Some critics argue that an opera' s stage directions are never reflected in its music  Many comic scenes in Mozart' s operas, however, open with violin phrases that sound like the squeaking of changing scenery  Clearly Mozart intended the music to echo the sounds occurring while stage directions are carried out
Hence, a change of scenery -- the most basic and frequent stage direction -- can be reflected in the music, which means that other operatic stage directions can be as well
the most frequent relation between an opera's music and its stage directions is one of musical imitation of the sounds that occur when a direction is carried out