Ed Morgan wrote:

>In the days of Classical opera, the libretto was not considered to be
>the most important part of an opera.  In fact, very often they were rather
>silly.  From an emotional level, the music pretty much stands on it own on
>all levels.  If you are firm on these two operas, then tread carefully.
>For next year you might want Verdi or Puccini- that would be dramatic.

Surely silliness is an important part of dramatic literature:  Lysistrata,
A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Importance of Being Ernest, Noises Off,
etc, etc.  I think that Mozart's operas make just as profound a dramatic
statement as any of these (though often comic).  I justify my choice of
Mozart because I have only two weeks to spend on opera, and these texts
seem more accessible than, say, Verdi for students who claim that they hate
opera.

John