April 23, 1775
I have left my home country to travel to Salzburg today. I will journey to the Palace of the Archbishop Count Hieronymus von Colloredo to see the grand opening of Mozart’s opera “The Shepherd King”. I have heard many reviews of this nineteen year old prodigy, Mozart. I remember when my mother, Empress Maria Theresa, traveled to Vienna four years ago and viewed his opera “The Pretended Simpleton” on which see gave bad reviews. I have also heard the opera my mother viewed was one of his lesser performances, and that he has done many good works in the time being. This information has made me somewhat excited about the opera I have come to see. After viewing the opera, I could not help but to disagree with my mother. I loved the opera I had seen and was infatuated with Mozart’s work. The opera was about is about a shepherd who does not know he is the rightful heir to the throne of Sidon. He is in love with shepherdess. When the king of Macedonia over throws the tyrant of Sidon, he finds the love struck shepherd, and tells of how he is the rightful king. The shepherd leaves his shepherdess promising to return for her once he is situated as king. While on the throne the king of Macedonia tries to make the shepherd marry the daughter of the disposed tyrant of Sidon, because he believes royal duties hold precedence over true love. The shepherd disagrees and later becomes distraught over being constantly pressured to marry someone he does not love. Later, the
