Gerald Finley Papageno, Figaro, the Count and Don Giovanni. He made his New York City debut at the Metropolitan Opera on January 24, 1998 in the role of Papageno in "Die Zauberflöte". He has subsequently performed the title role of "Don Giovanni", Marcello in Puccini's "La bohème", and the title role of "Rossini"'s "Guillaume Tell" at the Metropolitan Opera. In addition to his success with Mozart, Finley has been active in contemporary opera. He has created a number of roles including J. Robert Oppenheimer in the world premiere of John Adams' opera "Doctor Atomic" at the San Francisco Opera on October 1,
Mozart and smallpox both children's illness to contend with, the Mozarts spent a total of four months away from Vienna. They eventually returned there and were received in the Imperial court on 19 January, 1768. The Empress, who had by now lost three children to smallpox, conversed with Frau Mozart about the disease. The remainder of the trip was not especially successful. Leopold apparently misinterpreted a chance remark of the Emperor as a firm invitation for Wolfgang to compose an opera; this resulted in Wolfgang writing "La finta semplice". However, the opera went unperformed in Vienna; the singers and musicians did not like