Die Zauberflöte - in English The Magic Flute - is possibly Mozart’s best remembered opera. First composed in 1791, it’s an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. A Singspiel, the opera takes the then-popular form that includes both singing and spoken dialogue. The opera premiered on September 30 1791 at Schikaneder's own theatre, the Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna. This would be the last premiere Mozart would attend - he passed only two months later.
The opera was the product of a period of extensive collaboration of Mozart with Schikaneder's theatrical troupe. Since 1789, this had been the resident company at the Theater auf der Wieden (which, of course, premiered the opera). Mozart was friendly with one of the singer-composers of the troupe, tenor Benedikt Schack (who would become the first Tamino), and had written compositions for the troupe, which were often collaboratively written. Mozart's involvement increased with his contributions to the 1790 collaborative opera Der Stein der Weisen (The Philosopher's Stone), including the duet ("Nun liebes Weibchen", K. 625/592a) among other passages. Like The Magic Flute, Der Stein der Weisen was a fairy-tale opera and in many circles is considered a predecessor; it starred more or less the same cast in similar roles.
The libretto for The Magic Flute, written by Schikaneder, is generally considered to have multiple sources among opera scholars. Some literature of the period in Vienna that Schikaneder may have referenced and used as sources include the medieval romance Yvain by Chrétien de Troyes, the novel Sethos by Jean Terrasson, and the essay "On The Mysteries of the Egyptians" by Ignaz von Born. The premise is also a natural continuation of a series of fairy tale operas produced that Schikaneder's troupe had been producing and performing at the time, among these an adaptation of Sophie Seyler's Singspiel Oberon as well as Der Stein der Weisen. Particularly for the character of Papageno, the libretto is heavily influenced by the Hanswurst tradition of the Viennese popular theater. Scholars also have acknowledged an influence of Freemasonry, which entire texts have been written about.
During the composition process, Mozart wrote with the skills of the singers intended for the premiere in mind. These included both traditional opera singers and ordinary comic actors asked to sing for just this opera. Hence, the vocal lines for Papageno and Monostatos are often stated first in the strings so that a potentially less-experienced singer can find his pitch, and are often doubled by instruments. In contrast, the original Queen of the Night (Mozart's sister-in-law Josepha Hofer) needed little such help: subsequently, the role has become known for its difficulty.
While convenient at the time, the vocal ranges of two of the roles for which Mozart anticipated the cast’s abilities now have posed challenges for many singers who wish to take on these roles. Both arias of the Queen of the Night, "O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn" and "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" require high F6, rare in opera. At the low end, the part of Sarastro, premiered by Franz Xaver Gerl, includes a conspicuous F2 in a few locations.
As previously mentioned, the opera premiered in Vienna on September 30, 1791 at the suburban Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden. Mozart personally conducted the orchestra.
Although there were no reviews, it was immediately obvious that Mozart and Schikaneder had achieved something remarkable, with the opera drawing large crowds. It would be performed hundreds of times in the 1790s.
Mozart's letters show, he was very pleased to have achieved such a success. This was reflected in his last three letters, written to his wife Constanze, who was spending time in the nearby city of Baden with her sister Sophie. "I have this moment returned from the opera, which was as full as ever", he wrote on October 7th, listing the numbers that demanded an encore. "But what always gives me the most pleasure is the silent approval! You can see how this opera is becoming more and more esteemed." … He went to hear his opera almost every night, with or without a companion.
The opera celebrated its 100th performance in November 1792, although Mozart was not there to witness it - he had died December 5, 1791. The opera first ventured outside Vienna (September 21, 1792) in Lemberg, then in Prague. It then made "triumphal progress through Germany's opera houses great and small", according to leading scholar Branscombe, and in the early 19th century debuted in across the European continent—and eventually, everywhere in the world—where opera is beloved.
Branscombe also notes that the earlier performances were often of severely changed versions of the opera. Recent productions have been much more faithful to Mozart's treasured work, though a production that truly embodies Mozart and Schikaneder's original (fairly explicit) stage directions and visionary staging continues to be the exception to the rule; most modern productions strongly reflect the creative work of the stage director.
The Magic Flute is presently among the top 10 most frequently performed operas worldwide. Come see AVA’s production opening April 29th and see why. Call 215.735.1685 or visit www.avaopera.org for tickets and to find out more.
Gabriella Balsam is a graduating senior majoring in advertising at Temple University and a marketing intern for AVA.
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