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 Gebots 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.

Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro

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.

Mozart's Don Giovanni

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.

Mozart's Così fan tutte

Early operas

At three, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began to play the piano. At five he composed his first piece, and by seven he was already dazzling audiences on a European tour. Quickly assimilating the musical styles of the day, the young prodigy created his first opera at the tender age of eleven and kept them coming year after year. His early contributions to the genres of sacred oratorio, Italian opera buffa and seria, German-language Singspiel, and more can be found in this collection of works all composed before Mozart's 20th birthday, covering a vast thematic terrain from mythology and Biblical stories to pastoral-inspired medieval tales. Rediscover this well-known figure in a rarely seen light thanks to these vivid and imaginative recent productions from top-notch institutions!

Mozart's Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots

Mozart's Apollo et Hyacinthus

Mozart's Bastien und Bastienne and Der Schauspieldirektor

Mozart Odysseys I: La finta semplice

Mozart's Mitridate, Re di Ponto

Mozart's Ascanio in Alba

Mozart's Betulia liberata

Mozart's Il sogno di Scipione

Mozart's Lucio Silla

Mozart's La finta giardiniera

Mozart's Il re pastore

The Vienna years

In 1781, Mozart left Salzburg for Vienna — with no love lost between the composer and his scorned former employer, the Archbishop of Salzburg. Seeking independence in this city full of musical activity, he discovered a new direction for his music in the rich contrapuntal tradition of two nearly forgotten composers: Bach and Handel. Seen by his contemporaries as a figure of debauchery and decadence, Mozart, a free spirit inspired by new Enlightenment ideas, joined the Freemasons in 1784 — a decision that would come to bear on works like The Magic Flute, full of Masonic ideals. After ten prolific years, he died in 1791 at 35, but his genius lives on through one of the most treasured oeuvres in classical music history. In this collection, rediscover the seven operas from Mozart’s golden Viennese period!

Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail

Mozart's Bastien und Bastienne and Der Schauspieldirektor

Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro

Mozart's Don Giovanni

Mozart's Così fan tutte

Mozart's The Magic Flute

Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito

The Magic Flute

Much has been said about the true meaning, the mystery, and even the hidden codes in Mozart’s last opera (although technically The Magic Flute is not an opera, but a Singspiel, a German-language form of staged music with spoken dialogue). Allegorical in nature and influenced by the composer’s association with the Freemasons toward the end his life, The Magic Flute constitutes an artistic and philosophical exploration of man’s eternal quest for truth and meaning between reason and superstition, power and love, night and day. Brimming with imagination and color, this beloved work features fantastic characters and settings — including avian costumes, an evil queen, pyramids and temples, and the enchanted instrument promised in the title — as well as a remarkably sophisticated score in an immediately accessible package. Discover the power of this timeless tale in four dazzling productions, each shining a different light on the themes of Mozart's masterpiece.

Mozart's 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!

One Hour of Mozart's Most Famous Arias

Mozart reimagined

See all (20)

With backdrops as diverse as the swinging Sixties to the terrifying depths of dark forests, these modern stagings prove that Mozart’s operas are just as thrilling — and relevant — today as they were centuries ago. Through innovative set designs, modern costumes, and updated themes, renowned, boundary-pushing stage directors like Claus Guth, Peter Sellars, and Vincent Huguet create fresh experiences that connect the timeless music and storytelling to current cultural and social issues.

Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro

Mozart's Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots

Mozart's Così fan tutte

Mozart's Mitridate, Re di Ponto

Mozart's Ascanio in Alba

Mozart's Bastien und Bastienne and Der Schauspieldirektor

Mozart Odysseys I: La finta semplice

Mozart's Lucio Silla

Mozart's Il re pastore

Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro

Mozart's Don Giovanni

Mozart's Così fan tutte

Mozart's strong female leads

See all (7)

From the cunning intelligence of Rosina (La Finta Semplice) and Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro) to Donna Anna's (Don Giovanni) and Konstanze's (The Abduction from the Seraglio) unwavering determination, strong, clever, and willful female characters were often an integral part of Mozart’s operatic creations. Perhaps there was, in this tradition, an attempt to honor Mozart's mother, or even to bring a measure of justice to his beloved sister — the musician and young prodigy Maria Anna, known as "Nannerl," whose talent rivaled her brother's but was stifled through societal convention… Unlike his masculine heroes, divided between baritones and tenors, all Mozart's lead female characters were written for the soprano range, though many a courageous mezzo soprano has taken one on with great success!

Mozart's La finta giardiniera

Mozart's The Magic Flute

Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito

Mozart Odysseys I: La finta semplice

Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail

Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro

Mozart's Don Giovanni

Mozart and beyond…

Not all of Mozart’s operatic contributions saw the light of day during his lifetime — which is the case for this selection of rare and unfinished works, compiled and adapted by artists and musicologists for their long-awaited premieres in the composer’s hometown. Discover T.H.A.M.O.S., Abendempfindung, and Rex tremendus from the prestigious stages of the Salzburg Festival.

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

Mozart Odysseys II: Abendempfindung

Mozart Odysseys III: Rex tremendus

Setting the stage

The history of many classical music institutions is inextricably linked to Mozart — including the Glyndebourne Festival, whose first editions were almost entirely devoted to his works; and the Salzburg Festival, whose earliest operatic productions came from his oeuvre. Click the thumbnails below to learn more about the venues featured in our complete Mozart set and to see other superb programs filmed on their stages.