Mozart &
Material Culture

One-act German comic opera composed to celebrate the visit to Vienna of Herzog Albert von Sachsen-Teschen, Governor-General of the Austrian Netherlands, and first performed at the Orangerie of Schloss Schönbrunn on 7 February 1786, together with together with Salieri's Italian opera Prima la musica e poi le parole. Critical reaction to Der Schauspieldirektor  was mixed: in his diary, Count Karl Zinzendorf described it as 'very mediocre', while the Wiener Realzeitung for 21 February, reporting on the first public performance, at the Kärnthnertortheater on 11 February, noted that 'The music by Herr Mozart was also distinguished by some special beauties.'