John A. Rice’s book, Mozart on the Stage, provides an all-encompassing and unique view into the theatrical business during the 1700’s in Italy and Germany. Organized by topic, this well illustrated book discusses matters such as librettist-composer relationships, commissions, and a behind the scenes detailed look into the producing, rehearsing, and performing of many operas, with Mozart’s compositions as the main focus. In the introductory sentence, Rice askes an important question to the reader, “What possible justification can there be, in the aftermath of Mozart’s two-hundred-and-fiftieth birthday in 2006, for adding to the large number of books…that have been written about his operas?” (xi) This publication provides a very positive answer …show more content…
Rice suggests these passages provide “a kind of self-portrait in sound” (17-18), and are very effective in shaping a more complete picture of Mozart’s upbringing. Particularly helpful are the clarity and conciseness with which certain concepts are presented, such as performance conventions, dramatic archetypes, and scenic layout to mention a few. Those familiar with Mozart’s well-known operas can come to understand the infrequently performed ones by viewing them all as subcategories of one basic dramatic archetype, as presented by Rice in chapter 2. Also in this chapter is the insightful discussion of operatic genres, which goes beyond the basic explanation of subcategories. It demonstrations how terms were understood and used by Mozart, and their relation to a modern audience. Rice maintains an excellent balance between remedial introductions to concepts or individuals, related inaccurate critical assessments, and explanations for such shortcomings. Gentle reminders of Mozart’s interactions with other composers, such as Haydn, Salieri, and Gluck occur throughout the book, which makes this publication palatable to a less scholarly reader without a seemingly condescending