In his later works the
opportunities given him of proving this magical power were more frequent
and better. The libretto of 'Die Entfuehrung' is a poor affair at best,
but, considering the materials with which he had to work, Mozart never
accomplished truer or more delicate work than in the music of Belmont
and Constanze, of Pedrillo, and greatest of all, of Osmin.
In 1786 Mozart wrote the music to a foolish little one-act comedy
entitled 'Der Schauspieldirektor,' describing the struggles of two rival
singers for an engagement. A sparkling overture and a genuinely comic
trio are the best numbers of the score; but the libretto gave Mozart
little opportunity of exercising his peculiar talents. Since his
original production various attempts have been made to fit 'Der
Schauspieldirektor' with new and more effective libretti, but in no case
has its performance attained any real success.
For the sake of completeness it may be well to mention the existence of
a comic opera entitled 'L'Oie du Caire,' which is an exceedingly clever
combination of the fragments left by Mozart of two unfinished operas,
'L'Oca del Cairo' and 'Lo Sposo Deluso,' fitted to a new and original
libretto by the late M. Victor Wilder. In its modern form, this little
opera, in which a lover is introduced into his mistress's garden inside
an enormous goose, has been successfully performed both in France and
England.
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