Mozart's The Magic Flute - A Short Guide to a Great Opera

Michael Steen

Summary

Even Salieri, the notorious villain of Peter Shaffer's drama Amadeus, admired Mozart's comic opera Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), which was premièred in Vienna a few weeks before Mozart's death in December 1791. Though sometimes enjoyed as a children's opera, this is not a pantomime: rooted in Freemasonry, the Enlightenment and the Age of Reason, it promotes the ideals of progress, virtue, self-betterment, truth and justice. Tamino, an Egyptian Prince, has a magic flute to take him and his beloved Pamina through trials of constancy and endurance, before they can attain ultimate bliss.

Critics have long been confounded as to how Mozart could present such a light-hearted yet deep masterpiece, with such wonderful music, while being in deep financial trouble.

There is great stylistic diversity. The sensationally difficult part of the Queen of the Night comes from the Italian opera tradition, while the comical bird catcher Papageno (originally performed by the librettist Schikaneder) sings in the popular style of the Viennese suburbs. Such is the beauty of the music that Bernard Shaw thought that the O Isis and Osiris, of Sarastro, the High Priest, was fit to emerge from the mouth of a god.

Written by Michael Steen, author of the acclaimed The Lives and Times of the Great Composers, 'Short Guides to Great Operas' are concise, entertaining and easy to read. They are packed with useful information and informed opinion, helping to make you a truly knowledgeable opera-goer, and so maximising your enjoyment of a great musical experience.

Other 'Short Guides to Great Operas' that you may enjoy include Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro and Così fan tutte.

Available since: 02/20/2013.

Print length: 32 pages.

The Arts

Other books that might interest you

Precious Sons

George Furth

Judith Ivey recreates her critically acclaimed Broadway performance as a tough, eccentric mother from Chicago's South Side. When she squares off against her husband over the fate of their "precious sons," shattering family secrets come to light. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring Barry Cullison, Chad Hutchison, Judith Ivey, Fred Savage and Judy Unger.

Show book

The Americanization of Edward...

Edward William Bok

The Americanization of Edward Bok : the autobiography of a Dutch boy fifty years after by Edward William Bok

libreka classics – These are classics of literary history, reissued and made available to a wide audience. 
Immerse yourself in well-known and popular titles!

Show book

Straightening My Crown -...

Mackenzie Douthit McKee

A raw, courageous account of a young woman determined to turn her turmoil into triumph.Small-town girl turned reality TV star Mackenzie McKee has grown up in front of the world as part of MTV's hit reality shows 16 & Pregnant, Teen Mom 3, and Teen Mom OG. Fans have experienced the ups and downs of motherhood and marriage right alongside Mackenzie—from difficult childbirths due to her type 1 diabetes diagnosis, to the untimely death of her beloved mother, Angie Douthit. But through it all, Mackenzie never falters in her deep love of family and God.In her new memoir, Mackenzie proves there is more to her than what the glaring spotlight of fame has shown. She confronts a never-before-shared secret that upends her young life, and explores her struggle to gain acceptance in a family where she felt she was the only one who was less-than-perfect. Follow along as Mackenzie learns to stand tall, conquer her mistakes and fears, and "straighten her crown" in an effort to help others straighten theirs.

Show book

Public Domain Hymns 01

Various Various

Originally modeled on the Psalms and other poetic passages (commonly referred to as canticles") in the Scriptures, Christian hymns are generally directed as praise and worship to the monotheistic God. Many refer to Jesus Christ either directly or indirectly. Since the earliest times, Christians have sung "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs", both in private devotions and in corporate worship (Matthew 26:30; 1 Cor 14:26; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; James 5:13; cf. Revelation 5:8-10; Revelation 14:1-5). One definition of a hymn is "...a lyric poem, reverently and devotionally conceived, which is designed to be sung and which expresses the worshipper's attitude toward God or God's purposes in human life. It should be simple and metrical in form, genuinely emotional, poetic and literary in style, spiritual in quality, and in its ideas so direct and so immediately apparent as to unify a congregation while singing it."  
(Summary by Wikipedia)

Show book

Better Future A: How We Fix the...

Tyler True

This book provides actionable solutions to most of the problems facing the world today, and it all starts with direct democracy. This revolutionary system of government aims to take the power away from short-sighted and self-serving politicians and bring the power to the people through online voting. We must change this broken system and evolve democracy to what it can be in this technological age. This book also examines how we can fix problems ranging from the environment, energy, food production, money, taxes, the military, prison reform...the list goes on. These problems will only be fixed if we take the power into our own hands in order to create the world we want. Politicians, and the insatiably greedy that control them, must not be allowed to destroy our countries or our planet any longer.

Show book

What to Wear Where - The How-to...

Hillary Kerr, Katherine Power

“Your go-to source for cool, ‘It’ girl style . . . It’s truly relatable for women of all ages, styles, and locations.” —Rachel Zoe, celebrity stylist and bestselling author

Life is stressful; your outfit shouldn’t be. That’s the philosophy behind What to Wear, Where, the second book from the authors of the popular style guide Who What Wear. This time Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power give readers exactly what they’ve asked for: specific advice on how to put together the perfect look for any social occasion. What to Wear, Where addresses more than 50 major social situations, explains what you should wear and what you shouldn’t wear, and shows you exactly what the authors would wear. What to Wear, Where is loaded with practical tips and style suggestions, making it the perfect resource for anyone who wants to feel more confident about her outfit choices. It’s your go-to guide for wardrobe advice and inspiration!

“[A] definitive guide to looking trendy and timeless. With style advice for more than fifty special occasions, What to Wear, Where is the ultimate investment piece.” —Harper’s Bazaar

“Authors Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power know fashion, and their book, which shares the same name as their style-advising business, WhoWhatWear, offers enlightening insights.” —The Wall Street Journal

“WhoWhatWear.com does such a great job of compiling the newest trends. And the founders have a good eye for putting together inspiring clothing combinations.” —Rachel Bilson, actor

Show book