Libretto of The Magic Flute [i.e. libretti] in which absurdity is regarded as matter of course." With occasional exceptions, critics voice harsh views on the quality of Schikaneder's German versification as well. Such critics generally do not defend it on its own terms (as if it could stand independently as a work of theater), but rather as a vehicle that served as a great inspiration for Mozart for composition, particularly in its assertion of high ideals and the portrayal of selfless love in the characters of Pamina and Tamino. The harsh assessment is not universal; see for instance the quotation with which this article begins.
Mozart and the Wolf Gang Mozart and the Wolf Gang Mozart and the Wolf Gang is a 1991 novel by Anthony Burgess about the life and world of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Published in the UK under this title, in the US it was published as "On Mozart: A Paean for Wolfgang, Being a Celestial Colloquy, an Opera Libretto, a Film Script, a Schizophrenic Dialogue, a Bewildered Rumination". Among other things, it attempts to fictionalize Mozart's Symphony No.40. This is one of numerous Burgess books in which music figures prominently, others being "A Vision of Battlements"; "The Worm and the Ring"; "The Malayan Trilogy"; "A Clockwork