By 1784, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was internationally renowned as the composer of Marriage of Figaro, and consequently received a commission from the Prague Opera House to compose another opera. The resulting product was Don Giovanni, which tells the tale of a criminal and seducer who nevertheless evokes sympathy from audiences, and whose behavior fluctuates from moral crisis to hilarious escapade.
While Don Giovanni is widely considered to be Mozart's greatest achievement, eighteenth century audiences in Vienna — Mozart's own city— were ambivalent at best. The opera mixed traditions of moralism with those of comedy— a practice heretofore unknown among the composer's works— creating a production that was not well liked by conservative Viennese audiences. Meanwhile, however, Don Giovanni was performed to much fanfare throughout Europe.
1. The primary purpose of the passage is to
(A) relate the story of a somewhat likable antihero.
(B) discuss how a work of art has been met by diverging responses.
(C) give a history of the work of Mozart.
(D) make a case for the renown of Don Giovanni.
(E) emphasize the moral aspects of a musical work.
2. The author mentions the mixing of "traditions of moralism with those of comedy" primarily in order to
(A) explain a work's cool reception among a particular group of people.
(B) remind the reader of the plot of Don Giovanni.
(C) highlight a practice common in contemporary opera.
(D) argue for an innovative approach to opera.
(E) undermine a previously presented assertion.
3. It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following is true about the response of Viennese audiences to Don Giovanni?
(A) The audiences preferred purely moralistic works.
(B) The response was unequivocally positive.
(C) They did not know that the composer was attempting to mix musical styles.
(D) The play's moral themes were offensive to Viennese audiences.
(E) To say that the response was "mixed" would be a generous interpretation.
参考答案：
马泽尔指挥演奏莫扎特歌剧《唐璜》选段《让我们手挽手》