Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: L Oca del Cairo, Lo Sposo Deluso

Mozart was a young husband and would soon become a father when he was composing L'oca del Cairo and Lo sposo deluso, two operas destined to remain fragments. After the success of The Abduction from the Seraglio, he worked concurrently on these two new works. In L'oca del Cairo (The Goose of Cairo) a father locks his daughter in a tower to keep her away from her lover. After much confusion and mischief during which a large mechanical metal goose plays an important role, the father finally gives in. Mozart decided not to finish this opera because he did not like the libretto; after a number of sketches of the music – which, as always, is wonderful – for arias, duets, and the finale he stopped working on it. After all, he had a second opera project in the works, Lo sposo deluso (The Deluded Bridegroom). Three ladies – Emilia, Metilde, and Laurina – are rivals for Emilia's beloved, who is presumed to be dead but then resurfaces. After much confusion the idea was also to conclude this opera with a happy ending, but things never got that far. It remained an unfinished fragment and never made its way to the stage.