Abstract
In this dissertation, I explore the development of Haydn’s dramatic voice by examining moments of self-conscious performance and deception in four operas: La canterina, Lo speziale, L’incontro improvviso, and Il mondo della luna. These moments of deception shine a spotlight on the artifice of the operatic experience, while also illustrating Haydn’s ability to musically represent a character’s development over the course of an opera. My analyses show that the characters who succeed in their acts of deception are those who are the most self-aware, and this conclusion offers a new approach to ideas surrounding eighteenth-century self-perception. They also give us a new appreciation for the subtlety and sophistication of Haydn’s musical characterizations.