Music composed by W. A. Mozart. Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder.
First Performance: 30 September 1791, Theater auf der
Wieden, Vienna
| Principal Characters: | |
| Sarastro Priest of the Sun | Bass |
| Tamino a Javanese Prince | Tenor |
| An Elderly Priest [ëSprecherí; Orator, Speaker] | Bass |
| Three Priests | Bass, Tenor, Spoken Role |
| The Queen of Night | Soprano |
| Pamina her daughter | Soprano |
| Three Ladies attendants to the Queen | Two Sopranos, Mezzo-Soprano |
| Three Boys | Two Sopranos, Mezzo-Soprano |
| Papagena | Soprano |
| Papageno a birdcatcher, employed by the Queen | Baritone |
| Monostatos a Moor, overseer at the Temple | Tenor |
| Two Men in Armour | Tenor, Bass |
| Three Slaves | Spoken Role |
Synopsis:
Act I
Scene 1. Among rocky mountains
Pursued by a serpent which he is unable to kill because he has run out of
arrows, Prince Tamino faints. Three veiled ladies kill the serpent and fall
in love with the handsome stranger, each wishing to stay with him while the
others tell their queen what has happened. Eventually all go. A feather-clad,
pipe-playing figure arrives: Papageno the bird catcher, who claims to have
killed the serpent. The three ladies padlock his mouth to stop him telling
more lies. They give Tamino a portrait of Pamina, daughter of the Queen of
the Night and when he falls in love with it, they tell him she has been
carried off by an evil demon called Sarastro and he swears to save her.
A clap of thunder heralds the arrival of the queen, who promises that her
daughter shall be Tamino’s bride if he rescues her. The ladies remove
Papageno’s padlock and give Tamino a flute to help him in his quest and,
ordering Papageno to go with him, give him a set of bells to use in time of
need, explaining that three spirits will guide Tamino to Sarastro’s
domain.
Scene 2. A room in Sarastro’s palace
Pamina tries to escape from the advances of the moor Monostatos, who is
supposed to be guarding her. She faints and Papageno appears. He and
Monostatos take each other for the devil and Monostatos flees. Papageno tells
Pamina about the handsome prince who has fallen in love with her and is
coming to rescue her and she consoles him on his wifeless state with the
assurance that a loving heart will surely find a partner.
Scene 3. Pillars leading to the temples of wisdom, reason and nature
The three spirits leave Tamino in front of the pillars. He is turned back
by unseen voices as he tries to enter the first two temples and a priestly
figure bars his way to the third. From this man, the speaker, Tamino learns
that although Pamina is in Sarastro’s realm, things are not as the Queen of
the Night has represented them. But Tamino is not yet fit to understand the
mysteries of the temples where Sarastro rules in wisdom. The Speaker
disappears, but the voices tell Tamino that Pamina is alive. He expresses his
joy by playing the flute and animals gather round to listen. He hears
Papageno’s pipes and sets off to find him. Meanwhile Papageno and Pamina have
been following the sound of the flute. They are overtaken by Monostatos and
slaves who are about to drag them off in chains when Papageno remembers his
magic bells. Monostatos and the slaves dance off, forgetting their
intention.
Sarastro and priests of the brotherhood arrive and Pamina tells him that
she has tried to escape because of Monostatos. Sarastro is kind, but tells
her that she cannot yet be set free because of her mother’s evil
influence.
Monostatos has captured Tamino. Pamina and Tamino rush into each other’s
arms. Sarastro orders that Monostatos be whipped and Tamino and Papageno be
led into the temple to be purified.
Act II
Scene 1. A grove in Sarastro’s domain
Sarastro urges the brotherhood to allow Tamino to undergo the trials that
will make him worthy to join their band, explaining that the gods have
ordained Pamina as Tamino’s wife; it is for this reason that he took her from
her mother, whose aim is to destroy the temple.
Scene 2. A temple courtyard at night
Two priests ask Tamino and Papageno if they are prepared to undergo the
trials. Tamino is ready. Papageno demurs, but weakens when told that the gods
have a wife in store for him, just like himself and called Papagena. The
priests impose silence on them, warn them against the wiles of women and
leave them in the dark. The three ladies appear and threaten vengeance, but
Tamino ignores them, advising Papageno to do the same. The ladies are driven
off by the brotherhood. The priests commend Tamino for his steadfastness and
lead him and the reluctant Papageno off to the next trial.
Scene 3. A garden lit by the moon
Monostatos tries to kiss the sleeping Pamina, but is frightened off by the
arrival of the Queen of the Night, who gives Pamina a dagger, ordering her to
kill Sarastro and bring back to her the circle of the sun which had been
given to Sarastro by her late husband. When Pamina expresses her revulsion at
the though of killing, Monostatos tells her that she can only save herself
and her mother by loving him. Sarastro drives him away and assures Pamina
that her mother is safe from him, since no thoughts of vengeance are
permitted in his realm.
Scene 4. A hall
Tamino and Papageno are led in by the priests and left alone. Papageno
complains of thirst and an old woman gives him water, tells him he is her
sweetheart and disappears. The spirits bring back Tamino’s flute and
Papageno’s bells, which had been taken from them. They also bring a feast
which Papageno attacks with gusto, while Tamino abstains, playing the flute
instead.
The sound draws Pamina, who is distressed when Tamino refuses to speak to
her. Even Papageno, his mouth full of food, does not answer. She longs for
death.
Scene 5. A subterranean vault
The priests rejoice at Tamino’s progress. Sarastro tells Tamino and Pamina
to bid each other farewell for ever. Papageno is rejected by the brotherhood,
but replies that there are more of his kind than theirs in the world. All he
wants is a wife. The old woman appears; and, when he reluctantly promises to
be faithful, changes into a young and beautiful girl, Papagena. But she is
taken away by the priests.
Scene 6. A garden
The three spirits stop Pamina from killing herself, assuring her that
Tamino would be heartbroken; they offer to take her to him.
Scene 7. Two mountains, one spitting fire, the other with a waterfall
Two men in armor guard the approaches. They tell Tamino that he may now
speak to Pamina, and together they undergo the ordeals of fire and water,
Tamino playing the flute as they go.
Scene 8. A garden
The boys prevent Papageno from committing suicide in his despair at the
loss of Papagena. Following their advice, he plays his magic bells and she
appears. They make joyful plans for a philoprogenitive future.
Scene 9. An underground vault
The Queen of the Night, her ladies and Monostatos, who has joined them in
the hope of getting Pamina, attack the temple but are repulsed and
defeated.
Scene 10. The temple of the sun
Sarastro leads the brotherhood in celebration of the triumph of light, and
Tamino and Pamina are united in marriage.
[Synopsis Source: Opera~Opera]
Click here
for the complete libretto.
image=http://www.operatoday.com/damrau_queen.png
image_description=Diana Damrau as Queen of the Night
audio=yes
first_audio_name=W. A. Mozart: Die Zauberflˆte
first_audio_link=http://www.operatoday.com/zauberflote1.m3u
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product_title=W. A. Mozart: Die Zauberflˆte
product_by=Sarastro (RenÈ Pape)
Tamino (Michael Schade)
Queen of the Night (Anna-Kristiina Kaappola)
Pamina (Genia K¸hmeier)
Speaker (Franz Rundheber)
First Lady (Edith Haller)
Second Lady (Karine Deshayes)
Third Lady (Ekaterina Gubanova)
Papageno (Markus Werba)
Papagena (Martina Jankov·)
Monostatos (Burkhard Ulrich)
First Man in Armor (Simon O’Neill)
Second Man in Armor (G¸nther Groissbˆck)
First Priest (Franz Grundheber)
Second Priest (Xavier Mas)
Three Boys (Members of the Vienna Boys Choir)
Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor
Wiener Philharmoniker
Riccardo Muti (cond.)
Live performance, 30 July 2005, Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg