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.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Prague it was only a mixed success at its premiere in Vienna in May 1786. Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro", which premiered in Vienna, was produced in late 1786 in Prague with tremendous success. The reviewer for the Prague newspaper "Oberpostamtzeitung" wrote "No piece (so everyone here asserts) has ever caused such a sensation as the Italian opera "Die Hochzeit des Figaro", which has already been given several times here with unlimited applause." The orchestra and some affiliated music lovers funded a personal visit by Mozart so he could hear the production. Mozart first came to Prague on 11 January