave sia il vento." Other highlights include the coloratura soprano aria "Come scoglio" performed in Act I by Fiordiligi, attempting to summon her nerve and resist temptation; Despina's Act II attempt to urge the sisters to cede to their suitors in disguise ("Una donna a quindici anni"); and the whole raucous finale, in which all is revealed and human foibles are forgiven.

Early operas

The Vienna years

The Magic Flute

The most famous arias

Enjoy Mozart's most iconic opera arias, performed by world-class singers in spectacular productions from the world’s most prestigious opera houses and festivals!

Mozart had a special gift for translating the human experience into music, and you'll find every shade of it here — from joy and levity (the charmingly innocent "Voi che sapete" from The Marriage of Figaro) to madness and wrath (the formidable Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute) to love and passion (the brief and moving love letter of "Un'aura amorosa" from Così fan tutte). Get your feet wet with these famous, instantly lovable melodies, then continue your deep dive into the complete set of operas!