Opera - The Magic Flute - Facts about the Opera

 

What does Die Zauberflöte mean?

Die  Zauberflöte  is translated as "The Magic Flute".

Who composed the opera Die Zauberflöte?

The opera was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and set to the libretto (words/text) by Emanuel Schikaneder. 

When was the opera first performed?

The opera was first performed at the Theater auf der Wieden on the 30th of September 1971.

Who were the lead singers of the first production?

Mozart composed the role of the Queen of the Night for his sister in-law Josepha Weber, however the role was first performed by soprano Josepha Hofer, whereas the role of Papageno was performed by the opera's librettist Emanuel Schikaneder.

Where is the opera set?

The opera is set in an unknown land.

What is important about the music of this opera?

• The opera is a singspiel and is separated into two acts. While the ordinary operatic form is based on the recitative-aria style of singing, in the singspiel form, the recitative is replaced by dialogue. Therefore, the form is dialogue-aria.
• In order to portray each character's personality, Mozart used different styles for each character. For example, the Queen of the Night's music is closer to an Italian Coloratura Soprano whereas Papageno's music is folklike.

What is Die Zauberflöte's historical background?

• Mozart composed Die Zauberflöte in the last year of his life. 
• Before composing Die Zauberflöte, Mozart became close friends with Emanuel Schikaneder (the opera's librettist) and with a group of musicians, they used to compose and perform "fairy-tale operas" based on the principles of Freemasonry.

Did you know?

• Mozart conducted the opera's premier two months before his death on 5th of December 1791.
• There are numerous debates whether the opera is a freemasonry propaganda or not. 
• Mozart and Schikaneder were both freemasons. 
• Even though the opera is a fairytale, there are numerous freemasons symbols. For example the number 3 keeps repeating in the opera. 
• The opera's characters are said to be inspired by 18th century real life personalities such as Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, who could possibly be the Queen of the Night. The empress was an enemy of the Freemasons the same way the Queen of the Night appears to be in the opera.
• The way the libretto is written, it is unclear who of the characters is evil and who is not.
• After almost 232 years since the opera's premiere, Die Zauberflöte is considered to be the third most performed opera worldwide, today.
• Mozart's last words to his wife are thought to be ‘Silence! Silence! Now Hofer (the soprano playing the Queen of the Night) is taking her high B-flat’. 

You can read the opera's synopsis in the blog: Opera - The Magic Flute - Synopsis 

You can read more about Pamina's Aria in the blog: Opera - The Magic Flute- Aria - "Ach ich fühl's"

References:

Britannica - The Magic Flute

The Kennedy Center - The Magic Flute

Opera North - The Magic Flute in a Nutshell

English National Opera - The Beginner's Guide to Mozart

English National Opera - Discover: The Magic Flute

Warner Classics - Mozart and the Weber Sisters

Utah Opera - Background to the Magic Flute

2023