Mozart enjoyed great popularity in Prague beginning with performances of The Abduction from the Seraglio in 1783 at the National Theater, the opera house now known as the Estates Theater. His Marriage of Figaro was a success there in late 1786, and in early 1787 Mozart made his first visit to Prague to great acclaim. This period also saw the premiere of the Prague symphony. The Italian opera company commissioned a new opera from him, Don Giovanni, and he returned to Prague in the Fall of 1787 to help supervise the first production at the Estates in October of 1787. With the libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, it was a great success, and remains one of the most produced operas in the world today.
Mike Harrah is host of The Lyric Stage, which airs Sundays at 8 pm.