Opera Magic Flute Program Notes, Sheet Music, and Recordings

Program Notes & Analysis

A Fable for All Humanity

On September 30, 1791, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart stood in the orchestra pit of a noisy, suburban theater in Vienna to conduct the premiere of The Magic Flute. This was not a grand, aristocratic affair at the Burgtheater, the site of his previous triumphs. This was the Theater auf der Wieden, a popular, vaudeville-style house run by his friend and fellow Mason, the actor and impresario Emanuel Schikaneder, who also wrote the libretto and starred as the bird-catcher Papageno. Mozart was desperately ill and in debt, and this opera was a last, feverish attempt to create a popular "hit" for the common people. He was so pleased with its success that, just weeks before his death, he would sit in the wings, proudly timing the audience's applause. At the same time, his other, "serious" opera, La clemenza di Tito, had met a cool reception, and he was secretly, obsessively working on his own Requiem. This opera is the product of that chaotic, final year: a work that seems to contain all of life itself, from the silliest folk comedy to the most profound spiritual truths.

A Theater for the People: The Singspiel

The Magic Flute is a Singspiel (a "sing-play"), the popular German-language genre that mixed spoken dialogue with musical numbers. It was the Broadway musical of its day, a form looked down upon by the Italian opera snobs of the court. Schikaneder's theater specialized in these spectacular "machine" comedies, which were heavy on special effects—flying chariots, magical instruments, and elaborate set changes. The libretto is a famously jumbled collection of fairy-tale tropes. And yet, it was this "low" art form that Mozart chose for his most profound spiritual statement. He elevates the simple Singspiel to a level of transcendent genius. This opera demonstrated, for the first time, that the German language could be a vehicle for art of the highest order, a fact that would be seized upon by Ludwig van Beethoven for his Fidelio and, later, by Richard Wagner in his quest to create a new, purely German opera.

The Masonic Allegory: From Darkness to Light

The most important key to understanding The Magic Flute is Freemasonry. Both Mozart and Schikaneder were devout Masons, members of a lodge that, in the 1790s, was under intense suspicion and political pressure from the crown. The opera is a direct, if veiled, allegory of their Masonic ideals. The entire plot is a symbolic journey of initiation. The young prince, Tamino, represents the uninitiated man (or "profane") who is drawn from a world of chaos and superstition (personified by the Queen of the Night) and seeks to join a brotherhood of wisdom and reason (Sarastro's Temple). The opera is filled with Masonic symbolism: the number three is everywhere (three ladies, three spirits, three temples, three chords in the overture). The central conflict is not good versus evil, but darkness versus light, or more accurately, irrational superstition versus enlightened reason. The Queen, who at first seems like a "good" character, is revealed to be a vengeful, chaotic tyrant, while Sarastro, who first appears to be a "villain" for abducting Pamina, is revealed to be the wise (if severe) leader of a spiritual order, guiding humanity toward a higher state of being.

A Score of Unprecedented Variety

Mozart’s genius in The Magic Flute is his ability to write music that is both perfectly suited to the character and dramatically profound. He created a score of unprecedented stylistic range, essentially summarizing all of 18th-century music in one work. For the "everyman" Papageno, he writes simple, catchy, folk-like Lied (songs), like "Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja" (The bird-catcher am I). For the Queen of the Night, he writes two of the most spectacular and difficult arias in history ("O zittre nicht" and "Der Hölle Rache"), a form of opera seria "rage" aria that is almost inhuman in its demands, full of high F's that represent her fiery, out-of-control passion. For Sarastro and his priests, he writes solemn, grand, hymn-like choruses that sound as if they are echoing from a great cathedral. This sound was directly influenced by Mozart's recent, intense study of the old Baroque masters, particularly the grand contrapuntal edifices of Johann Sebastian Bach. For the lovers, Tamino and Pamina, he writes music of sublime, heartfelt lyricism, as in their tender, heartbreaking duet "Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen" (In men who feel love).

The Enduring Legacy: A Foundation for German Opera

It is hard to overstate the influence of The Magic Flute. It was an immediate and massive success, the first opera that truly belonged to the German-speaking people. Its legacy is twofold. First, it created a new, uniquely German operatic tradition that blended folk-like simplicity (the Singspiel element) with profound, serious, and philosophical ideas. Ludwig van Beethoven, who revered Mozart, chose this opera as his model when he wrote his own great Singspiel of liberation, Fidelio. The echoes of Pamina's suffering and Tamino's quest for truth are everywhere in Beethoven's Leonore and Florestan. Second, the opera's grand, "mythic" quality and its use of supernatural and folk elements laid the entire groundwork for the German Romantic opera movement. From Carl Maria von Weber's Der Freischütz (The Freeshooter) to the mature music dramas of Richard Wagner, the idea of a "German" opera built on national myths and philosophical ideals all begins with Papageno's simple flute and Sarastro's solemn temple. It is the glorious, final contradiction of Mozart’s life: his most "serious" and enduring message was delivered in the package of a popular, magical, and utterly brilliant fairy tale.

The Story of the Opera

Act I

The opera opens in a wild, rocky landscape. A handsome prince, Tamino, is being chased by a terrifying serpent. He faints in fear. As the serpent is about to strike, three mysterious, veiled ladies, attendants to the Queen of the Night, appear and kill the monster. They are all captivated by the prince's beauty. After arguing over who gets to guard him, they leave to report to the Queen. Tamino awakens and meets a strange man covered in feathers: Papageno, a bird-catcher, who boasts that it was he who strangled the serpent. The Three Ladies return and, to punish Papageno for lying, they padlock his mouth shut. They give Tamino a portrait of a beautiful young woman, Pamina. Tamino, gazing at the portrait, immediately falls in love in the aria, "Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön" (This image is enchantingly beautiful).

The Queen of the Night appears in a flash of thunder ("O zittre nicht" - "Oh, do not tremble"). She tells Tamino that Pamina is her daughter, who has been abducted by a powerful, "evil" sorcerer named Sarastro. She promises Tamino her daughter's hand in marriage if he will rescue her. The Three Ladies give Tamino a golden magic flute, which can charm all living things. They remove Papageno's padlock and give him a set of magic bells, ordering him to accompany Tamino. Three guiding spirits (or "boys") are summoned to lead them to Sarastro's temple.

The scene changes to a room in Sarastro's palace. Pamina is being tormented by Sarastro's lecherous servant, Monostatos, who tries to force himself on her. At that moment, Papageno, who has been separated from Tamino, stumbles into the room. Monostatos and Papageno, each terrified by the other's strange appearance (one "black," one covered in feathers), both flee. Papageno returns and recognizes Pamina from Tamino's description. He tells her that a prince, who is in love with her, is coming to her rescue. They sing the duet "Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen" (In men who feel love), praising the joys of love.

Meanwhile, Tamino is led by the Three Spirits to the gates of Sarastro's temple. He is denied entry at the gates of "Nature" and "Reason," but at the "Temple of Wisdom," a priest confronts him. In this crucial scene, the priest explains that Tamino has been deceived: Sarastro is not an evil sorcerer, but a wise and noble leader, and that it is the Queen who is the true source of darkness. Tamino, left alone and confused, plays his magic flute, charming the animals. He hears Papageno's pipes and rushes off. Papageno and Pamina, trying to find Tamino, are captured by Monostatos. Papageno uses his magic bells, and the sound forces Monostatos and his slaves into an uncontrollable, joyful dance. At that moment, Sarastro enters in a grand procession. Pamina confesses that she was trying to escape, but only to flee Monostatos. Monostatos, dragging Tamino in as a prisoner, is punished by Sarastro for his cruelty. Sarastro announces that Tamino and Pamina must be purified through a series of trials within the temple.

Act II

Sarastro and his priests gather in a solemn assembly. Sarastro reveals his plan: Tamino will undergo the sacred trials to prove himself worthy of joining their order and marrying Pamina. He prays for their success in the grand aria, "O Isis und Osiris." The first trial is one of silence. Tamino and a very reluctant Papageno are instructed not to speak to any woman. The Three Ladies appear, trying to tempt them into speaking and warning them away from Sarastro. Tamino remains steadfast and silent, while Papageno nervously chatters until Tamino silences him.

Meanwhile, Pamina is asleep in a garden. Monostatos steals in to kiss her ("Alles fühlt der Liebe Freuden" - "All feel the joys of love") but is interrupted by the arrival of the Queen of the Night. The Queen, enraged that Tamino has defected to Sarastro, gives Pamina a dagger and, in her famous, terrifying aria "Der Hölle Rache" (Hell's vengeance), orders her daughter to murder Sarastro or be disowned forever. Pamina is left in despair.

Tamino and Papageno continue their trial of silence. Papageno, unable to keep quiet, talks to an old woman who claims to be his future sweetheart. Pamina enters and, when Tamino refuses to speak to her (as he is bound by his oath), she is plunged into despair, believing he no longer loves her. She sings the heartbreaking aria, "Ach, ich fühl's, es ist verschwunden" (Ah, I feel it, it is vanished).

The three guiding spirits intervene, saving Pamina from suicide and reassuring her of Tamino's love. They lead her to Tamino, who is about to undergo his final, most dangerous trials: passing through fire and water. Two armored men recite the creed that only one who has conquered the fear of death is worthy of initiation. Pamina arrives and declares she will go with him. Protected by the sound of the magic flute, they pass through the fire and water together and emerge, unharmed and purified.

A parallel comic plot unfolds. Papageno, separated from Tamino and despairing of ever finding his "Papagena," decides to hang himself. The Three Spirits stop him, reminding him to use his magic bells. He plays the bells, and his feathered mate, Papagena, appears. They sing a joyful, stammering, and famous duet ("Pa-pa-pa"), planning their future life and a nest full of little Papagenos.

In the final scene, the Queen of the Night, her Three Ladies, and Monostatos (who has defected to her side) make one last attempt to storm the temple ("Nur stille, stille!" - "Only quiet, quiet!"). But their plans are thwarted. The ground opens, and they are struck by lightning, "cast down into eternal night." The scene transforms into a radiant sun-drenched temple, where Sarastro, Tamino, Pamina, and the brotherhood of priests celebrate the triumph of light over darkness, wisdom over superstition. The opera ends with a final, glorious chorus praising Isis and Osiris, and the new, enlightened couple.