From the cunning intelligence of Rosina (La Finta Semplice) and Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro) to Donna Anna's (Don Giovanni) and Konstanze's (The Abduction from the Seraglio) unwavering determination, strong, clever, and willful female characters were often an integral part of Mozart’s operatic creations. Perhaps there was, in this tradition, an attempt to honor Mozart's mother, or even to bring a measure of justice to his beloved sister — the musician and young prodigy Maria Anna, known as "Nannerl," whose talent rivaled her brother's but was stifled through societal convention… Unlike his masculine heroes, divided between baritones and tenors, all Mozart's lead female characters were written for the soprano range, though many a courageous mezzo soprano has taken one on with great success!
