The Magic Flute

Black Dog Opera Library

by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Music), Carl Ludwig Giesecke (Words), Emanuel Schikaneder (Words)

Mozart's "fairy-tale opera" is one of the most beloved works in the repertory. It is a favorite for children's first exposure to opera as it is an enchanting work jammed with melodies that are both noble and playful. The Magic Flute is also one of the most problematic works in the repertory, full of staging difficulties (the hero enters, pursued by a monstrous serpent, and promptly faints--not very heroic of him) and some elements that seem unpleasantly sexist and racist to today's sensibilities. And there's the perennial malcontent who's all too eager to point out that The Magic Flute is not really a grand opera in any case, but a mere singspiel, with spoken dialogue and coarse comedy, no better than an operetta. And what's with all the Masonic imagery?

The story certainly has problems, but the score--one of Mozart's last--overcomes them all as surely as the Three Ladies scrag the serpent and Sarastro and the forces of truth and reason overcome the wicked Queen of the Night. This music has it all, from the heroic notes of Sarastro and the priests to the humor of the bird catcher Papageno. Don't overlook the wonderful ensembles of the Drei Damen and Drei Knaben; Mozart blends trios of soprano voices in a way that's undiluted magic, and that no one even came close to imitating until more than two centuries later, when Richard Strauss took the master's lessons to heart.

You can examine for yourself just how Mozart achieved his effect with this full orchestral score from Dover. It's a reprint of another publisher's out-of-copyright score (C.F. Peters of Leipzig, in this particular case); also, there's not a word of English in it once you get past Dover's title pages and the translation of the table of contents that they've thoughtfully provided. What you will get is all of the instrumental parts (note that most pianists will be unable to do much with this score!), all of the vocal parts, and acres of uncut German dialogue. Dover scores are a reasonably priced resource for singers, instrumentalists, conductors, and anyone who cares deeply about the opera.

Genres: Music, Classics, Plays, German Literature, Fantasy, 18th Century, Fiction

49 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1791

About the author

Johann Georg Leopold Mozart, the Austrian composer, toured Europe with his son, child prodigy, noted Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who gracefully and imaginatively refined the classical style with symphonies, concertos, operas, Masses, sonatas, and chambers among his 626 numbered works.

The comic plays of French writer Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais inspired Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to operas.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart prolifically influenced the era. Many persons acknowledged this pinnacle of piano and choral music. His popularity most endures.

Mozart showed earliest ability. From the age of five years in 1761 already competently on keyboard and violin performed before royalty. At seventeen years in 1773, a court musician in Salzburg engaged him, who restlessly traveled always abundantly in search of a better position.

Mozard visited Vienna in 1781; Salzburg dismissed his position, and he chose to stay in the capital and achieved fame but little financial security over the rest of life. The final years in Vienna yielded his many best-known Requiem . People much mythologized the circumstances of his early death. Constanze Mozart, his wife, two sons survived him.

Mozart always learned voraciously and developed a brilliance and maturity that encompassed the light alongside the dark and passionate; a vision of humanity, "redeemed through art, forgiven, and reconciled with nature and the absolute," informed the whole. He profoundly influenced all subsequent western art music. Ludwig van Beethoven wrote on his own early in the shadow of Mozart, of whom Franz Joseph Haydn wrote that "posterity will not see such a talent again in 100 years."

Reviews

[Manny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Earlier this evening, Not and I attended a free staging of The Magic Flute given by Piccolo Opera, Geneva's opera school. Most of the performers were students at the school, ranging in age from about five to fifteen. They were reinforced by a few adults, who lent their voices at critical moments or sang parts too low for the children to reach. (One of our CERN friends was Sarastro, which was how we'd got to hear about it). The technical standard was dreadful, but it was a wonderful performance all the same. The kids, singing in German and doing the recitative in French, were often only marginally comprehensible, but I have watched the Bergman movie version a dozen times and was able to supply mental subtitles. Everyone was having fun, and there were some delightful moments. The kid playing Monostatos was about five years younger than Pamina and a head shorter, but he was did his best to come across as a psychotic would-be rapist; he got a big hand from the crowd.

And every now and then, the true magic of the opera shone forth. The Queen of the Night sang her duet with Pamina, where she gives her the dagger and tells her that she must kill Sarastro or never see her again. Usually chilling, this was very cute; the Queen's three attendants, all about eleven and doing their damnedest to look mysterious and sexy, danced around the mother and daughter as the Queen tried to reach the high notes in the coloratura bit. And then the girl playing Pamina relinquished the stage for a couple of minutes to one of the adult stand-ins, who sang her despairing aria with enormous passion and force, and briefly made us feel that she really was mad with grief and just wanted to kill herself.

It struck me that this was an interesting metaphor for life. Most of the time, we muddle along not really knowing our parts, giggling at the most solemn moments and forgetting the key lines. Occasionally, though, we're taken over by someone who actually does know what they're doing and interprets the role as it's meant to be played. And those are the moments we remember years later.

Piccolo Opera is brilliant; we'll be back in July, when they're doing Mary Poppins and La Belle Helène. And if you haven't ever seen The Magic Flute, check it out.

[Huda Aweys · Rating 3 out of 5]

نجمتين للحكاية العبيطة و حبكتها الزفت :))) اللي شبه حكايات المكتبة الخضراء ( و موش معنى كده اني باقول ان حكايات المكتبة الخضراء بهذا السوء ، لكن كل الحكاية :) انها و اشباهها مابقيتش ترضي عقول و ارواح ناس في اعمارنا ! ) ، و نجمة للمزيكا و الأوبرا ...
*****
كنت باتناقش مع صديقة عن المزيكا و الأوبرا فزودتني بمعلومة جديدة عن ماسونية موتسارت :) ماكنتش اعرف عن الموضوع دا قبل كده الحقيقة لكنها دللت لي عليه بأوبرا (الفلوت السحري) بالذات و ماكتب عنها فكان لازم أطلع عليها ...، ابتديت بالبحث عنها و بقراءة ما كتب عنها و عن موتسارت ايضا على مواقع المزيكا و ويكيبيديا و جوجل لاقيت انه موضوع معروف و متداول فعلا .. ، و الحقيقة الموضوع بتاع الأخوية (الماسونية) او العقيدة (الماسونية) او المحفل (الماسوني) دا مابقاش سر خلاص ! ، يمكن زمان كان يبدو الكلام عنه غريب شويه عشان كان فيه حالة من الجهل العام بالموضوع بسبب ماكان يشوبه من تعتيم و سرية ، الى جانب الاساطير و الحوارات الكتير اللي الصقت بيه بسبب من التعتيم و السرية ايضا مما جعله مادة للتندر و المبالغات ، لكن حاليا بقى موضوع مفتوح ومعروف ، و الماسونية بقت زيها زي البوذية .. زي الشيوعية .. زي اللوسيفيرية ، و غيرها من العقائد .. و ان كان مازال بيشوبها شئ من السرية و التعتيم ، الا انه على الأقل تم تصنيفها ، و وضع عناوين عريضة لها و لتاريخها
*****
بالنسبة للاوبرا بقى اللي هي موضوعنا :) ، فبتبتدي بصراع مابين وحش اسطوري ومابين الأمير (تامينو) ، او بمعنى ادق .. بهجوم من ذلك الوحش الأسطوري على (تامينو) :) و محاولة من الأخير للدفاع عن نفسه مع بعض صرخات الاستغاثة :) ، اللي بتسمعها مساعدات (ملكة الليل) او (ملكة ضي النجوم) زي ما في اقرب ترجمة للنص الأصلي لـ الأوبرا فبيحضروا لمساعدته و بيقتلوا الوحش بينما هو مغمى عليه ، و بيتركوه و يرجعوا لملكتهم يحكولها عن وسامته و شبابه ، في الوقت دا بيمر (باباغينو) صائد الطيور في المكان ، و بيفوق الأمير و يشوفه و يظن انه ((باباغينو)) هو اللي انقذه من الوحش ، لكن مايلبث أن تأتي المساعدات مرة اخرى ليعلموه بالحقيقة ، و يعرضوا عليه (الأمير) صورة (بامينا) بنت ملكة الليل اللي خطفها (ساراستو) الشرير و يطلبوا منه انه ينقذها بناء على طلب ملكتهم ، و بتحضر الملكة بنفسها و بتناجيه مناجاة مؤثرة لأم فقدت بنتها ، و بيرحل تامينو بعدها في مهمة لانقاذ (بامينا) مع باباغينو كمساعد له و بيوصلوا لبامينا و بيقابلوها فعلا لكن ساراستو ( الشيطان او الشرير بتاع الحكاية اللي بيطلع مظلوم :) ) بيعترض طريقهم ، لكن لما بيشوف حبهم لبعض (الغير مبرر بالمرة :) ) بيقرر يعطي لتامينو فرصة يثبت فيها حكمته و نبله اللي بيهم يكون جدير بـ بامينا ، و بأخويتهم و صداقتهم .. و بالانضمام لمعبدهم .. معبد الحكمة و النور اللي بيعبدوا فيه ايزيس و اوزوريس ( احب اسجل اعجابي بصنف الكولا اللي بيشموه بهذه المناسبة السعيــــــــــدة :))) ) ، و بيبتدوا بقى في تجسيد مراسم قبول و تعميد عضو جديد في معبد الحكمة ( المحفل الماسوني :) ) ، و تجسيد رمزي للاختبارات اللي بيمر بيها ، و الشروط اللى بيملوها عليه ..، و تبعيا بيتم عرض بعض افكارهم ومعتقداتهم عن الألوهية و الحكمة و الموسيقى على لسان الأبطال ..، لغاية ما بيمر تامينو من الاختبارات كلها بتوفيق في النهاية و بيتم جمعه على بامينا ، و باباغينو (اللي هو الفاكهة بتاعة الأوبرا دي و تقريبا كده البطل الحقيقي لها) على (باباغينا) رغم انه مانجحش في و لا اختبار اساسا :)) ، ومع كده هاداه ساراستو بباغينا زي ما وعده في البداية اذا ما مر في الاختبارات بنجاح ...
اما ملكة الليل فبتتغلب في مواجهة اخيرة قصاد ساراستو .. بيطغى نوره فيها على ليلها بقى و كده يعني :) .. و اخيرا بيحصلهم الاستنارة
:))))) زي مابتحصلنا كده
و بيقوموا يشكروا ايزيس و اوزوريس و عم الحج ساراستو و بتخلص الحكاية على كده #

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

So yes indeed, I absolutely do adore Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’ opera Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute). For Die Zauberflöte is both musically and visually enchanting, and Emanuel Schikaneder’s libretto, it also adeptly and smoothly manages to successfully combine both fantasy and reality, both fun and philosophical enlightenment in an easy to digest and experience delightful romp (which always or at least usually makes me smile and sometimes even laugh out loud such as when for example Papageno spews forth with his often rather silly asides that nevertheless have elements of folk wisdom and down-to-earth 18th century street smarts included and appreciatively also tend to balance the rather dryly Masonic philosophies of Sarastro and company, which are of course interesting but at the same time also a trifle dragging and tedious).

However, I do actually also (and contritely) feel a trifle annoyed at and with myself for having read the libretto for Die Zauberflöte so meticulously and thoroughly. For while watching (and of course also hearing) Die Zauberflöte performed does already show that there is a bit of latent and not so latent misogyny present in Emanuel Schikaneder’s text (and that all of the female characters in Die Zauberflöte are either totally passive like Pamina or horrid villains like the Queen of the Night and her handmaidens), you really do not get the total scope of that same misogyny until you actually read the libretto without the distraction of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s music and realise that the entire philosophy of Sarastro and his so-called Masonic enlightenment is in fact based not only on total masculinity but on a decided attitude of women being inherently dangerous as leaders and needing to be guided by men, to be completely controlled and subjugated, leaving me with still enjoying Die Zauberflöte as an opera, but certainly also leaving me feeling increasingly uncomfortable with regard to what Emanuel Schikaneder’s libretto claims regarding women obviously represent and demonstrate.

And while I would still warmly and fondly recommend Die Zauberflöte and also (in my opinion) consider it Mozart’s best opera, I do have to say that the annoying piece of truth that all of the female characters in Die Zauberflöte are majorly typecast as being either passive or villainous and that Sarastro’s attitude towards women and our mental and emotional maturity basically and without any doubt whatsoever obviously claims that we are all severely lacking there and just because of our gender, yes indeed, this does make me quite angry and majorly frustrated.

[Özgür Atmaca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mozart’ın Sanatında Anlam ve Dönüşüm

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, yalnızca klasik müziğin değil, sanatın tüm dallarında derin izler bırakmış bir dâhi olarak kabul edilir. "Sihirli Flüt" (Die Zauberflöte), onun sanatsal mirasının en önemli halkalarından biridir ve aynı zamanda Alman dilinde yazdığı ilk operalardan biri olmasıyla ayrı bir yere sahiptir. Bu eserin etkileyici yönlerinden biri, yalnızca müzikal zenginliği değil, aynı zamanda kültürel, felsefi ve sembolik derinliğidir.

Vakıfbank Yayınları’ndan çıkan "Sihirli Flüt" kitabı, operanın libretto metnine yer verirken, Mozart’ın sanatsal dünyasına derinlemesine bir bakış sunuyor. Bu bağlamda eserin sadece müziğini değil, karakterler ve temalar arasındaki ilişkiyi de analiz etmek mümkün hale geliyor. Mozart'ın bu operasının metni, dönemin toplumsal ve düşünsel atmosferine dair ipuçları barındırırken, bir yandan da Mozart’ın diğer eserleriyle ilginç bir karşılaştırma yapma fırsatı sunuyor.

"Don Giovanni" ve "Figaro’nun Düğünü"

Mozart’ın daha önce yazdığı eserlerde, özellikle "Don Giovanni" ve "Figaro’nun Düğünü" operalarında, yoğun bir dramatik yapı ve derinlik gözlemlenir. Özellikle karakterlerin içsel çatışmaları ve toplumsal eleştiriler bu iki eserin öne çıkan yönleridir. Ancak, "Sihirli Flüt" bu dramatik yoğunluğa kıyasla daha fantastik bir atmosfere sahiptir. Bu eserde, Tamino ve Pamina gibi karakterler üzerinden erdem ve ahlaki olgunlaşma temaları işlenirken, Papageno gibi daha hafif, mizahi karakterlerle eserin tonunda bir denge sağlanır. Karakterlerin sembolizmi ve müzikal temsilleri, eserin hem basit hem de derin anlam katmanlarına sahip olmasına olanak tanır.

Mozart, "Sihirli Flüt"'te müzikle anlatım arasında bir denge kurarken, felsefi bir dil kullanmayı da ihmal etmemiştir. Özellikle operanın simgesel yönleri ve Masonik ögeleri, onu diğer operalarından farklı kılar. Bu farklılık, yalnızca eserin libretto metninde değil, müzikal yapısında da kendini gösterir. "Don Giovanni" gibi daha karanlık ve dramatik tonlardan uzak, "Sihirli Flüt"’teki melodiler daha parlak, hatta zaman zaman neredeyse neşeli bir yapı sergiler. Mozart’ın müziği, ışık ve karanlık, iyilik ve kötülük gibi temaların altını çizer ve eserin anlatım gücünü artırır.

Işık ve Gölge Arasında

Kitapta, operanın librettosunun zengin anlatım dili karakterlerin psikolojik derinliklerini daha yakından incelememize olanak tanır. Tamino, ideal bir kahraman olarak ahlaki olgunlaşma yolunda sembolik bir yolculuğa çıkarken, Pamina saf sevgi ve erdemin temsilcisidir. Ancak, operanın esas dikkat çeken karakteri, ne Tamino ne de Pamina’dır; Papageno gibi yan karakterler eserin mizahi ve insani boyutlarını derinleştirir. Papageno’nun dünyası daha basit, hatta dünyevidir; buna karşın, Mozart’ın müziği Papageno’nun karakterine çokça enerji ve hayat katmıştır.

Bir diğer önemli karakter olan Gece Kraliçesi, eserin karanlık yönünü temsil ederken, ona eşlik eden virtüöz arya, müzikal anlamda olağanüstü zorlukta ve güzelliktedir. Gece Kraliçesi’nin müzikal teması ile Sarastro’nun temasındaki kontrast, sadece müziğin değil, metnin de ne denli güçlü bir sembolizm içerdiğini gözler önüne serer. Kitapta bu temaların ve karakterlerin incelikle işlenmesi, okuyucuyu yalnızca bir müzik yolculuğuna değil, aynı zamanda felsefi bir keşfe çıkarır.

Mozart’ın Zihnindeki Büyülü Yolculuk

Mozart’ın "Sihirli Flüt" eseri, onun sadece müziksel dehasını değil, aynı zamanda insan ruhuna dair derin felsefi kavrayışını da yansıtan bir başyapıttır. Vakıfbank Yayınları’nın sunduğu bu kitap, eserin tüm bu katmanlarını okuyuculara sunarken, Mozart’ın diğer eserleriyle de karşılaştırmalı bir bakış açısı geliştirmeyi mümkün kılıyor. "Sihirli Flüt", daha hafif bir anlatımla da olsa, dinleyicisini ve okuyucusunu derin düşüncelere sevk eden bir opera olarak, Mozart’ın sanatındaki zenginliğin bir başka yansımasıdır.

[Laura L. Van Dam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tengo este libreto en una edición bilingüe y comentada por el prestigioso musicólogo Kurt Pahlen. Es absolutamente genial. Como si fuera poco, en 1994 el mismísimo Pahlen dio unas conferencias sobre Historia de la Ópera en el Salón Dorado del Teatro Colón, donde me autografió este libro. Un tesoro que guardo con mucho cariño.

[Forrest · Rating 4 out of 5]

This edition of Die Zauberflöte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the first full "book" I read in German, so I have a bit of a soft spot in my heart for this opera. Though I'm sure that there is some sinister Masonic propaganda at work, probably with the end result that we will all work as stone-cutter slaves in the new glorious reign of the 14th Grand Master Dragon of the East Wind of the Masonic Order of Golden Dawn (or whatever), I couldn't help but enjoy the over-riding strangeness of the plot and characters. Papageno is my favorite character of the bunch, flitting somewhere between playful and insane. My favorite aspect of this opera, though, is the bawdiness that is displayed from time to time, belying the false impression that the German-speaking countries of the 18th-Century were stoic and all-too-serious. Mozart, at least, shows a rather bizarre sense of humor in the his portrayal of Papageno.

Rather than getting caught up in the interpretation of Masonic symbols that permeate the work, I like to view it (and listen to it) as if it were simply a fantastical text. In that light, one can consider it one of the earliest surreal fantasies, presaging the bulk of the surrealist movement by over a century. I think of the work of the Symbolist painters of the last half of the 19th-Century as having derived their ouvre from Die Zauberflöte, though I can't decisively prove such a connection existed. Viewing the work as a surreal fantasy allows an unhindered enjoyment of the work, especially if one is simply reading the words divorced from the music (a necessary evil when one is reading the book in a classroom with other students).

And for you movie buffs, read this book, then watch Howl's Moving Castle and tell me if you don't begin to suspect that Mozart and Miyazaki weren't both trying to get at something much more meaningful than either one presented on the surface of their respective works. And if it means that we all have to be stone-cutting slaves to the Masonic Order, I say "Welcome to our new overlords"!

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Illiterate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comic fantasy suggesting religious ideals can be fulfilled on earth. Reason leads to love/harmony and wisdom/light. Cairns’ walkthrough is helpful.

[Anni K. Mars · Rating 3 out of 5]

Früher fand ichs irgendwie cooler. Jetzt fallen mir all die Brüche im Text auf. Ich bin gespannt, was wir in der Uni noch dazu machen.
Außerdem bin ich gespannt auf mein Referat über die Freimaurer, die viel mit diesem Text zu tun hatten ;)

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

So awesomely racist and sexist, but it was written in 1791. What did I expect? Interesting enough though, with all the racist and sexist parts, the priest worship the goddess Isis. Huh?

[Javier Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the new Met Opera adaptation today. The magic is lost with the modern stage settings and costumes which leave us with just a flute and a cannoli.

UPDATE:
I enjoyed Opera Tampa's traditional staging much more today than the modern Met adaptation so I'm bumping my rating up a star to four. Also, I'm hopeful that since the only death in the opera is that of the monstrous snake, and since the ending is a perfectly happy one, I'll be graced with a respite this evening from the persistent haunts of my recurring late night primal screams. A good night's sleep is just what the piper ordered!

[Peter Petrov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die Zauberflöte(The Magic Flute) is undoubtably one of the best operas Mozart has ever written, and sadly one of the last before his untimely death. Although I have seen the opera many times, I wanted to take the time to read the libretto, thoroughly in order to get a better grasp, about what The Magic Flute really is about.

Italian opera was all the rage in Vienna back in the 18th Century, but what the public really craved was a German one! And Mozart gave the people exactly what they wanted and needed. The Magic Flute draws on Masonic imagery, folk idioms and pantomime to elevate human wisdom above ignorance. Although German was thought to be a language to hard for music, he managed to create something beautiful that is enjoyed to this very day.

I read a couple of reviews here blaming the piece for being misogynistic, close minded, sexist etc...And yes, while some characters like Pamina and Papagena are portrayed like "weak" female characters waiting for their knights in shining armour, we should not forget The Queen of The Night. Yes, many people see her as this ruthless villain who craves nothing, but power, I see her as a strong woman trying to break the status quo and fighting for her place alongside "powerful men".

The Magic Flute could be seen as a backward piece, compared to today's standards, but we should not forget that it was written in 1791..People had a vastly different view of the world, different morals, different norms..Instead of trying to criticize something and someone (namely Mozart) for being sexist, we should view it as any other classic, be respectful of the time when it was written and just try to do better in the future.

[Mike Van Helden · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Die Zauberflöte" by Mozart is probably one of the most famous and influential works in opera (and the last one for this year). The plot reminds me a bit of both Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Goethe's "Faust", since Die Zauberflöte includes a lot of weird and fantastical elements that grab your attention and keeps you focused on the story. Also, this work is written in German and is the first opera I understood without translation.

The plot of the opera takes place in Ancient Egypt - which is different from other classical plays, which are often set in Rome or Ancient Greece. It follows prince Tamino and his helper Papageno, who are send on a quest to free the daughter of the Queen of the Night, Pamina, which has been abducted by the evil sorceror Zarastro - or at least that is what the Queen of the Night says to Tamino.

Written in 1791 (briefly before Mozart's death), the opera symbolises the battle between dark and light during the Age of Enlightenment. The many many symbols and fantasical music scores - which can even make the harsh German language sound soft - make it to a moment in both music and theatre history.

[Bernardo Henríquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lo leí con un video de YouTube dirigido pir Riccardo Muti. Aprendí sobre la trama en general gracias a una sinopsis por la San Francisco Opera. Lo devuelvo porque dura tres horas y me compré The Lean Startup. Death for the queen of the night!!!

[Lucía · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can't go wrong with Mozart.

[Macs Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Jelly Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a wonderful opera. My favorite is the aria Der Holle Rache, which has a horrible meaning but is an incredibly beautiful aria. The Queen of the Night is not a nice character but the aria is one of the most beautiful I've ever heard. Sumi Jo sings it particularly well.

This book, the Black Dog Opera Library's Magic Flute, includes the complete opera on audio CDs, the complete libretto, a translation of the libretto, and information on the history of the opera The Magic Flute. It's a great introduction for people of all ages. Highly recommended!

[Bryce Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The music is wonderful, but even for someone as Un PC as me the story of The Magic Flute has always been a little bit weird. Remember kids happiness can only be obtained by submitting to the every whim of patriarchal Masonic priest.

[Luke Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read while listening FOR SURE, not worth reading on its own

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

El príncipe Tamino llega hasta tierras rocosas siendo perseguido por una serpiente gigante. Cuando está totalmente desmayado y a punto de ser atacado, aparecen tres hadas al servicio de la Reina de la Noche que lo salvan. Tamino se despierta, aturdido, junto a la serpiente muerta, y escucha el canto del Papageno -un ser mitad pájaro y mitad persona- creyendo que es su salvador. Papageno se queda callado y no dice nada sobre la verdad. Al ver esto, aparecen las tres hadas, para desmentirlo. Mirando a Tamino, le entregan un retrato de una bella joven: Pamina, hija de la Reina de la Noche, y de quién se enamora a primera vista. Las tres hadas le cuentan que Pamina ha sido secuestrada por Sarastro. La Reina de la Noche le pide a Tamino que rescate a su hija y le entrega una flauta mágica para ayudarlo en su misión. Papageno, el pajarero, también se une a Tamino y recibe unas campanas mágicas para protegerse.

Tamino y Papageno emprenden el viaje para rescatar a Pamina. Mientras tanto, Pamina está bajo custodia de Sarastro, pero descubre que no es el tirano que la Reina le describió, sino un líder sabio que representa la luz y la razón. Para unirse a la orden de Sarastro, Tamino y Papageno deben superar una serie de pruebas. Pruebas que no son físicas, sino simbólicas: guardar silencio, cruzar fuego, sumergirse en agua. Estas pruebas simbolizan la búsqueda de la sabiduría, la verdad y la pureza del alma.

Y es aquí donde esta historia toma fuerza en su simbolismo: tres golpes, no en una puerta, sino en el aire. Tres hadas que custodian al héroe, tres sacerdotes que lo guían, tres templos que aparecen, y tres pruebas que sellan su paso, como un ritual de transformación que no busca destruir al iniciado, sino liberarlo de sus apegos. Sarastro, el sabio que guía a Tamino, y la Reina de la Noche representan las dos fuerzas que habitan en cada ser humano: la luz que revela y ordena, y la sombra que seduce pero confunde.

[Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bu opera Mozart'ın ölmeden önce bestelediği son ve aynı zamanda Mozart'ın en çok başarı yakalayan operalarından birisidir. Maalesef Mozart Die Zauberflöte'n 100. performansını dahi göremeden vefat ediyor.

Genelde operalar İtalyanca yazılır ve eser bu geleneğe karşı çıkıyor çünkü bu eserin orijinal dili Almanca. Eser singspiel tarzı yani hem konuşma hem şarkı içeren bir opera.

Herkes hayatında illa bir kere "Der Hölle Rache Kocht in meinem Herze" aryasını duymuştur. İçinizi ürperten bir soprano var karşınızda: Königin der Nacht. Benim naçizane tavsiyem Die Zauberflöte operasını dinlemek isterseniz ve Almanca bilmiyorsanız önce bu eseri okuyun sonra gönül rahatlığıyla izleyebilirsiniz.

Mozart'ın benim için yeri sevdiğim bir sürü besteci olmasına rağmen hep ayrı kalacaktır. 11-12 yaşlarındayken Klasik Batı Müziğine adım atmamı sağlayan sanatçıdır kendisi. Hem kısa yaşamına 626 beste sığdırıp kendini bir efsane haline getirmesiyle hem dehasıyla beni her zaman etkileyen bir kişi olmuştur.

[Claudio Di Leva · Rating 3 out of 5]

A parte l'ovvia traduzione del libretto dell"opera il libro è corroborato di una interessante prefazione sulla genesi del capolavoro mozartiano e un saggio sull'Egitto dell'opera lirica e della massoneria.
Lettura interessante per comprendere lo spirito del tempo e quello di Amadè

[annaaa · Rating 2 out of 5]

don‘t get me wrong, the music is beautiful but..

[Eddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice music, but I'm not sure if I'd like to know what Mozart thought of black people

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

loved the opera :)

[joena · Rating 4 out of 5]

fast read which i actually enjoyed.

[Will Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled a bit with this one. The vocab was a bit overwhelming. Hopefully I can reread this once my German is better. The ELI publications are really high quality though.

[DW]

Dated in perspective but the art is interesting.

[Lena · Rating 2 out of 5]

úvod, v kterým hrdina prchá před hadem, následně omdlívá a musí být zachráněn třemi dámami ... rozhodně zajímavý vzhledem k tomu, jak mizogynní je zbytek textu. (zajdi na operu!!!)

[Christian Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun opera. The libretto helped clear up some plot points I found to be nebulous when watching the performance.