Der Rauchfangkehrer is a musikalisches Lustspiel in three acts. It was composed by Antonio Salieri at the behest of his employer in Vienna, the Emperor Joseph II. The National Singspiel had been formed several years earlier to help promote the writing and production of indigenous German opera and musical theater. However, foreign opera still dominated the Viennese court at the time this work was commissioned. It was meant by the emperor to be a German comic opera; however, most of the influences on its creation stem from the traditions of the Italian opera buffa. Although the author of the libretto was Viennese, he crafted his text to suit both the tastes and style of Salieri, which were largely Italianate. The text was deemed by Mozart to be "wretched"; however, the plot shows a certain inventiveness and wit on the part of its author, Joseph Leopold Auenbrugger, who usually wrote medical tracts. He used as his model several famous Italian playwrights, including Carlo Goldoni. The main protagonist is a transplanted Italian chimney sweep. His nationality gave the librettists many excuses for flagrantly Italian arias, and scenes of hilarious confusion in which he mangles the German language. He dupes a few members of the upper classes, and typical humor deriving from the conflicts between social classes arises. But after all of the confusion and misunderstandings are cleared up, all ends happily ever after, and he is left with the dough. His cunning, wit, machinations, and musical ability procures for him a large dowry, and he is able to marry the woman he loves. When the Empress Maria Theresa died, the theaters in Vienna were closed for mourning, which gave Salieri and his company more time to rehearse their work. The premiere took place on April 30, 1781, and was a brilliant success.

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