Libretto of Mozart's Magic Flute briefly. Emanuel Schikaneder

25.01.202427.05.2017

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. “The Magic Flute” / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. "Die Zauberflote"

An opera in two acts with a libretto (in German) by Emanuel Schikander, possibly co-authored with Karl Ludwig Gieseke.

Time of action: uncertain, but approximately during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses I.
Setting: Egypt.
First performance: Vienna, 30 September 1791.

"The Magic Flute" is what the Germans call a Singspiel, that is, a play (dramatic work) with singing, like an operetta, or a musical comedy, or a ballad opera, or even an opera comique (French - comic opera). Most operettas and musical comedies demonstrate certain absurdities and absurdities in their plots, and this opera is no exception. For example, the Queen of the Night appears as a good woman in the first act, and as a villain in the second. Further, this whole story begins as a romantic fairy tale, and then takes on a serious religious character. In fact, the rites of the Temple of Isis and Osiris are generally considered to reflect the ideals of the Masonic order, and various critics, writing about the opera long after the death of the author, found deep political symbolism in the second act of the opera. Perhaps this is so, since both creators of the opera - Mozart and his librettist - were Freemasons, and Freemasonry was not officially supported (in 1794, Emperor Leopold II completely banned the activities of Masonic lodges - A.M.).

Today such questions do not seem to matter much. Much more important is the fact that Shikander, this eccentric actor-singer-writer-impresario, who appears and disappears somewhere, ordered this work from his old friend Mozart in the last year of the composer’s life, precisely at the moment when Mozart was in extraordinary need of such an order. Mozart wrote his magnificent work with specific singers in mind, for example Schikander himself, this very modest baritone, sang the part of Papageno, while Josepha Hofer, Mozart's sister-in-law, was a brilliant, sparkling coloratura soprano, and it was for her that the arias of the Queen of the Night were composed . Giesecke, who may have had a hand in writing the opera's libretto (he later claimed to have written the entire libretto), was a man of scientific and literary talent and may have served as a model for Goethe's Wilhelm Meister, but he had no great stage talent. and he was appointed to the role of the first warrior in armor.

As for all sorts of absurdities in the plot, they can be attributed to the fact that, while the libretto was being written, one of the competing theaters successfully staged the opera “Caspar the Bassoonist, or the Magic Zither” by a certain Libeskind, which was based on the same story, which Shikander developed - “Lulu, or The Magic Flute,” one of the tales in the collection of Christoph Martin Wieland. It is believed that Shikander changed the entire plot already in the middle of the work, that is, after the entire first act had already been written and work on the second had begun. This is a pure hypothesis, and the only available evidence for it is indirect.

Despite the absurdities (or perhaps because of them), this opera always radiated the charm of a fairy tale and was a huge success from the very beginning. This success did not help Mozart very much. He died thirty-seven days after the premiere. As for Schikander, he was able - partly from the income from performances of the opera, which were held with constant success - to build himself, seven years later, a completely new theater and crown it with a sculpture depicting himself in Papageno's bird feathers. That was the peak of his career, and fourteen years later he died, mentally ill, in the same poverty as Mozart.

OVERTURE

The overture begins solemnly with three powerful dotted chords, which later sound in the opera in the most solemn moments associated with priestly images. But everything else in the overture (with the exception of the repetition of these chords, which now sound like a reminder) is permeated with light and fun and written in a fugue style - everything, as it should be in an overture to a fairy tale.

ACT I

Scene 1. The fairy tale itself begins - as befits a fairy tale - with the fact that a young prince is lost in the valley. His name is Tamino and he is being pursued by an evil snake. Tamino calls for help and, losing consciousness, eventually falls to the ground unconscious. At this moment, three ladies save him. These are the fairies of the Queen of the Night - of course, supernatural creatures. They are completely enchanted by the beauty of the young man lying unconscious. Then they leave to notify their mistress about the young man who has wandered into their domain. At this moment the main comedic character appears on the stage. This is Papageno, a birder by profession. He introduces himself with a cheerful folk-style melody - the aria "Der Vogelfanger bin ich ja" ("I am the most dexterous bird-catcher"). He says that he loves to catch birds, but it would be better for him to catch his wife. At the same time, he plays along with himself on the pipe - an instrument that we will hear later.

Papageno tells Tamino that the prince found himself in the domain of the Queen of the Night and that it was he, Papageno, who saved him from the terrible snake by killing him (in fact, the snake was killed by three fairies of the Queen of the Night, they cut it into three parts). For this lie, he receives punishment from the fairies who returned here - his lips are locked. Then they show Tamino a portrait of a lovely girl. This is the daughter of the Queen of the Night, who was kidnapped by an evil sorcerer and whom Tamino must save. Tamino immediately falls in love with the girl depicted in the portrait and sings an aria, which is called the aria with the portrait (“Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon” - “What a charming portrait”). The mountains shake and move apart, the Queen of the Night herself appears, she sits on the throne and in a dramatic and incredibly difficult aria “O zittre nicht mein lieber Sohn” (“Oh, do not be afraid, my young friend”) tells Tamino about her daughter and promises to give him she will be his wife if he frees her. The first scene ends with the quintet, one of the best ensembles in opera, rivaling the magnificent finales of Le nozze di Figaro, although written in a completely different style. During this finale, the three fairies give Tamino a magic flute, the sounds of which are capable of taming and pacifying the most evil forces, and Papageno, this bird catcher, is given musical bells, since he must accompany Tamino in his search for Pamina, and these also magic bells will protect him from all dangers.

Scene 2 takes place in Sarastro's palace. He is the head of a secret and powerful Egyptian religious caste, and it is in his possession that Pamina, the daughter of the Queen of the Night, is now in his possession. Here she is guarded by the comical villain Moor Monostatos. He kidnapped Pamina, threatening her with death if she refused to belong to him. At a critical moment, Papageno accidentally wanders in here. He and Monostatos are terribly scared of each other, which is actually extremely comical. No eight-year-old child would be afraid of such a meeting. Monostatos eventually escapes, and when Pamina and Papageno are alone, the birdcatcher convinces her that there is one young man who loves her, and that he will soon come to save her. She, in turn, assures Papageno that he too will soon find a girlfriend. They sing a charming duet in praise of tenderness (“Bei Mannern welche Liebe fuhlen” - “When a man is a little in love”).

Scene 3. The scene changes again. This time it is the grove near the Temple of Sarastro. Tamino is led by three pages. These are the geniuses of the temple, they encourage him, but do not answer his questions. Left alone in a grove near three temples, he tries to enter each of the doors. A voice sounding from behind the doors warns him against entering two temples, but then the third door opens and the high priest himself appears. From a rather long (and - I must admit this - rather boring) conversation, Tamino learns that Sarastro is not the villain he thought, and that Pamina is somewhere nearby and alive. In gratitude for this information, Tamino plays a wonderful melody on his magic flute, and then sings the same beautiful melody (“Wie stark ist nicht dein Zauberton” - “How full of enchantment is the magic sound”). Suddenly he hears the sounds of Papageno's pipe and rushes towards him. Pamina and Papageno appear. They are pursued by the comical villain Monostatos, who wants to put Pamina in chains. At a critical moment, Papageno remembers his magic bells. He plays them (they sound like a child's musical snuffbox), and the wonderful melody makes the Moorish servants and Monostatos himself dance in the most harmless way. Pamina and Papageno sing a charming duet. He is interrupted by the sounds of a solemn march - the stern Sarastro with his entire retinue is approaching. He forgives the girl for her attempt to escape. Monostatos bursts in with Prince Tamino, who has also been captured. Monostatos demands a reward from Sarastro and receives it - the one he deserves, namely seventy-seven blows with a stick for his insolence. The action ends with Tamino and Pamina solemnly preparing to perform the rites of passage that will determine whether they are worthy of each other.

ACT II

Scene 1. In the second act of the opera, scenes change much faster than in the first. The music in it becomes more serious. For example, the very first scene is the meeting of the priests of Isis and Osiris in a palm grove. Sarastro informs the priests that Tamino has been chosen to marry Pamina, who has come to them, but first this couple must prove that she is worthy to join the Temple of Light. He pronounces his famous appeal to the gods “O Isis und Osiris” (“His temple, Isis and Osiris”). Bernard Shaw once said of this majestic and simple aria with a male choir: “This is music that can be put into the mouth of God without blasphemy.”

Scene 2. At the walls of the temple, Tamino and Papageno meet priests who give them the most necessary cult instructions. The two priests (who sing in an octave, probably to make their instructions perfectly clear) warn the prince and the birdcatcher to be on their guard and not to fall for women's tricks, because women are the root of all human troubles. Three ladies appear from the Queen of the Night. They, in turn, warn our heroes against the priests and threaten them with a terrible fate. Papageno enters into conversation with them, while the smart Tamino does not give in to this temptation. He stands the test of silence. Then the choir of priests (singing off stage) sends these messengers of the Queen of the Night back to where they came from.

Scene 3 The scene changes again. This time we have a garden in front of us - Pamina is sleeping in a gazebo covered with roses. Monostatos, who managed to escape punishment, is again near her - he has not given up the thought of pursuing the girl and is trying to kiss her. At this moment, her mother, the Queen of the Night, appears. In her terrifying aria of revenge, she demands that Pamina kill Sarastro herself. She puts a dagger in her hand and threatens that if she does not do this and does not remove the sacred solar disk from his chest, she will be cursed by her. This revenge aria (“Der Holle Rache kocht” - “The thirst for revenge burns in my chest”) with its two high “Fs” always turned out to be a stumbling block for dozens of sopranos who were otherwise quite suitable for this role.

Immediately after the disappearance of the Queen of the Night, Monostatos returns. He overheard a conversation between a mother and her daughter and now demands from the girl that she belong to him - this should be her payment for her silence about her conspiracy with the Queen of the Night. But Pamina manages to escape again - this time thanks to the arrival of Sarastro. When Pamina is in prayer, he explains to her that within the walls of this temple there is no place for revenge and only love binds people here. An aria of extraordinary beauty and nobility sounds (“In diesen heil" gen Hallen” - “Enmity and revenge are alien to us”).

Scene 4. In some productions, there is an intermission at this moment, and the next scene opens the third act. However, in most published scores this is just another scene of the second act - a hall, and quite a spacious one at that. The two priests continue to instruct Tamino and Papageno, imposing a vow of silence on them and threatening punishment with thunder and lightning if this vow is broken. Tamino is a very obedient young man, but the birdcatcher cannot keep his mouth shut, especially when an ugly old witch appears who tells him, firstly, that she has just turned eighteen years old and, secondly, that she has a lover, slightly older than her, named Papageno. But just as she is about to say her name, thunder and lightning are heard and she instantly disappears. Immediately after this, the three boys appear once more and, in a charming terzetto, present Tamino and Papageno not only with food and drink, but also with their magic flute and bells, which were taken from them. While the birdcatcher is enjoying his meal and the prince is playing his flute, Pamina appears; she resolutely heads towards her lover. She knows nothing about his vow of silence and, not understanding his behavior, sings a sad aria (“Ach, ich fuhl"s, es ist verschwunden” - “Everything is gone”). At the end of this scene, trombones sound, calling on Papageno and Tamino for a new test.

Scene 5. In the next scene, Pamina finds herself at the temple gates. She is filled with fear, for she is afraid that she will never see her beloved Prince Tamino again. Sarastro, in the most consoling tones, convinces her that everything will be fine, but in the next terzetto (with Tamino) she is by no means sure of this. Tamino is taken away, and the two lovers pray that they will meet again.

Scene 6. Now - as a kind of change of mood - the action turns again to Papageno. He is informed (by the Orator) that he is deprived of "heavenly pleasures which are bestowed upon initiates." But he doesn't really need them. A good glass of wine is much dearer to him than all the shrines of wisdom. The wine loosens his tongue and he sings his song. He has only one desire: to get himself a lifelong friend or at least a wife! His recent acquaintance appears - an old witch. She demands from him an oath of allegiance to her, otherwise he will remain here forever, cut off from the world, only on bread and water. As soon as Papageno agrees to such a marriage, the witch turns into a young girl, dressed in feathers, to match Papageno. Her name is Papagena! However, they cannot get married yet. The birder must first earn it. And the Speaker takes her away.

Scene 7. The next scene takes place in the garden, where the three geniuses of the temple of Sarastro eagerly await the triumph of the goddess. But poor Pamina is suffering. There is a dagger in her hand. She thinks that Tamino has completely forgotten her, and she will never see him again. She is ready to commit suicide. Just then the boys stop her and promise to take her to Tamino.

Scene 8. The boys did everything as they said. The prince will face the final test of the four elements - fire, water, earth and air. He is taken away by priests and two warriors in armor, who this time again give their instructions in an octave. Just before he enters the terrible gates, Pamina runs out. She wants only one thing - to share the prince's fate. Two warriors allow her to do this. Tamino takes out his magic flute, he plays it, and the lovers pass through these trials painlessly. And so, when everything is behind them, a joyful choir greets them.

Scene 9. But what about our friend Papageno? Well, of course, he is still looking for his beloved, his Papagena. He calls her again and again in the garden and, finding no one, decides, like Pamina, to commit suicide. With great reluctance, he ties a rope to a tree branch, ready to hang himself. But those three boys (the geniuses of the temple) who saved Pamina also save him. They advise him to play his magic bells. He plays and a gentle little girl bird appears. They sing a charming comic duet “Ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-Rarageno” (“Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-Papageno”). Their dream is to create a big, big family.

Scene 10: And finally, another scene change. Monostatos now allied himself with the Queen of the Night, who promised him Pamina. Together with the three fairies of the Queen of the Night, they captured the temple of Sarastro. But they cannot defeat Sarastro. Thunder roars and lightning flashes, and the villainous quintet disappears into the bowels of the earth. The temple of Isis and Osiris appears. And this fabulous opera ends with a triumphant chorus of priests crowning Tamino and Pamina with crowns of Wisdom and Beauty.

With libretto (in German) by Emanuel Schikaneder, possibly co-authored with Karl Ludwig Gieseke.

Characters:

TAMINO, Egyptian prince (tenor)
PAPAGENO, birdcatcher (baritone)
ZARASTRO, High Priest of Isis and Osiris (bass)
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT (soprano)
PAMINA, her daughter (soprano)
MONOSTATOS, chief of the temple slaves (tenor)
PAPAGENA (soprano)
THREE LADIES, fairies of the queen of the night (two sopranos and one mezzo-soprano)
THREE GENIUS OF THE TEMPLE (two sopranos and one mezzo-soprano)
ORATOR (bass)
TWO PRIESTS (tenor and bass)
TWO WARRIORS IN ARMOR (tenor and bass)

Time of action: uncertain, but approximately during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses I.
Setting: Egypt.
First performance: Vienna, Theater Auf der Wieden, 30 September 1791.

"The Magic Flute" is what the Germans call a Singspiel, that is, a play (dramatic work) with singing, like an operetta, or a musical comedy, or an opera ballad, or even an opera comique ( fr. - comic opera). Most operettas and musical comedies demonstrate certain absurdities and absurdities in their plots, and this opera is no exception. For example, the Queen of the Night appears as a good woman in the first act, and as a villain in the second. Further, this whole story begins as a romantic fairy tale, and then takes on a serious religious character. In fact, the rites of the Temple of Isis and Osiris are generally considered to reflect the ideals of the Masonic order, and various critics, writing about the opera long after the death of the author, found deep political symbolism in the second act of the opera. Perhaps this is so, since both creators of the opera - Mozart and his librettist - were Freemasons, and Freemasonry was not officially supported (in 1794, Emperor Leopold II completely banned the activities of Masonic lodges - A.M.).

Today such questions do not seem to matter much. Much more important is the fact that Schikaneder, this eccentric actor-singer-writer-impresario, who appears and disappears somewhere, ordered this work from his old friend Mozart in the last year of the composer’s life, precisely at the moment when Mozart was in extraordinary need of such an order. Mozart wrote his magnificent work with specific singers in mind, for example Schikaneder himself, this very modest baritone, sang the part of Papageno, while Josepha Hofer, Mozart's sister-in-law, was a brilliant, sparkling coloratura soprano, and it was for her that the arias of the Queen of the Night were composed . Giesecke, who may have had a hand in writing the opera's libretto (he later claimed to have written the entire libretto), was a man of scientific and literary talent and may have served as a model for Goethe's Wilhelm Meister, but he had no great stage talent. and he was appointed to the role of the first warrior in armor.

As for all sorts of absurdities in the plot, they can be attributed to the fact that, while the libretto was being written, one of the competing theaters successfully staged the opera “Caspar the Bassoonist, or the Magic Zither” by a certain Libeskind, which was based on the same story, which Schikaneder developed - “Lulu, or The Magic Flute,” one of the tales in the collection of Christoph Martin Wieland. It is believed that Schikaneder changed the entire plot already in the middle of the work, that is, after the entire first act had already been written and work on the second had begun. This is a pure hypothesis, and the only available evidence for it is indirect.

Despite the absurdities (or perhaps because of them), this opera always radiated the charm of a fairy tale and was a huge success from the very beginning. This success did not help Mozart too much. He died thirty-seven days after the premiere. As for Schikaneder, he was able - partly from the income from performances of the opera, which were held with constant success - to build himself, seven years later, a completely new theater and crown it with a sculpture depicting himself in Papageno's bird feathers. That was the peak of his career, and fourteen years later he died, mentally ill, in the same poverty as Mozart.

OVERTURE

ACT I

Scene 1. The fairy tale itself begins - as a fairy tale should - with the fact that a young prince was lost in the valley. His name is Tamino and he is being pursued by an evil snake. Tamino calls for help and, losing consciousness, eventually falls to the ground unconscious. At this moment, three ladies save him. These are the fairies of the Queen of the Night - of course, supernatural creatures. They are completely enchanted by the beauty of the young man lying unconscious. Then they leave to notify their mistress about the young man who has wandered into their domain. At this moment the main comedic character appears on the stage. This is Papageno, a birder by profession. He introduces himself with a cheerful folk-style melody - the aria "Der Vogelfanger bin ich ja" ("I am the most dexterous bird-catcher"). He says that he loves to catch birds, but it would be better for him to catch his wife. At the same time, he plays along with himself on the pipe - an instrument that we will hear later.

Papageno tells Tamino that the prince found himself in the domain of the Queen of the Night and that it was he, Papageno, who saved him from the terrible snake by killing him (in fact, the snake was killed by three fairies of the Queen of the Night, they cut it into three parts). For this lie, he receives punishment from the fairies who returned here - his lips are locked. Then they show Tamino a portrait of a lovely girl. This is the daughter of the Queen of the Night, who was kidnapped by an evil sorcerer and whom Tamino must save. Tamino immediately falls in love with the girl depicted in the portrait and sings an aria, which is called the aria with the portrait (“Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon” - “What a charming portrait”). The mountains shake and move apart, the Queen of the Night herself appears, she sits on the throne and in a dramatic and incredibly difficult aria “O zittre nicht mein lieber Sohn” (“Oh, do not be afraid, my young friend”) tells Tamino about her daughter and promises to give him she will be his wife if he frees her. The first scene concludes with the quintet, one of the finest ensembles in opera, rivaling the magnificent finales of The Marriage of Figaro, although written in a completely different style. During this finale, the three fairies give Tamino a magic flute, the sounds of which are capable of taming and pacifying the most evil forces, and Papageno, this bird catcher, is given musical bells, since he must accompany Tamino in his search for Pamina, and these also magic bells will protect him from all dangers.

Scene 2 takes place in Sarastro's palace. He is the head of a secret and powerful Egyptian religious caste, and it is in his possession that Pamina, the daughter of the Queen of the Night, is now in his possession. Here she is guarded by the comical villain Moor Monostatos. He kidnapped Pamina, threatening her with death if she refused to belong to him. At a critical moment, Papageno accidentally wanders in here. He and Monostatos are terribly scared of each other, which is actually extremely comical. No eight-year-old child would be afraid of such a meeting. Monostatos eventually escapes, and when Pamina and Papageno are alone, the birdcatcher convinces her that there is one young man who loves her, and that he will soon come to save her. She, in turn, assures Papageno that he too will soon find a girlfriend. They sing a charming duet in praise of tenderness (“Bei Mannern welche Liebe fuhlen” - “When a man is a little in love”).

Scene 3. The scene changes again. This time it is the grove near the Temple of Sarastro. Tamino is led by three pages. These are the geniuses of the temple, they encourage him, but do not answer his questions. Left alone in a grove near three temples, he tries to enter each of the doors. A voice sounding from behind the doors warns him against entering two temples, but then the third door opens and the high priest himself appears. From a rather long (and - I must admit this - rather boring) conversation, Tamino learns that Sarastro is not the villain he thought, and that Pamina is somewhere nearby and alive. In gratitude for this information, Tamino plays a wonderful melody on his magic flute, and then sings the same beautiful melody (“Wie stark ist nicht dein Zauberton” - “How full of enchantment is the magic sound”). Suddenly he hears the sounds of Papageno's pipe and rushes towards him. Pamina and Papageno appear. They are pursued by the comical villain Monostatos, who wants to put Pamina in chains. At a critical moment, Papageno remembers his magic bells. He plays them (they sound like a child's musical snuffbox), and the wonderful melody makes the Moorish servants and Monostatos himself dance in the most harmless way. Pamina and Papageno sing a charming duet. He is interrupted by the sounds of a solemn march - the stern Sarastro with his entire retinue is approaching. He forgives the girl for her attempt to escape. Monostatos bursts in with Prince Tamino, who has also been captured. Monostatos demands a reward from Sarastro and receives it - the one he deserves, namely seventy-seven blows with a stick for his insolence. The action ends with Tamino and Pamina solemnly preparing to perform the rites of passage that will determine whether they are worthy of each other.

ACT II

Scene 1. In the second act of the opera, scenes change much faster than in the first. The music in it becomes more serious. For example, the very first scene is the meeting of the priests of Isis and Osiris in a palm grove. Sarastro informs the priests that Tamino has been chosen to marry Pamina, who has come to them, but first this couple must prove that she is worthy to join the Temple of Light. He pronounces his famous appeal to the gods “O Isis und Osiris” (“His temple, Isis and Osiris”). Bernard Shaw once said of this majestic and simple aria with a male choir: “This is music that can be put into the mouth of God without blasphemy.”

Scene 2. At the walls of the temple, Tamino and Papageno meet priests who give them the most necessary cult instructions. The two priests (who sing in an octave, probably to make their instructions perfectly clear) warn the prince and the birdcatcher to be on their guard and not to fall for women's tricks, because women are the root of all human troubles. Three ladies appear from the Queen of the Night. They, in turn, warn our heroes against the priests and threaten them with a terrible fate. Papageno enters into conversation with them, while the smart Tamino does not give in to this temptation. He stands the test of silence. Then the choir of priests (singing off stage) sends these messengers of the Queen of the Night back to where they came from.

Scene 3. The scene changes again. This time we have a garden in front of us - Pamina is sleeping in a gazebo covered with roses. Monostatos, who managed to escape punishment, is again near her - he has not given up the thought of pursuing the girl and is trying to kiss her. At this moment, her mother, the Queen of the Night, appears. In her terrifying aria of revenge, she demands that Pamina kill Sarastro herself. She puts a dagger in her hand and threatens that if she does not do this and does not remove the sacred solar disk from his chest, she will be cursed by her. This revenge aria (“Der Holle Rache kocht” - “The thirst for revenge burns in my chest”) with its two high “Fs” always turned out to be a stumbling block for dozens of sopranos who were otherwise quite suitable for this role.

Scene 4. In some productions, at this moment there is an intermission, and the next scene opens the third act. However, in most published scores this is just another scene of the second act - a hall, and quite a spacious one at that. The two priests continue to instruct Tamino and Papageno, imposing a vow of silence on them and threatening punishment with thunder and lightning if this vow is broken. Tamino is a very obedient young man, but the birdcatcher cannot keep his mouth shut, especially when an ugly old witch appears who tells him, firstly, that she has just turned eighteen years old and, secondly, that she has a lover, slightly older than her, named Papageno. But just as she is about to say her name, thunder and lightning are heard and she instantly disappears. Immediately after this, the three boys appear once more and, in a charming terzetto, present Tamino and Papageno not only with food and drink, but also with their magic flute and bells, which were taken from them. While the birdcatcher is enjoying his meal and the prince is playing his flute, Pamina appears; she resolutely heads towards her lover. She knows nothing about his vow of silence and, not understanding his behavior, sings a sad aria (“Ach, ich fuhl"s, es ist verschwunden” - “Everything is gone”). At the end of this scene, trombones sound, calling on Papageno and Tamino for a new test.

Scene 5. In the next scene, Pamina finds herself at the temple gates. She is filled with fear, for she is afraid that she will never see her beloved Prince Tamino again. Sarastro, in the most consoling tones, convinces her that everything will be fine, but in the next terzetto (with Tamino) she is by no means sure of this. Tamino is taken away, and the two lovers pray that they will meet again.

Scene 6. Now - as a kind of change of mood - the action turns again to Papageno. He is informed (by the Orator) that he is deprived of "heavenly pleasures which are bestowed upon initiates." But he doesn't really need them. A good glass of wine is much dearer to him than all the shrines of wisdom. The wine loosens his tongue and he sings his song. He has only one desire: to get himself a lifelong friend or at least a wife! His recent acquaintance appears - an old witch. She demands from him an oath of allegiance to her, otherwise he will remain here forever, cut off from the world, only on bread and water. As soon as Papageno agrees to such a marriage, the witch turns into a young girl, dressed in feathers, to match Papageno. Her name is Papagena! However, they cannot get married yet. The birder must first earn it. And the Speaker takes her away.

Scene 7. The next scene takes place in the garden, where the three geniuses of the temple of Sarastro eagerly await the triumph of the goddess. But poor Pamina is suffering. There is a dagger in her hand. She thinks that Tamino has completely forgotten her, and she will never see him again. She is ready to commit suicide. Just then the boys stop her and promise to take her to Tamino.

Scene 8. The boys did everything as they were told. The prince will face the final test of the four elements - fire, water, earth and air. He is taken away by priests and two warriors in armor, who this time again give their instructions in an octave. Just before he enters the terrible gates, Pamina runs out. She wants only one thing - to share the prince's fate. Two warriors allow her to do this. Tamino takes out his magic flute, he plays it, and the lovers pass through these trials painlessly. And so, when everything is behind them, a joyful choir greets them.

Scene 9. But what about our friend Papageno? Well, of course, he is still looking for his beloved, his Papagena. He calls her again and again in the garden and, finding no one, decides, like Pamina, to commit suicide. With great reluctance, he ties a rope to a tree branch, ready to hang himself. But those three boys (the geniuses of the temple) who saved Pamina also save him. They advise him to play his magic bells. He plays and a gentle little girl bird appears. They sing a charming comic duet “Ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-Rarageno” (“Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-Papageno”). Their dream is to create a big, big family.

Scene 10. And finally, another scene change. Monostatos now allied himself with the Queen of the Night, who promised him Pamina. Together with the three fairies of the Queen of the Night, they captured the temple of Sarastro. But they cannot defeat Sarastro. Thunder roars and lightning flashes, and the villainous quintet disappears into the bowels of the earth. The temple of Isis and Osiris appears. And this fabulous opera ends with a triumphant chorus of priests crowning Tamino and Pamina with crowns of Wisdom and Beauty.

Henry W. Simon (translated by A. Maikapara)

The history of the creation of this last opera by Mozart must be, at least briefly, restored. Between 1790 and 1791 the composer was quite far from the operatic genre. After the death of Emperor Joseph II (in February 1790), Leopold II ascended the throne, who did not have the same respect for music as Joseph. In addition, the superintendent of the imperial theaters, Count Orsini Rosemberg, and the librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, who could have encouraged Mozart to write music for a theatrical work, left their positions. In addition, the Jesuits demanded the closure of Masonic lodges, which were already suspected by the authorities as the inspirers of the revolution in France. Mozart, who belonged to the Masonic organization, was thus deprived of important connections that could help him end the increasingly persistent poverty that haunted him. Nevertheless, in March 1791, Emmanuel Schikaneder, an outstanding actor, entrepreneur, freethinker associated with the Freemasons, entrusted Mozart with the creation of the opera, writing its libretto. Schikaneder had recently become the director of a theater in the Vienna suburbs (theater Auf der Wieden), which broke with mythological performances that required large expenditures on stage machinery. Here, in this theater, The Magic Flute received approval and began its victorious path through the German countries, from success to success. The composer himself wrote to his wife during performances at the Auf der Wieden theater: “The hall is invariably full. Duet “Man and Woman” (We are talking about the duet of Pamina and Papageno “When a man is a little in love.”), “Bells” from the first act, as before, require an encore. Just like the trio of pages from the second act. But what makes me most happy is the tacit approval! It feels like opera is growing more and more in public opinion.” Applause accompanied the opera until the composer's death in December of the same 1791, when he was buried as an unknown pauper.

It is noted that the plot of “The Magic Flute” is associated with the mythology of Ancient Egypt, recreated from ancient Greek sources, and is nourished by the cultural atmosphere in which the myth of Isis and Osiris was seen as having a certain influence on all subsequent religions. In reality, Isis and Osiris are sung only by the priests, the servants of this cult: the cult of suffering and light, which will also be remembered by Beethoven in Fidelio and Wagner in Tannhäuser. The rest of the action of the opera takes place in an eastern setting, and Egypt occupies only a small part of it. A variety of exotic customs depict a Masonic ritual and at the same time a cheerful children's fairy tale, something between a puppet show and a circus performance. After the acutely satirical depiction of morals, which gives the opera a cheerful comic fervor, Mozart turns to the creation of a temple of concord. We are transported into a truly Goethean atmosphere; instincts are subject to the laws of wisdom and kindness, the belief in the existence of which on earth still remains, although the French Revolution showed that the balance of enormous theocratic power is more than illusory.

Mozart's caustic and crafty mind is also felt in The Magic Flute and softens the importance and severity of moral edifications, symbols, tests, concepts, systems present in the opera and almost pressing on the viewer. The playfulness is evident in the very structure chosen for this charming tale. Before us is a real Singspiel. The alternation of words and music - prolonged and clearly pronounced sound - creates something airy, rational and at the same time simple. A heart burning with love that fights darkness and deception, humanism, which is the essence of the opera, is also visible in the images of such funny puppets as the Moor Monostatos, an erotomaniac who pours out his feelings with exciting sincerity: “Everyone tastes the joys of love, the trumpet sounds, calling for caresses and kisses. And I have to give up love, because the Moors are ugly!.. But I also love girls!”

Mozart makes the loving Moor perform vocal pirouettes with magnificent ease, not with the lyrical and pure ease of Cherubino from “The Marriage of Figaro”, but with an ease more caricatured, but nevertheless achieving a softness and delicacy, like the whim of a child alien to vice. The music surrounds him with a fantastically legendary brilliance, already reminiscent of Mendelssohn and Rossini. Above him in the heights, as if on an imaginary circus rope, the Queen of the Night moves in an acrobatic sketch, there, under the illuminated vault, making magnificent flights on the trapeze, demonstrating the utmost vocal virtuosity, so that the sound of her voice reverberates in the empty interstellar spaces. This airy creature, a poor restless soul, was supposed to become the bearer of evil, but there is nothing harmful in her, only something sad, animal and at the same time human: this is a mother, powerful and defeated, whose daughter was kidnapped. In a fairy tale about animals, Pamina's mother would be a bird of prey at night; here the emphasized sonority of her voice is, as it were, a further elevation of the bell ringing of Papageno, the man-beast currying favor with the wise men, who, like Monostatos, is driven by lust. As much as Papageno is simple-minded and greedy, Monostatos is so stupid and restless, but they are similar to each other. Everything in The Magic Flute has a common origin, forming, as it were, the roots and branches of one tree. Everyone is attracted by the power of love, which Sarastro and his priests try to balance between love-lust and love-disposition. Strict solemnity, dramatic tension (going back to Bach's passions and Handel's oratorios) reign at the entrance to the sanctuary and reinforce the words of Sarastro's anticipating Parsifal, the only words that, as J. B. Shaw wrote, could be put into the mouth of a god without risking committing blasphemy. The instrumental part of the opera is an architectural structure filled with a certain meaning - sparkling and at the same time porous, like beautiful antique glass, fragile, with warm reflections. The orchestral part, as it were, takes under its protection innocent toy instruments, from Tamino's flute to Papageno's pipes and bells, including the darkly deep sound of fanfares, and accompanies large choirs during a ritual close to the Masonic. The choice of timbres already testifies to calm attention to every good aspiration, no matter how insignificant it may be. In this opera, with its silks and sparkles of puppet performance, suffering and the one who experiences it win. This is especially evident in the image of Pamina, who is destined to become a victim. Her love aria (“Oh Tamino! These tears, like flames, burn me”) contains a whole series of vocal difficulties: these difficulties symbolize the moral tests proposed by Sarastro, and at the same time they are associated with the desire upward, towards the mother. This is a Bach aria, but without the persistently questioning accompaniment of the orchestra, which, on the contrary, slows down more and more, its trembling becomes weaker, it also reaches a spiritual level, depicting sadness and humility.

Tamino and Pamina confidently go from test to test; finally the magic flute, preceded by soft timpani, guides the young people through water and fire and through the horror of stage mechanics designed to test the courage of the candidates. Tamino, an ardent, already romantic hero, finds in a mysterious temple an ideal that he could not find in life. Papageno wanders around the temple, also happy, holding the hand of his Papagena, who is eager to give him many little Papagenos. Monostatos, unfortunately, received cuffs and was exiled into darkness, like the Queen of the Night. The union of light and darkness has not been achieved; agreement comes only after the victory won by light over darkness, that is, after the external victory of joy. Darkness meant suffering, but also tenderness, the mother's womb. So, when creating a future ideal society, there should be no alternative to light; a person is still seduced by the absence of obstacles and doubts about choice. But Mozart himself knows how light and darkness compensate each other and that a true temple is nothing more than life.

G. Marchesi (translated by E. Greceanii)

History of creation

The libretto of The Magic Flute was proposed to Mozart in March 1791 by his longtime friend, the entrepreneur of one of the theaters in the Vienna suburb, Emmanuel Schikaneder (1751-1812). Selected tales about fairies and spirits" (1786-1789). Schikaneder processed this plot in the spirit of popular folk extravaganzas of that time, full of exotic wonders. Its libretto features the sage Sarastro appearing in a chariot drawn by lions, the vengeful Queen of the Night, fairies, magical boys and savages, Masonic trials in the Egyptian pyramid and mysterious transformations.

In this naive plot, Mozart, however, invested a serious moral and philosophical idea, his deepest, most cherished thoughts. Having absorbed a lot from the philosophy of the Enlightenment, he was inspired by the ideals of equality, brotherhood of people, faith in the primordial nature of good, the possibility of moral improvement of man, in the ultimate triumph of light and reason. The sublime philosophy of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” attracted the sympathy of outstanding minds of that time. “The kingdom of the night, the queen, the solar kingdom, mysteries, initiations, wisdom, love, trials, and, moreover, certain commonplaces of morality that are magnificent in their ordinariness,” Hegel wrote in his “Aesthetics,” “all this, with depth, enchanting cordiality and the soulfulness of the music, expands and fills the imagination and warms the heart.” Among all Mozart's operas, Beethoven especially singled out The Magic Flute. Goethe compared it with the second part of his Faust and made an attempt to write its continuation.

The humanistic ideals of this opera have the character of a naive utopia, which was characteristic of the progressive views of the late 18th century. But in addition, they are invested with mystery and mystical symbolism associated with the ideas and rituals of the Masonic society, the order of “freemasons”, of which both Mozart and Schikaneder were members. This society united many leading people of Austria, sought to spread education, fight superstitions, remnants of the Middle Ages, and the influence of Catholicism. Suffice it to say that the French bourgeois revolution of 1789 in aristocratic circles was explained by a “Masonic conspiracy,” and in 1794, the Austrian Emperor Leopold II banned the activities of Masonic lodges.

In Mozart's interpretation, social utopia and fantasy are mixed with humor, apt life observations, and rich everyday touches. Fantastic characters have acquired the characters of real people. The evil and vengeful queen of the night turned out to be a despotic, stubborn and treacherous woman. Three fairies from her retinue are ladies of the demimonde, talkative, absurd, playfully sensual. The savage birdcatcher Papageno is a handsome everyman, a curious, cowardly and talkative merry fellow, dreaming only of a bottle of wine and a little family happiness. The most ideal image is Sarastro, the personification of reason, goodness, harmony. Tamino, a man seeking the truth and coming to it through a series of trials, rushes between his solar kingdom and the kingdom of the night.

This is how the optimistic idea of “The Magic Flute,” Mozart’s last opera, his favorite creation, is embodied. The opera premiered on September 30, 1791, under the direction of the composer, just over two months before his death.

Music

Papageno is musically characterized by the cheerful aria “I am the bird-catcher known to all,” in the spirit of a folk dance song; after each verse the simple-minded roulades of his pipe sound. Tamino's aria with the portrait “Such magical beauty” combines song, virtuoso and recitative elements in a lively, excited speech. The Queen of the Night’s aria “My days pass in suffering” begins with a slow, majestically sad melody; the second part of the aria is a brilliant, decisive allegro. The quintet (three fairies, Tamino and Papageno) vividly juxtaposes the comic mooing of Papageno (with a lock on his lips), the sympathetic remarks of the prince, and the fluttering phrases of the fairies. In the second picture, the duet of Pamina and Papageno “Who Tenderly Dreams of Love”, written in the form of a simple verse song, stands out; his simple, heartfelt melody gained wide popularity in the composer’s homeland. The finale of the first act is a large stage with choirs of priests and slaves, ensembles and recitatives, in the center of which is Tamino’s jubilantly bright aria with the flute “How full of enchantment is the magic sound,” and a choir of slaves dancing to Papageno’s bells; the act is concluded by a solemn chorus.

The second act involves frequent changes of scene and contains seven scenes. The opening march of the priests (orchestra) sounds muffled and solemn, reminiscent of a chorale. In the first scene, Sarastro’s majestically sublime aria with the chorus “O you, Isis and Osiris” is contrasted with a lively quintet, where the incessant chirping of the fairies of the Queen of the Night is interspersed with short replicas of Tamino and Papageno, trying to remain silent.

The following picture gives three remarkably vivid musical portraits: the defiantly daring aria of Monostatos “Everyone can enjoy”, the aria of the Queen of the Night “The thirst for revenge burns in my chest”, to which the Italian coloraturas give a parodic shade, and the calm, melodically expressive aria of Sarastro “Enmity and Revenge” are alien to us."

At the beginning of the third scene, the airy terzetto of the magical boys with fluttering passages in the orchestra, sustained in the rhythm of an elegant minuet, attracts attention. The aria of the saddened Pamina “Everything is gone” is a magnificent example of Mozart’s operatic monologue, marked by melodic richness and truthfulness of declamation. In the terzetto, the excited melodic phrases of Pamina and Tamino are contrasted with the strict recitation of Sarastro. The lyrical scene gives way to a comedic one: Papageno’s aria “To Find a Friend of the Heart” is full of carelessness and humor of folk dance tunes.

The scene of the meeting between the magical boys and Pamina is deeply impressive; Pamina’s remarks intrude into the light transparent sound of their terzetto in dramatic sharp contrast. This scene begins the finale of the second act, permeated by the continuous musical development that unites the last three scenes.

In the fifth scene, after a stern and alarming orchestral introduction, the strict measured chorale of the men-at-arms “Who has walked this path” sounds; with their archaic melody they accompany the enthusiastic duet of Pamina and Tamino. Their next duet, “We Walked Boldly Through Smoke and Fire,” is accompanied by the orchestra with a solemn march that sounds as if in the distance.

The comedy line of the opera naturally ends with the duet of Papageno and Papagena - full of genuine humor, reminiscent of the carefree chirping of birds.

The last picture begins in sharp contrast: an ominous march, muted by the quintet of the Queen of the Night, her three fairies and Monostatos. The opera concludes with the brilliant, jubilant chorus “Reasonable force has won the struggle.”

M. Druskin

Written in the traditional Singspiel form, Mozart's last opera is a true masterpiece, one of the most popular works of musical theater. An amazing wealth of expressive means, humanistic content and inspired melodicism distinguish this work, which has made a triumphant march throughout the world.

The first production in Russia took place in 1797 (by a German troupe). The opera was first staged on the Russian stage in 1818 (Mariinsky Theatre). A major event was the production of the opera in 1906 at the Bolshoi Theater (soloists Bonacich, Salina, Nezhdanova, etc., director U. Avranek). Among modern productions, we note the 1956 performance at the Metropolitan Opera (director Walter, the role of the Queen of the Night was brilliantly performed by R. Peters). The most important event in artistic life was the design of the Metropolitan Opera production (1967) by M. Chagall.

Of outstanding importance are the recordings of Beecham (1937, as Pamina T. Lemnitz), Frichai (1954). In 1974, Swedish film director I. Bergman created an opera film.

The original title is Die Zauberflöte.

An opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with a libretto (in German) by Emanuel Schikander, possibly co-authored with Carl Ludwig Gieseke.

Characters:

Time of action: uncertain, but approximately during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses I.
Setting: Egypt.
First performance: Vienna, 30 September 1791.

OVERTURE

ACT I

ACT II

Immediately after the disappearance of the Queen of the Night, Monostatos returns. He overheard a conversation between a mother and her daughter and now demands from the girl that she belong to him - this should be her payment for her silence about her conspiracy with the Queen of the Night. But Pamina manages to escape again - this time thanks to the arrival of Sarastro. When Pamina is in prayer, he explains to her that within the walls of this temple there is no place for revenge and only love binds people here. An aria of extraordinary beauty and nobility sounds (“In diesen heil`gen Hallen” - “Enmity and revenge are alien to us”).

Scene 4. In some productions, there is an intermission at this moment, and the next scene opens the third act. However, in most published scores this is just another scene of the second act - a hall, and quite a spacious one at that. The two priests continue to instruct Tamino and Papageno, imposing a vow of silence on them and threatening punishment with thunder and lightning if this vow is broken. Tamino is a very obedient young man, but the birdcatcher cannot keep his mouth shut, especially when an ugly old witch appears who tells him, firstly, that she has just turned eighteen years old and, secondly, that she has a lover, slightly older than her, named Papageno. But just as she is about to say her name, thunder and lightning are heard and she instantly disappears. Immediately after this, the three boys appear once more and, in a charming terzetto, present Tamino and Papageno not only with food and drink, but also with their magic flute and bells, which were taken from them. While the birdcatcher is enjoying his meal and the prince is playing his flute, Pamina appears; she resolutely heads towards her lover. She knows nothing about his vow of silence and, not understanding his behavior, sings a sad aria (“Ach, ich fuhl`s, es ist verschwunden” - “Everything is gone”). At the end of this scene, trombones sound, calling Papageno and Tamino to a new test.

Henry W. Simon (translated by A. Maikapara)

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Characters:

Night queen soprano
Pamina, her daughter soprano
First Lady of the Night Queen's Retinue soprano
Second Lady of the Night Queen's Retinue soprano
Third Lady of the Night Queen's Retinue soprano
Tamino, Prince tenor
Sarastro bass
Speaker bass
Monostatos, a Moor in the service of Sarastro tenor
Papageno, bird catcher bass
Papagena, Papageno's bride soprano
First warrior tenor
Second Warrior bass
Three boys, priests, servants, people.

ACT ONE

Scene one

(Rugged rocky terrain, partly covered with trees; there are hills on both sides of the scene. A new temple is visible. In the depths is a gorge. Tamino quickly descends from one of the rocks with a bow, but without arrows. He is pursued by the Serpent.)

Tamino

Help! Help me or I'll die!
Help! Help me or I'll die
doomed to fall victim to the insidious serpent.
Merciful gods!
Here he comes closer and closer,
Here he comes closer and closer.

(The Serpent is shown.)

Oh, save me, oh, save, save, protect me!

(About myself)
Am I supposed to go? Well, well, that would be a wonderful thing!
They want to be alone with him. No! No! This can't be true.
What would I not give to live with this young man!
If only I could have it alone!
However, no one comes; you can not do it this way.
The best thing for me is to leave now!
Wonderful and tempting youth, dear youth, farewell!
Until I see you again!

(They leave through the temple door.)

Tamino

(Wakes up and looks around in surprise.)

Where I am? Is this a dream or am I still alive? Or am I saved by some higher power?
What? Is the serpent dead? What is this I hear? Where I am?

Tamino

Judging by the feathers that cover you, I think you...

Papageno

Papageno

Third lady

And instead of tender figs - this golden castle.

(to Tamino)
This is us...

First lady

Look, this picture...

Second lady

Sent to you by our great mistress.

First, second and third ladies

If you find that you are not indifferent to her features,
then happiness, honor and glory will be your lot.
Goodbye!

(to Papageno)
Goodbye, Papageno!

(They leave, taking the cage with the birds. Papageno, in silent embarrassment, goes in the other direction. Tamino turns all his attention to the portrait.)

Tamino

First, second and third ladies

Calm down!

First, second and third ladies

Arrival of our Queen!

She comes! She comes!

(The scene changes. The mountains disappear. A sparkling room. A starry sky. In the center is the throne of the Queen of the Night, decorated with stars. Light. Blue moonlight. The Queen of the Night sits on the throne.)

Night queen

(to Tamino)
Oh, do not tremble, my dear son, for you are innocent, wise and generous.
A young man like you is the only one who can
soothe the deep despair of a mother's heart.
Suffering is my fate, because my daughter is not with me.
Because of her I lost all my happiness; the villain left with her.
I can still see her shaking with worry and shock
trembling with fear, resisting timidly.
I should have seen her stolen from me. “Oh, help,” is the only thing
what she said; but her plea was in vain, my help was too weak.
You will go and free her, you will be the liberator of my daughter!
And if I see you as a winner, then she can be yours forever.

Hm! Hm! Hm! Hm! Hm! Hm! Hm! Hm!

(Three Ladies appear.)

First lady

(to Papageno)
The Queen forgives you, removes your punishment through me.

(Removes the lock from his mouth.)

Papageno

Now Papageno can chat again!

Second lady

Yes, talk - but don’t tell any more lies!

Papageno

I'll never tell a lie again, no, no!

First, second and third ladies

My hatred will destroy you!

Pamina

Oh, just let me die, barbarian, 'cause nothing can move you.

(Loses consciousness and falls on the ottoman.)

Monostatos

(to slaves)
Now everyone leave! Leave me alone with her.

(The slaves leave.)

Monostatos and Papageno

(to himself; staring at each other)
Aah! It must be the devil. Have pity! Spare me!
Aah! Aah! Aah!

(Monostatos runs away.)

Pamina

(Grove. There are three temples in the back of the scene. The middle one is the largest, with the inscription: “Temple of Wisdom”; on the temple on the right there is the inscription: “Temple of Reason (Reason)”; on the temple on the left: “Temple of Nature.” Three boys with silver branches Tamino is administered.)

This path leads to your goal, but you, young man, must win like a man.
Therefore, listen to our advice: be constant, patient and silent!

Tamino

You supportive little ones, tell me, can I free Pamina?

First, second and third boys

We are not allowed to say this; be constant, patient and silent!
Remember this, just be a man. Then, young man, you will win - like a man.

Tamino

May the words of wisdom from these boys be forever imprinted on my heart.
Where am I now? What happened to me? Is this the place of the gods?
The gates show, the columns show,
that prudence, labor and art live here.
Where activity is enthroned and idleness a retreat,
vice cannot simply retain influence.
I will bravely dare to enter the gate; my goal is noble, and true and pure!
Tremble, cowardly villain! To me!
Freeing Pamina, freeing Pamina is my duty.

She is alive! I thank you for this news.

(Pulls out his flute.)

Oh, if only I were able, in honor of you, almighty,
show my gratitude in every note like these from here.

(Points to his heart.)

Here I feel it.

(Plays; wild animals of all kinds come to listen to him. He stops and they run away.)

How powerful is your magical sound, gentle flute, when you play -

How powerful is your magical sound, gentle flute, when you play -
joy comes even to wild animals.
Only Pamina, however, Pamina remains somewhere, Pamina remains somewhere.
Pamina! Pamina, hear, hear me!
In vain! In vain!
Where, where, where, oh, where, where can I find you?

(Papageno answers from within on his pipe.)

(behind the scenes)
Live long, Sarastro! May Sarastro live long!

Papageno

What does it mean? I'm shaking, I'm shaking!

Pamina

Oh my friend! Now it's all over for us! This announces the arrival of Sarastro!

Papageno

Oh, if I were a mouse, how I would hide!
If I were small, like a snail, I would crawl into my house!
My child, what shall we say now?

Pamina

The truth, even if it were a crime!

(Sarastro and his retinue enter.)

Choir

Live long, Sarastro; Sarastro will have a long life!
It is to him that we joyfully submit.
In his wisdom he may always enjoy life.
He is our idol, we are all devoted to him.

Pamina

(kneeling)
My lord, it is true, I have sinned!
I wanted to escape your power. But this offense is not mine!
The immoral Moor thirsted for my love, that's why, oh lord, I ran away from you!

Sarastro

Arise, beloved, be in true joy: after all, even without pressure on you
I know more from your heart; you love the other very tenderly;
I don’t want to force you to love, but I won’t give you your freedom.

Pamina

But my daughter's duty calls to me, because my mother...

Your slave lies at your feet; punish the brazen crime.
Think how impudent this boy is!

(pointing to Papageno)
Through the cunning of this strange bird, he wanted to kidnap Pamina from you.
But I knew how to track him down! You know me! My vigilance...

Sarastro

Deserves to be sprinkled with laurel.

(to the retinue)
Here! Give this worthy husband right away...

Monostatos

Your favor alone makes me rich!

Sarastro

No more than seventy-seven strikes on the soles.

Monostatos

Ah, my lord, this was not the reward I expected!

Sarastro

Do not thank me! I only carry out my duty!

(Monostatos is removed.)

Choir

Live long, Sarastro, in your divine wisdom!
He rewards and punishes at the same time.

Sarastro

Bring these two strangers into our temple of testing;
then cover their heads, they must first be cleaned.

(The two priests leave, then return with a veil, which covers the heads of Tamino and Papageno.)

Choir

When virtue and justice are strewn with glory,
then the great path and then the earth become the heavenly kingdom,
and mortals become like gods.

(Everyone is deleted.)

ACT TWO

Scene one

(Palm grove. The silver trees have golden branches. There are nine pyramids on each side; each of them has a ledge carved into it, on which stands a large black forge, trimmed with gold. In the middle rises the largest pyramid. The priests come out to the right and left. Sarastro appears last They walk with a solemn step.)

But he is a prince.

Sarastro

He is a human!
O Isis and Osiris, grant the spirit of wisdom to this young couple.
You, guiding the steps of wanderers, will strengthen them with patience in danger.

Choir

(A very strong clap of thunder.)

Oh, this is the end!

(Two priests enter.)

Second Priest

Wanderers, what are you looking for among us?

Tamino

Friendship and love.

Second Priest

Are you ready to risk your life fighting for them?

Tamino

Second Priest

Will you submit to any test?

Tamino

Then I'll stay single!

Second Priest

You will be able to see her, but without saying a word to her.

First Priest

So do you promise?

Papageno

First Priest

Your hand! You will see her.

Second Priest

(to Tamino)
The gods have also obliged you to remain silent, prince.
You will see Pamina, but never allow yourself to talk to her.

(to Tamino and Papageno)
This is the beginning of your testing time.

First and second priest

Beware of feminine tricks; this is the first duty of brotherhood.
Many wise men have been deceived, made mistakes, but did not realize it.
In the end, they were abandoned, and their loyalty was paid for with contempt!
In vain they wrung their hands; death and despair were their reward,
death and despair were their reward.

(The priests leave. There is darkness again.)

Papageno

Hey, give me some light!

Tamino

Papageno, bear it with patience.

Papageno

Please understand, I shouldn't...

Tamino

(Crawls slowly and quietly towards Pamina. The Queen of the Night enters through the bars.)

Night queen

Pamina

(waking up)
Mother! My mother!

Monostatos

Night queen

Where is the young man whom I sent to you?

Pamina

Ah, mother, he dedicated himself to the sanctified community.

Night queen

To the sanctified community?
So you are torn away from me forever.

Pamina

But my dear mother!

Night queen

Not another word! My heart is seething with hellish revenge.
Death and despair, death and despair sparkle around me.
Until Sarastro feels the sharp pain of death at your hands,
You are not my daughter anymore. Forever rejected, forever abandoned, forever rejected
then you will remain until Sarastro dies by your hand!
Hear, gods of vengeance, hear the mother's cry!

(Disappears.)

Pamina

Should I commit murder? I can't! I can't!
What should I do?

Monostatos

Trust me! What are you so worried about?
About my black skin or about the murder plot?
You have only one way - to save your mother.

(Sarastro steps forward.)

Sarastro

Monostatos

Yes, but to the Queen of the Night!

Pamina

My Lord...

Sarastro

Pamina

My Lord...

Sarastro

I know.
Beyond these sacred gates, revenge is unknown,
and if a person stumbles, love leads him along the right path.
So, leaning on the hand of a friend, he goes, happy and joyful, to a better world.
Inside these sacred walls where a man loves a fellow man
a traitor cannot hide, because all enemies are forgiven.
Anyone who does not like this teaching does not deserve the right to be human.

Scene four

(Hall. The priests introduce Tamino and Papageno.)

Papageno

Silence! Shh!

To your health!

Old woman

How many years?

Papageno

Old woman

Eighteen years and two minutes.

Papageno

Eighty years and two minutes?

Old woman

No! Eighteen years and two minutes.

Papageno

Ha ha ha! Eighteen years and two minutes! Okay, you are a young angel!
Do you have a friend?

Old woman

Am I really your lover?

Old woman

Yes my angel.

Papageno

Then what's your name?

Old woman

My name is Pa...

Pamina

Oh, this is worse than death.
Ah, I feel like it's gone! The joy of love is gone forever.
Hours of happiness, you will never return to my heart.
You see, Tamino, these tears are flowing because of you alone, whom I loved.
If you feel no more love, let there be rest in death!

(Disappears.)

Papageno

Isn't that right, Tamino? I can also be silent when I have to.
When something like the current events happens,
I'm really playing a man!
To the health of the chief cook and chief butler!
You go ahead now, and I, and I will soon follow you!

(Tamino is about to leave, trying to take Papageno with him.)

A strong man stays where he is!
I will not move from here, even if Mr. Sarastro's lions come here for me.

(Lions appear.)

Tamino, save me!

(Tamino blows on the flute; then, with pauses, the horn answers three times.)

This is for us. We're already coming, we're already coming. Yes!

Scene five

(Among the pyramids. The setting of the first picture. On the large pyramid in the center, hieroglyphs sparkle. Twilight. The priests and the Speaker with torches surround Sarastro.)

Priests

O Isis and Osiris, what happiness!
Sunlight has banished the dark night!
Soon the noble youth will feel a new life,
soon he will be fully dedicated to our service.
His spirit is brave, his heart is pure, soon he will be worthy of us.

(Tamino is introduced.)

Sarastro

(to Tamino)
Prince, your behavior was courageous and reserved;
Now you have to go through two more dangerous tests.
Give me your hand! Let them bring in Pamina!

(Pamina is introduced.)

Pamina

Where is Tamino?

Tamino, goodbye!

Sarastro

(to Tamino)
Now hurry up. Your oath is calling you! The hour has struck, we will meet again.

Tamino and Pamina

O golden peace, return! Bye Bye!

(Everyone leaves. Papageno runs in.)

Voice

Come back!

Papageno

Which way should I do this?

Voice

Come back!

Papageno

Now I can neither go forward nor go back.
I guess I should just starve to death.
OK then! Why didn't I go alone too? Then I would drink and eat with pleasure, I would have my own farm and home with my princess,
I would enjoy a life that I understand, and it would be like being in heaven.

Oh, how can I find one among all the girls who would love me?
Let one of them help me in my misfortunes, or I will simply die of sadness.
A girl or a young wife - that's what Papageno would have wanted.
Oh, a little sweet dove, just like that one, would be happiness for me!
If none of them offers me their love, the fire will consume me;
but if a woman's lips kiss me, I will be well again in an instant.

She is tormented by the fact that her love was rejected.
Let's bring some comfort to this poor girl!
Indeed, her fate concerns us!
Oh, that her lover were here!
She goes! Let's hide and see what she will do.

(They step aside. Pamina appears with a dagger in her hand.)

Pamina

(looking at the dagger)
You are my fiancé, and therefore you will put an end to my grief!

First, second and third boys

(to the side)
What terrible words she uttered! The poor thing seems to be going crazy.

Pamina

Patience, my love, I am yours, soon we will become husband and wife.

First, second and third boys

(to the side)
Madness has taken over her; the desire to kill herself is written all over her face.

Why didn't he talk to me?

Pamina

Take me there; I want to see him.

First, second and third boys

Let's go, let's go to him.

Pamina, the first, second and third boys

Two hearts burning with the fire of love can never be
separated by human weakness.
All attempts of their enemies will be unsuccessful; the gods themselves protect them.

Scene seven

(Wild rocky area. In the middle there is an iron gate. To the right and left of them there are dark arches. In the depths, on both sides of the gate there are cliffs. To the right through the iron lattice a raging waterfall is visible; to the left is a flaming cave. Twilight. Tamino and two men in black armor .)

Men in black armor

Whoever walks along this road full of obstacles is purified by fire, water, wind and earth.
If he can conquer the fear of death, he will soar from earth to heaven.
Enlightened, he can then devote himself entirely to the mysteries of Isis. thousand-year-old oak, during thunder and lightning, storm and storm.
Now let's go and play the flute! Let her lead us along this dark road.

Pamina and Tamino

With the help of the magical power of music, we walk joyfully through the dark night of death!

Men in black armor

With the help of the magical power of music, you walk joyfully through the dark night of death!

(Tamino and Pamina, hand in hand, to the sound of a flute, pass through the fiery cave unharmed.)

Pamina and Tamino

We walked through the fire, bravely defeated the danger;
May your sound protect us from water as well as from fire.

(They pass through the water.)

Oh gods, a happy moment!
The joy of Isis is given to us!

(As soon as Pamina and Tamino pass through the waterfall, the rocks rise up, part to the sides and reveal a wide staircase leading to a brightly lit, welcoming temple; the people, Sarastro and the priests are at the top.)

Priests

(from the temple)
Victory! Victory! You are a noble couple. You have overcome the danger!
The dedication of Isis is now yours, go, enter the temple!

(Sarastro leads Pamina and Tamino into the temple.)

Scene eight

(A small area. A lonely tree. Papageno is alone, sad. He is belted with a rope.)

Papageno

(playing the pipe)
Papagena! Papagena! Papagena!
My little wife, little dove, my beauty!
Useless! Oh, she's lost! I was born for misfortune.
I talked, I talked, and it was wrong, so I got what I deserved.
From the moment I saw this beautiful young girl,
my heart is constantly on fire, it hurts here and there.
Papagena, little wife of my heart! Papagena, my darling!
Nothing good, everything is useless; I've lived long enough!
Death will put an end to my love, no matter how much fire my heart burns.

(Takes the rope.)

I will decorate this tree by hanging my neck from it, because life
doesn't exist to please me. Good night, dark light,
because you treat me badly, you don’t give me a pretty girl, -
it's over, I'm going to die. Beauties, think of me!
If in my grief at least one of you takes pity on me before I hang myself,
I won't think about death! So say yes or no!
Nobody can hear me, everything is so quiet!
So, this is your wish! Papageno, lift yourself up beautifully; end your life;
but I’ll wait a little longer anyway; let's count to three.

(Plays the pipe.)

One!..
Two!..
Two have already passed.
Three!..
So now! So nothing has changed!
And there is nothing even to help me hang myself; goodbye false light!

Papageno

Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-Papagena!

Papagena

Yes, this is a terrible roar, like the echo of a distant thunderstorm.

Monostatos

Now they are in the halls of the temple.

Let's catch them unexpectedly, wipe out the fanatics from the face of the earth with fire and sword.

Monostatos, first, second and third ladies

To you, great Queen of the Night, we offer our revenge!

(Thunder, lightning, storm.)

Queen of the Night, Monostatos, first, second and third ladies

Our strength is shattered, destroyed, we plunge into eternal night!

(The scene changes. The rocks move apart. The area turns into a solar temple. Sarastro stands on a hill, on both sides are Pamina and Tamino and three boys, next to them are priests.)

Sarastro

The rays of the sun penetrated the night and smashed the unrighteous power of the hypocrites!

Priests

(to Tamino)
Greetings, initiate!
You have penetrated the darkness of the night!
We thank you, Osiris, we thank you, Isis!
Power triumphs, rewarding beauty and wisdom with an eternal crown!

The opera “The Magic Flute” ended Mozart’s career. The first performance of the opera took place on September 30, 1971 in Vienna, and two months later the composer died. Initially, it seems that The Magic Flute is an opera-fairy tale that describes the victory of good over evil. In fact, this opera is a deep philosophical work that captures the image of a just power. Despite its intricate plot, the idea of the work is clear: the path to success is paved only through many obstacles and difficult obstacles. Success will not just come into a person’s life. The forces of good and evil are contained not only in the characters of humanity, but also in the foundations of the universe. In the work they are animated by magical heroes - the magician Sarastro and the cunning Queen of the Night. Tamino scurries between them, searching for the truth and the obstacles that lead to it.

In The Magic Flute, the composer realized his dream of writing a large-scale opera in German. Unlike the rest of Mozart's works, which are written on an Italian basis, The Magic Flute follows the Singspiel structure. This is a comic opera, the distinctive feature of which is the alternation of completed musical acts with dialogues. Basically, all the numbers are ensembles that differ in content and voices.

The opera consists of two acts, which end with large final scenes. At the same time, a distinctive feature of the work is the accumulation of incidents not in the first, but in the second ending. It is also worth paying attention to the many endings before the final ending approaches.

In the first act, Prince Tamino defends himself from a terrible snake and asks for help. But without waiting for her, he loses consciousness. Three ladies of the Queen of the Night destroy the serpent. They like Prince Tamino and do not want to leave him. The ladies argue for a long time about who will tell the Queen of the Night about what happened, and as a result, they go to her together. When the prince regains consciousness, he sees the birdcatcher Papageno in front of him, who in turn credited himself with the victory over the monster. Returning, the three ladies punish the birdcatcher by locking his mouth. The girls show the young man a photograph of the daughter of the Queen of the Night, who was stolen by an insidious wizard. Tamino is delighted with her beauty and is ready to do anything for her. Then the Queen of the Night appears and tells the young man that if he frees his daughter, she will become his wife. To make the search for her daughter easier, the Queen gives Tamino a magic flute, which will become his assistant during the tests. Tamino's companion was Papageno, to whom the Queen gave magic bells. Their strength lies in the fact that everyone who hears them will start dancing. Three magical boys are assigned as companions to Tamino and Papageno.

In Sarastro's possession, Princess Pamina becomes exhausted from the advances of the Moor Manostatos and decides to escape. But the Moor secured her in a chain. Then Papageno appears, who tells Pamina that Tamino is ready to do anything for her and will soon free her. At the entrance to the palace there is a priest who tells Tamino that Sarastro is not an insidious magician, warmth and kindness reign in his palace. Sarastro appears, the princess admits to him that she did not listen to him. The Moor brings the detained prince. Tamino and Pamina run to each other, but the Moor forbids them to do so. Zarazstro orders the Moor to be punished, and Tamino and Papageno will have to endure several checks in the temple.

In the second act, the priests announce that the punishments will be severe: whoever does not withstand them will die. Papageno decides to refuse, but Sarastro promises him a wife and Papageno changes his mind.

The first test is to resist women's tricks. Three girls appear in front of Tamino and Papageno, they scare them with death and beg them to return to their mistress. Papageno begins a conversation with them, but Tamino remains silent - he wins this competition.

The second obstacle is that the priests demand only silence from Tamino and Papageno. The three magical guys give the birdcatcher and Tamino the bells and flute. Pamina appears at the sound of the flute. She is at a loss as to why the prince does not answer, and decides that his love for her has cooled. In turn, Papageno is unable to remain silent, he demands a girlfriend from the priest. And then the terrible old woman Papagena appears in front of them.

Pamina does not calm down; thoughts come into her head that the prince no longer feels anything for her. The three boys tell the princess that Tamino still loves her. Pamina decides to overcome all the trials together with the prince, and together they go through fire and raging waves.

The bird catcher is looking for his bride, but cannot find her anywhere. He already wants to say goodbye to life, but then his beautiful Pamina appears in front of him.

The Queen of the Night, together with Monostas, sneaks into Sarastro's palace to destroy his temple. But Sarastro prevents her from doing this.

The priests glorify wisdom and love.