Music Drama as a Christian Parable: Mozart’s Idomeneo

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Very valuable material, which, however, needs to be slightly reworked, bringing it to a more convincing balance between the source findings (the history of the creation of the opera), musical-theoretical explications and support for the main thesis (Christian view of the pre-Christian subject).

Details on possible cuts and additions, as well as line-by-line editing corrections - in the attached PDF file.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Dear Reviewer 1,

thank you very much for your review and suggestions! I believe that I have now followed all your suggestions, certainly all the minor corrections that you have kindly listed. Also, I have removed the musical examples, realizing also that the score of the New Mozart Edition to which I refer, is freely available online (for inspection). I have added the web-address in the bibliography, and made a not about it, the first time I discuss the musical setting in detail.

Further, I have strengthened the references to the Aqedah and Jephthah's daughter, by including it in a revision of the abstract and adding a footnote (now n. 7).

I hope this is to your satisfaction, I believe it has improved the article, which has also profited from some other suggestions by other peer reviewers.

Thank you very much, the author   

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Excellent work in historical musicology. I have but two suggestions: 

1.You speak of "Enlightened Christianity." This notion could be defined more in tune with the times. For example, it is common knowledge that Mozart was a Freemason and wrote music for masonic lodges. Freemasons tend toward Deism and an enlightened form of religion that crosses many boundaries beyond the parochial. Perhaps this could be mentioned somewhere, or even in a footnote.

2. For those readers unfamiliar with this opera, perhaps a short outline of the plot would help.

Otherwise, a fine paper.

 

 

 

Author Response

Dear Reviewer 2,

thank you very much for your review and suggestions. I have included a few lines on Mozart's operas and Enlightenment Christianity, and especially put in a footnote (n. 1), in which I give some information about Mozart and the masonic lodge of which he became a member in 1784, and how this relates to Enlightenment Christianity.

Further, I have included a brief outline of the plot of Idomeneo in section 1.1.

I believe that both these revisions have improved the article.

Thank you very much and best wishes, the author

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This is a fascinating article which will be of interest to a broad range of academic readers including those from religion, spirituality and musicology. However there are two minor revisions to the paper which I feel must be made before the paper is suitable for publication in the Journal. I shall outline these below:

Firstly, I would like to see an additional section entitled Methodology which outlines the method(s) used to perform the analysis. I suspect that the methods include narrative content analysis and draw from musicology, theology and media studies. I would like to see some additional references on methodology included in order to support this new section.

Secondly, I found the text somewhat difficult to follow. The structure of the paper should be improved before publication by adding additional section or subsection numbering. I found the sections and paragraphs very long and, as a result, difficult to follow.

 

After making the above minor revisions I feel the paper will be suitable for publication in the Journal and will make an important contribution to the field which will be of interest to readers of the Journal.

 

Author Response

Dear Reviewer 3,

thank you very much for your review and suggestions/requirements.

I have followed what you asked for and included a whole section "Methodological Remarks" as section 2. Also, I have followed your very pertinent observation that the article needed to be structured more clearly, so that I have included 5 overall section divisions with subheadings, in addition sections 1, 3, and 4 are further subdivided in 4 subsubsections, each with a new heading.

I believe this has improved the article substantially.

Thank you very much, and best wishes, the author