How did Mozart's audience enjoy Italian opera?

You have to remember that opera was the entertainment of the rich and monied (not much has changed, has it?). It was not uncommon for the aristocracy to speak Italian and sometimes French as well. Italian was the 'de facto' language of music in general and opera in particular in central Europe (the French did their own thing, as they have always done!).

This is PRECISELY why Mozart wrote his two German-language Singspiels 'Die Entführung aus dem Serail' (Il seraglio) and 'Die Zauberflöte' (The Magic Flute). Being a man 'of the people', Mozart wanted the less-well-off people to be able to see operatic productions in small theatres sung in their own language.

And, of course, sometimes those posh audiences of the Italian operas WEREN'T paying much attention. Then, as now (sadly!), some people attend the opera simply to be seen there and have no interest at all in the music or libretto.

If I might just continue from where my good colleague Del left off, with a few secondary elements left unanswered:

> Did they study a libretto before they went?

Absolutely!! That's where the word 'libretto' for the words to an opera stems from. When the work was announced to the public for imminent performance, the words would be published for commercial sale as genuine *little books* (Hey! that's what the word 'libretto' means in Italian: go figure! <g>) and the literate audience who could/wanted (to) afford it would purchase these to 'bone up' prior to the first performance. That is the sole reason 'libretti' exist. And why the term 'stuck'.... :-)

> Did everybody take Italian lessons?

No, but if you could read at all at this level you would have had a classical education - born in 1956 I still had the good fortune of having one of those still -- and that meant you had a solid grounding in Latin, certainly, and Greek if your were so fortunate. ( I was, even in that education's dying years.) With a solid grounding even in Latin only, an Italian libretto holds few secrets for you. That's why these 'little books' sold then, and sold very well, and that's why the term stuck, and now you use it without even thinking what it actually meant and where it stemmed from... :-))

The poetry of history... !! :-))

All the best,

Mozart Opera In German

Not to argue with del's answer, but Don Giovanni was premiered in Prague, not Vienna.

Del has already supplied an excellent answer; and if you've seen 'Amadeus', you will know that "Gerrrrrman eeeza too harsch forrr zeengink".