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magic flute mozart listen, magic flute
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

(German: Die Zauberflöte) (K.620) - Mozart's Singspiel opera in two acts; libretto by E. Schikaneder.

• 1 Plot and sources of the libretto
• 2 Characters
• 3 Summary
• 4 Masonic symbolism in opera
• 5 Orchestra composition
• 6 Famous arias
• 7 Musical fragments
• 8 Interesting facts
• 9 Productions in Russia
• 10 Selected discography
• 11 Notes
• 12 Literature
• 13 Links

Plot and libretto sources

The daughter of the Queen of the Night was kidnapped by the wizard Sarastro. The Queen of the Night sends Prince Tamino to save the girl and gives him a magical attribute - a flute and assistants. The prince goes over to the wizard's side, passes the tests and receives love.

The plot, processed in the spirit of folk extravaganzas that were popular at that time, full of exotic wonders, Schikaneder drew from the tale of K. Wieland (1733-1813) “Lulu” from the collection of fantastic poems “Dzhinnistan, or Selected Tales of Fairies and Spirits” (1786-1789 ), with additions from his own fairy tales “Labyrinth” and “Smart Boys”. Additional sources also include the epic poem “Oberon, King of Wizards,” with additions based on the libretto by K. W. Hensler from the opera “The Sun Festival of the Brahmins” by Wenzel Müller; drama “Thamos, King of Egypt” by T. F. von Gebler; novel “Setos” by J. Terrason (1731). They also call the work of Ignaz von Born, master of the Masonic lodge “Zur Wahrheit” (“Toward the Truth”), “On the Mysteries of the Egyptians” (“Über die Mysterien der Ägypter”). It was von Born, who died shortly before the opera was written, that the libretto was dedicated to.

Characters

• Tamino, Prince (tenor)
• Papageno, birdcatcher (baritone)
• Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night (soprano)
• Queen of the Night (soprano)
• Sarastro, High Priest of Osiris and Isis (bass)
• Papagena (soprano)
• Monostatos, Moor (tenor)
• Old Priest (bass)
• First, second and third ladies (two sopranos and a contralto)
• first, second, third pages (two sopranos, contralto)
• two armed warriors (tenor and bass)
• speaker of the initiates (bass)
• priest (tenor)
• first, second, third priest (conversational roles)
• first, second, third slave (conversational roles).

Act I. Prince Tamino got lost in the mountains, fleeing from a snake. Three ladies, servants of the Queen of the Night, save him from the serpent. The awakened prince sees the birdcatcher Papageno, pretending that it was he who saved the prince. The three ladies are outraged by his bragging and punish him by putting a padlock on his mouth. The ladies tell the prince that he has been saved by the Queen of the Night, who gives him a portrait of her daughter Pamina. Tamino falls in love with the portrait. According to the Queen of the Night, the girl was kidnapped by the evil wizard Sarastro. The prince goes to save Pamina. The queen gives him a magic flute that will help him overcome evil. Papageno receives magic bells and must, at the behest of the Queen, help the prince. Accompanied by three boys, they hit the road.

Emmanuel Schikaneder as Papageno

The Moor Monostatos, who was guarding Pamina in the wizard’s castle, kidnapped her. Papageno enters the room where the girl is hidden. The bird catcher and the Moor are frightened of each other, the Moor runs away. Papageno tells Pamina that his mother sent him, and about Prince Tamino, who fell in love with her from the portrait. The girl agrees to run, the Moor gives chase. Tamino at this time is in a sacred grove with three temples. The priest tells the prince that he was deceived: Sarastro is actually a good wizard, not an evil one, and he kidnapped Pamina by the will of the gods. Tamino begins to play the flute and hears the bells on Papageno's suit. At the sound of the magic flute, the Moor is forced to stop the chase. Sarastro promises to help Pamina meet Tamino. Monostatos appears, having captured the prince. Tamino and Pamina throw themselves into each other's arms.

Act II. Sarastro reveals to the priests that Tamino has been sent to become the protector of the Temple of Wisdom from the Queen of the Night, and as a reward will receive Pamina as his wife, for which she was kidnapped. The prince faces trials. Meanwhile, Monostatos pursues Pamina again. But the voice of the Queen of the Night is heard, and he runs away. The queen is in despair that Prince Tamino wants to devote himself to serving the temple, and asks her daughter to influence him. She refuses. The queen threatens to disown her daughter if she does not kill the wizard. (Aria of the Queen: (“Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen”)

In the temple, the prince and Papageno are subjected to the first test - silence. Pamina thinks that the prince has stopped loving her. Second test - Tamino is told that he must say goodbye to Pamina forever. And he leaves her. But Papageno, seeing a wonderful girl, does not stand the test - he finally found his Papagena.

Pamina wants to die, but three boys calm her down. The prince has one last test: to go through fire and water. Pamina appears to go with him. The magic flute will help them. Papageno is punished, he lost Papageno. But three boys remind him of the magic bells that should help him find his beloved again. The Queen of the Night makes a last attempt: she promises her daughter to Monostatos if he helps destroy the temple. But the day comes, and the power of the Queen disappears. The darkness dissipates and the sun rises. The priests praise Sarastro's kindness and intelligence.

Masonic symbolism in opera

According to one of the primitive legends, Mozart’s early death is due to the fact that he was killed by the Freemasons, who did not forgive him for the fact that he brought out (and thus ridiculed) Masonic rituals on stage in The Magic Flute. According to others, Mozart did not ridicule Freemasonry in The Magic Flute, but praised it, and the Vienna Lodge itself commissioned this work. At the premiere of the opera, which took place on September 30, 1791, some of the roles were performed by the masons themselves (E. Schikadener - “Papageno”, K. L. Gieseke - “the first slave”, etc.)

The wizard goes by the name "Sarastro" - an Italianized form of the name Zoroaster, who is revered by Freemasons as an ancient sage, philosopher, magician and astrologer. Also, according to the late Babylonian legends that have come down to us in the Greek version, Zoroaster, apparently, was one of the first masons and the builder of the famous Tower of Babel - an image especially close to the “free masons” - Freemasons.

In Egypt, this character was associated with the cult of Isis and her husband Osiris. The opera takes place in Ancient Egypt, on the banks of the Nile, surrounded by palm groves, pyramids and temples dedicated to the cult of Isis and Osiris.

The symbolism of the number three runs through the entire opera (three fairies, three geniuses, three temples, three boys, etc.). The three temples with names engraved on the walls actually symbolize the ethical triad of the Zoroastrian religion: benevolence, blessing, beneficence - these words were usually written on the walls of Zoroastrian temples. Their priests, under the supremacy of the magician Sarastro, perform divine services to Isis and Osiris. This symbol “3” is also present in music - the triple chord in the overture is repeated three times. And of course, the main theme of the opera - the way out of spiritual darkness into the light through initiation - is the key idea of ​​the Freemasons.

In addition, there is a dualistic confrontation between the forces of good and the forces of evil, in which, according to Zoroastrian teaching, the forces of good win the final victory, which does not contradict the beliefs of the freemasons. The forces of evil are personified by the Queen of the Night, the forces of good and divine wisdom are represented by the magician Sarastro.

The trials that the prince goes through during the opera are reminiscent of Zoroastrian ordeals. Which, in turn, are very reminiscent of many elements of Masonic tests and initiation ceremonies that arose much later (tests by fire and water, oral certificates in the form of questions and answers, the use of ordeal trumpets as musical instruments of the ordeal, etc.).

One of the tests takes place inside the pyramid. Against the backdrop of these architectural structures, other actions take place; by the way, the pyramid is a traditional Masonic symbol.

Orchestra composition

Mozart's score includes:

• 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 basset horns, 2 bassoons
• 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones (alto, tenor and bass)
• Timpani, bells
• Strings

Famous arias

• “O Zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn” (My days pass in suffering / V stradan "yakh dni moi prokhodyat / The suffering of my days pass) - aria of the Queen of the Night
• “Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen” (The thirst for revenge burns in my chest/V grudi moyey pylayet zhazhda mesti/In my chest burning desire for revenge) - the second aria of the Queen of the Night
• “Ach, ich fühl’s, es ist verschwunden” (Everything has passed / Vso proshlo / Everything went) - Pamina’s aria
• “Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön” (Such magical beauty/Takoy volshebnoy krasoty/Such magical beauty) - Tamino’s aria
• “Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja” (Known all I birder/Izvestnyy vsem ya ptitselov/Known all I birder) - Papageno’s aria
• “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen” (Find a girlfriend of the heart/Nayti podrugu serdtsa/Find girlfriend heart) - Papageno’s aria
• “In diesen heil’gen Hallen” (Enmity and revenge are alien to us/Vrazhda i mest" nam chuzhdy/The enmity and revenge are alien to us) - Sarastro’s aria
• “O Isis und Osiris” (O vy, Izida i Osiris/About you, Isis and Osiris) - Sarastro’s aria
• “Alles fühlt der Liebe Freuden” (Everyone can enjoy / Kazhdyy mozhet naslazhdat "sya / Everyone can enjoy) - Monostatos’s aria

Musical fragments

• Overture
• Second aria of the Queen of the Night, Der Hölle Rache
• Second aria of the Queen of the Night, Der Hölle Rache (another recording)
• March of the Priests (beginning of the second act)

• Goethe liked this work so much that he attempted to write a continuation of the libretto.
• Director Ingmar Bergman, in his film adaptation of the opera, made some changes to the plot - Sarastro is not just an opponent of the Queen of the Night, but also Pamina's father. Thus, the relationship of conflict between them and the kidnapping of the girl receives even greater psychological plausibility.
• In 2005, the opera was staged at the State Academic Central Puppet Theater named after S.V. Obraztsov (produced by Andrey Dennikov).
• The asteroid (471) Papageno, discovered in 1901, is named after the hero of Papageno's opera. And in honor of the heroine of the opera Pamina, the asteroid (539) Pamina, discovered in 1904, is named.

Productions in Russia

• In Russia, the opera “The Magic Flute” was first staged by a German troupe in 1797, St. Petersburg.
• May 24, 1818 - Bolshoi Theater, St. Petersburg (Zarastro - Zlov, Tamino - Samoilov, Queen of the Night - Sandunova, Pamina - Sosnitskaya, Papageno - Dolbilov, later - O. Petrov; Papagena - Lebedeva);
• February 3, 1889 - Bolshoi Theater, Moscow (Zarastro - Butenko, Tamino - Dmitry Usatov, Old Priest - Otto Fuhrer, Queen of the Night - Alexandra (Jadwiga) Klyamzhinskaya, Pamina - Maria Klimentova-Muromtseva, Papageno - Tyutyunnik). Resumed there on January 27, 1906 (dir. Vasilevsky, artistic director Vnukov and Lavdovsky, conductor Avranek; Tamino - Bonacich, Sarastro - Petrov, Old Priest - Vlasov, Queen of the Night - Nezhdanova, Pamina - Salina, Papageno - Tyutyunnik).

On the Soviet stage:

• 1934 - in concert performance by artists of the Radio Committee (conductor and director Sebastian, vocal ensemble led by Sveshnikov; Tamino - Chekin, Pamina - Amatova, Queen of the Night - Muratova, Papagena - Muratova, Sarastro - Palyaev, Old Priest - Demyanov, Papageno - Abramov).
• 1941 - in Leningrad in concert performance by artists of the Leningrad Philharmonic (conductor Grikurov, director Kaplan; Tamino - Chekin, Papagena - Tropina, Pamina - Visleneva, Papageno - N. Butyagin, Sarastro - Z. Abbakumov, Queen of the Night - Tavrog).

In the post-Soviet period:

• 2001 - Yekaterinburg State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater. Conductor-producer - Evgeniy Brazhnik. Stage director - Pavel Koblik. Production designer - Stanislav Fesko. Choir director - Vera Davydova.

• 2004 - Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theater. Director - .

• 2004 - Moscow State Academic Chamber Musical Theater named after B.A. Pokrovsky. Stage director Boris Aleksandrovich Pokrovsky, conductor V. Agronsky

• 2005 - Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow. Stage conductor Stuart Bedford, production director Graham Vick, production designer Paul Brown.

• 2006 - Tatar Academic State Opera and Ballet Theater named after. M. Jalil. Musical director - Mika Aishenholz (Sweden), stage director, set designer - Andre Botta (South Africa). Queen of the Night - Albina Shagimuratova.
• 2006 - Moscow New Opera Theater, Direction, set design and costumes Achim Freier, set design assistant Petra Weikert, costume assistant Elena Lukyanova, premiere March 10, 2006.
• 2007 - Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg. Mariinskii Opera House. Magical flute. Musical director - Valery Gergiev. Stage director - Alain Maratra. Production designer - Pierre-Alain Bertola. Costume designer: Mireille Dessangy. Lighting designer - Evgeniy Ganzburg. The responsible accompanist is Larisa Gergieva. The responsible choirmaster is Pavel Petrenko.

• 2011 - Voronezh State Opera and Ballet Theater. Premiere of "The Magic Flute" in Voronezh.
• 2012 - Arkhangelsk Drama Theater named after. M. V. Lomonosov. Director - Andrey Timoshenko. Choreographer - Valery Arkhipov.

Selected discography

(soloists are given in the following order: Tamino, Pamina, Papageno, Queen of the Night, Sarastro)

• 1936 - Dir. Thomas Beecham; soloists: Helge Roswenge, Tiana Lemnitz, Gerhard Hüsch, Erna Berger, Wilhelm Strinz; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
• 1947 - Dir. Kurt Sanderling; soloists: Lev Ashkenazi, Nadezhda Kazantseva, Georgy Abramov, Deborah Pantofel-Nechetskaya, Sergey Krasovsky; All-Union Radio Orchestra.
• 1951 - Dir. Wilhelm Furtwängler; soloists: Anton Dermot, Irmgard Seefried, Erich Kunz, Wilma Lipp, Josef Greindl; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
• 1952 - Dir. Herbert von Karajan; soloists: Nikolai Gedda, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Giuseppe Taddei, Rita Streich, Mario Petri; Italian Radio Orchestra (RAI Roma).
• 1954 - Dir. Ferenc Fryczai; soloists: Ernst Höfliger, Maria Stader, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Rita Streich, Josef Greindl; RIAS orchestra, Berlin.
• 1956 - Dir. Bruno Walter; soloists: Brian Sullivan, Lucine Amara, Theodore Upman, Roberta Peters, Jerome Hines; Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York.
• 1964 - Dir. Otto Klemperer; soloists: Nikolai Gedda, Gundula Janowitz, Walter Berry, Lucia Popp, Gottlob Frick; Philharmonic Orchestra, London.
• 1964 - Dir. Carl Boehm; soloists: Fritz Wunderlich, Evelyn Lear, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Roberta Peters, Franz Crass; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
• 1969 - Dir. Georg Solti; soloists: Stuart Burrows, Pilar Lorengar, Herman Prey, Christina Deutekom, Martti Talvela; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
• 1973 - Dir. Wolfgang Sawallisch; soloists: Peter Schreyer, Anneliese Rothenberger, Walter Berry, Edda Moser, Kurt Moll; Orchestra of the Bavarian National Opera.
• 1988 - Dir. Nikolaus Harnoncourt; soloists: Hans Peter Blochwitz, Barbara Bonney, Anton Scharinger, Edita Gruberova, Matti Salminen; Orchestra of the Zurich Opera.
• 1991 - Dir. James Levine; soloists: Francisco Araiza, Kathleen Battle, Manfred Hemm, Luciana Serra, Kurt Moll; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
• 2005 - Dir. Claudio Abbado; soloists: Christoph Strehl, Dorothea Röschmann, Hanno Müller-Brahmann, Erika Miklos, René Pape; Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

Notes

1. Alfred Einstein. Mozart.Personality.Creativity. - M., “Classics-XXI”, 2007. - 472 p. - ISBN 978-5-89817-203-9.
2. E.I. Chigareva. Mozart's operas in the context of the culture of his time. - Editorial URSS, 2000. - 210 p. - ISBN 5-8360-0121-9.

Literature

• "The Magic Flute Unveiled: Esoteric Symbolism in Mozart's Masonic Opera." Jacques Chaillet (1910−1999).

Links

• Summary (synopsis) of the opera “The Magic Flute” on the “100 Operas” website
• The Magician Sarastro in “The Magic Flute” by W. A. ​​Mozart (magic instruments, Zoroastrian ordeals and Freemasonry)
• Full text of the libretto in Russian of the opera “The Magic Flute”
• The plot of the opera "The Magic Flute"

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Magic Flute Information About

The opera “The Magic Flute” is the latest creation in this genre... and one of the most mysterious. The appearance of legends surrounding this work was also facilitated by the fact that the composer’s fellow Mason was the customer. It was Emanuel Schikaneder, director of the Auf der Wieden theater. He had already staged a number of operas based on fairy-tale plots - and he needed a new work. He chose the plot - it was the fairy tale “Lulu, or the Magic Flute” from the collection of the German poet K. M. Wieland “Dzhinnistan, or Selected Tales about Fairies and Spirits.” True, while working on the libretto, another theater staged the opera “Caspar the Bassoonist,” which was also based on this fairy tale - and in order to avoid competition, the libretto had to be remade literally on the fly. This is how those plot moves appeared that may seem awkward, but give the opera a special charm.

The fairy tale by K. M. Wieland is not the only literary source of the opera “The Magic Flute”. His other works were also used - the fairy tales “Clever Boys” and “Labyrinth”, the poem “Oberon, King of Wizards”, as well as the drama “Thamos, King of Egypt” by T. F. von Gebler, the novel “Sethos” by J. Terrason. Among the sources there was also a Masonic book - “On the Mysteries of the Egyptians” by Ignaz von Born. At the “intersection” of all these sources, a philosophical fairy tale was born, telling about the spiritual ascent of man.

The embodiment of this person is the main character - Prince Tamino, who will have to go through trials and reach the heights of wisdom. These peaks are personified by the sage Sarastro. But there is another side to human nature, its bearer is Papageno - kind, cheerful, but not enough stars from the sky, it is enough for him to “eat, sleep and find a girlfriend” - in essence, the same man in the street who will soon be mercilessly branded by romanticism, but W.A. Mozart just chuckles good-naturedly at him - after all, a person cannot escape from “base” interests (which is why Tamino and Papageno are inseparable). The special wisdom with which this work is filled lies in the fact that the characters cannot be clearly divided into positive and negative (as usually happens in a fairy tale, but never happens in reality): the Queen of the Night, who at first appears majestic and beautiful, turns out to be an evil intriguer - but it is she who gives Tamino a magic flute that helps him withstand trials, and is the mother of the beautiful Pamina, who personifies love. Sarastro, who kidnapped the daughter from her mother, thereby - as it turns out - saved her. However, he can also be cruel.

As for Masonic symbolism, there really is a lot of it in the opera “The Magic Flute”: the pyramid, inside which Tamino undergoes one of the tests, the number three (three fairies, three geniuses, three tests), Sarastro, whose name is the Italian pronunciation of the name of Zoroaster - an ancient priest deeply revered by the Freemasons.

In terms of genre, The Magic Flute is a singspiel, an opera with spoken dialogue. But here - as in many of his other operas - W. A. ​​Mozart pushes the boundaries of the genre. The melodies that characterize the kingdom of Sarastro (the introduction to the overture, the arias of this hero, the choirs of the priests) in their bright grandeur make one recall Handel’s oratorios. The musical characterization of the Queen of the Night, with its “cold” vocal virtuosity, is reminiscent of opera seria. The comedic character – Papageno – is characterized by song and dance music. Tamino's part is at first close to the style of opera seria (he is influenced by the Queen of the Night), but later - as he turns from Sarastro's enemy into his friend - the musical material that characterizes him approaches Sarastro's sphere.

The opera The Magic Flute was staged on September 30, 1791 at the Auf der Wieden theater. Both authors took part in the performance - W. A. ​​Mozart conducted the performance, and E. Schikaneder played the role of Papageno. Josepha Hofer, the sister of the composer's wife, performed as the Queen of the Night. The audience greeted the opera with thunderous applause; some fragments had to be performed as an encore. More than twenty performances took place - and all of them were performed in a crowded hall. Talking about the success of the opera in a letter to his wife, W. A. ​​Mozart makes a mysterious remark: “But what pleases me most is the tacit approval.” What did the composer have in mind - perhaps approval from the Freemasons? In this case, these words could serve as a refutation of the legend connecting the untimely death of W. A. ​​Mozart with the revenge of this secret society for divulging its secrets... One way or another, “The Magic Opera” became a brilliant conclusion to the creative path of W. A. ​​Mozart - he passed away in December of the same year. All the material benefits from the success of the opera went to E. Schikaneder: with the proceeds, he built a new theater, decorated with a statue that depicted himself in the image of Papageno.

Musical seasons

Magical flute

opera in two acts

composer - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder

Characters

Queen of the Night (soprano)

Pamina, her daughter (soprano)

First Lady of the Queen of the Night's Retinue (soprano)

Second Lady of the Queen of the Night's Retinue (soprano)

Third Lady of the Queen of the Night's Retinue (soprano)

Tamino, Prince (tenor)

Sarastro (bass)

Speaker (bass)

Monostatos, a Moor in the service of Sarastro (tenor)

Papageno, birdcatcher (bass)

Papagena, Papageno's bride (soprano)

First Warrior (tenor)

Second Warrior (bass)

Three boys, priests, servants, people.

Time of action: uncertain, but approximately during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses I.

Setting: Egypt.

ACT ONE

PICTURE ONE

Rugged rocky terrain, partially covered with trees; there are hills on both sides of the stage. A new temple is visible. There is a gorge in the depths. Tamino quickly descends from one of the rocks with a bow, but no arrows. He is being pursued by the Serpent.

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 appears.

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

He reaches the gorge and falls, losing consciousness. The temple door immediately opens; three veiled ladies come out, each with a silver spear.

FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD LADIES

Perish, monster, at our hands!

They kill the Snake.

Triumph! Triumph!

A heroic deed has been accomplished!

He is freed by the courage of our hands,

the courage of our hands!

FIRST LADY

looking around Tamino

Charming young man, gentle and beautiful!

SECOND LADY

I have never seen such a beautiful young man before.

THIRD LADY

Yes Yes! That's right, beautiful as a picture.

FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD LADIES

If I were to dedicate my heart to love, then this,

it would probably be this young man. Let's hurry to our

lady and we will tell her this news.

Perhaps this wonderful man can restore

her lost peace, restore her lost peace.

FIRST LADY

Go ahead and tell her. In the meantime, I'll stay here.

SECOND LADY

No, no, you both go. I'll follow him here!

THIRD LADY

No, no, it can't be like that. I will guard it alone.

FIRST LADY

I'll stay here for now.

SECOND LADY

I'll follow him here.

THIRD LADY

I will guard it alone.

FIRST LADY

I'll stay!

SECOND LADY

I'll follow!

THIRD LADY

I'll keep watch!

FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD LADIES

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 I wouldn’t 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.

He 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?

Papageno walks down the path with a large birdcage on his back containing various birds. He holds a pipe in both hands, which he plays and sings. He is dressed in strange clothes made of feathers.

PAPAGENO

I know how to fish and how to be great at pipe playing.

That's why I can be cheerful and joyful, that's why all the birds, of course, are mine.

The bird catcher is me, always joyful, hurray, hurray!

As a birder, I am known to both young and old everywhere on earth.

I would also like a net for girls, then I would catch dozens of them for myself!

Then I would lock them up with me, and all the girls would be mine.

I would trade birds for sugar to feed my girls;

only one that I like the most - I would give her all the sugar at once;

and if she then kissed me tenderly, then she would become my wife,

and I am her husband; she would fall asleep under my side, and I would lull her to sleep like a child.

PAPAGENO

What's happened?

PAPAGENO

PAPAGENO

Stupid question! A man just like you. And who are you?

I am a prince.

PAPAGENO

My father is a ruler.

PAPAGENO

Ruler?

He rules many lands and peoples.

PAPAGENO

Lands and peoples?

So there, behind these mountains, therefore, there is still land and peoples?

Many thousands.

PAPAGENO

That way I could get things going with my birds there.

Where are we, tell me now?

PAPAGENO

Well, here you are!

What do you live for?

PAPAGENO

PAPAGENO

I catch birds, and every day in exchange I get food and drink

from the three ladies of the Starfire Queen.

PAPAGENO

From the Starfire Queen!

About myself

Mighty Lady of the Night; is it possible?

to Papageno

Tell me, my friend, have you ever seen her?

PAPAGENO

Have you seen her? Have you seen the Starfire Queen? What mortal can see her?

About myself

Now it is clear! This is the same Queen of the Night that my father talked about

told me so many things. And there is not a single ordinary person here.

PAPAGENO

About myself

How he stares at me!

to Tamino

Why are you looking at me so suspiciously?

Because I doubt whether you are human.

PAPAGENO

Who then?

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

PAPAGENO

Well, of course - not a bird?

By the power of giants?

Then you were my liberator who overcame this poisonous Serpent?

PAPAGENO

About myself

What Snake?

I just wanted to tell you that I will

I am always grateful to you for this brave act.

PAPAGENO

Let's not talk about this anymore; let's be glad he's dead.

But how did you, being here on earth, overcome this monster, my friend?

After all, you don't even have a weapon.

PAPAGENO

And it’s not necessary at all!

Then you…

PAPAGENO

Strangled him!

The Three Ladies are returning.

FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD LADIES

Papageno!

PAPAGENO

Yep, that means me.

Who are these ladies?

PAPAGENO

These are the ladies who take my birds from me every day

and they bring me wine, cake and sweet figs in exchange.

Apparently they are very beautiful?

PAPAGENO

I don't think so.

FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD LADIES

Papageno!

PAPAGENO

After all, if they were beautiful, they, of course, would not hide their faces.

FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD LADIES

Papageno!

PAPAGENO

I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life.

FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD LADIES

Papageno!

PAPAGENO

Here, my beauties, I present to you my birds.

FIRST LADY

Today, this time, our mistress is sending you not wine, but water in exchange.

SECOND LADY

And instead of a cake - this stone.

PAPAGENO

Do you want to feed me stones?

THIRD LADY

And instead of tender figs - this golden castle.

to Tamino

FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD LADIES

It was we who freed you.

FIRST LADY

Look, this picture...

SECOND LADY

Sent to you by our great mistress.

THIRD LADY

This is a portrait of her daughter.

FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD LADIES

Mozart Brion Marcel

Chapter Nineteen "The Magic Flute"

Chapter nineteen

"Magical flute"

When Goethe talks about Magic flute that this is “a fairy tale full of improbability and fantasy,” he precisely defines the genre of the work, its meaning and significance. When talking about "fairy tale", he uses the German word Maerchen, denoting this concept as an enchanting story, full of extraordinary adventures, but at the same time carrying a sublime lesson of fundamental value. According to the romantics, Maerchen- this is a poetic fairy tale, allegory; the symbols it contains go beyond anecdote and even fantastic fiction. Great romantic Maerchen Tieck, Eichendorff, Novalis and even Goethe himself, like some of Hoffmann's fairy tales, open doors to us into the world of the supernatural. The story they tell is only a sign of a mysterious reality that we must interpret. Romantics wrote along with delightful unmotivated stories that have value only for the play of their own imagination, texts of sublime, spiritual significance, in which, under the veil of an enchanting narrative, the very philosophy of life was expressed.

With this Maerchen, that is, with Magic flute Mozart returns to that Wonderful World of Childhood, which Novalis called the Golden Age. Indeed, a child is not only a pure, simple, natural, and finally, completely innocent creature, but also a traveler who comes to earth, full of memories of the wondrous universe in which he lived before his birth. Preserving this state of childhood for as long as possible and regaining it again with renewed vigor means for the romantics to restore the broken connection between this wonderful universe and the earth, the vale where the soul awaits its return - according to Novalis's definition - to the Father's House. The child is a “clairvoyant”. He is also the keeper of the highest wisdom, which he forgets as he communicates with people, loses from the first moments of his stay on earth, and which he must then painfully, with great effort, achieve again in order to be worthy of the promised return. The naivety of an enchanting fairy tale is the key to that childish wisdom, which is knowledge before birth. Throughout life, a person should strive more and more energetically and meaningfully to become a child again. The cult of the child among the romantics comes from the fact that by worshiping him, they worship the higher being residing in him, and the more a person remains a child, the closer he approaches this exalted state.

Working on Magic flute with all its fantastic twists and turns, Mozart returned to that magical region where the anxieties and bustle of everyday life disappear, are erased in a kind of supernatural radiant light. Being by nature a perfect child - and this is the essence of the special charm and attractiveness with which he influenced everyone with whom he was more or less close - he overcame vanity and anxiety with his invariable cheerfulness, the ability to see the funny sides of life, to rejoice in everything, to transform into entertainment troubles that would certainly darken people with a gloomy temperament. In this regard - alas, only in this regard! - Constanza was exactly the kind of woman suitable for him; she compensated for his lack of practical spirit and seriousness with a kind of childish goodwill, slight frivolity. The couple frolicked like children; Absolutely everything became a pretext for absurd and amusing games, and even in some moments of Mozart’s music we find this superficial lightness, this happy ability of both to see the attractive side of the troubles of everyday existence; it is known how many of these troubles befell them. The nicknames they gave each other, the childish speech that sounded when they were fooling around - all this was inherent in their characters. Mozart's letters to Constance during her treatment in Baden were written with the same pen as those he wrote as a teenager to his Augsburg cousin Maria Tekla. Some of them are full of incredible eccentricity, inexhaustible imagination, and we should not forget that Wolfgang wrote them sick, exhausted from work, worries about money. It was quite natural, however, that he found the right tone to make Constanza laugh at ease; it was organic to his character and showed to what extent he always remained a child.

He was immediately captivated by the idea of ​​writing an enchanting opera for Schikaneder, although the aesthetic concepts of the director-actor were far from his own. Schikaneder was a “man of the theater” with all the good and bad that was implied by this. It is quite likely that nowadays he would rather run some kind of music hall than a theater;" even then he was so committed to this genre that, as we have seen, he always preferred the spectacular possibilities of any play to its inner beauty and deep meaning. It should, however, be recognized that the tastes of the theater of that time, the direct heir of Baroque theatrical art, gravitated towards pomp, luxurious mise-en-scène, scenery with an endless perspective, ingenious machines that made it possible to change the situation before the eyes of the audience, with the sudden appearance and disappearance of characters, with enchanting apotheoses , when the gods floated under the stage grates on cardboard clouds.

Finally, with Schikaneder it was the mise-en-scène that dominated everything. Everything was subordinated to her. Music and text had to obediently bow to her demands, submit to tyranny visual and serve the wonders of the amazing. Text and music were given a supporting role. Schikaneder expected big profits from the enchanting opera, which was designed to conquer the children's imagination of the crowd. His idea to attract Mozart as a composer could well have turned out to be unsuccessful, because during this period Wolfgang completely disappeared into an increasingly serious and concentrated atmosphere of a mainly religious nature, completely different from the one that was required for composing some kind of parody of The magic flute and that is precisely what Schikaneder needed. Didn’t this adventurer specialize in “reinterpreting” plays that were successful? He was delighted by Wieland's fantastic story Lulu, where they talked about a magic flute that allowed its owner to prevail over all circumstances. The craving for everything oriental, for the exotic, characteristic of the Rococo era, ensured success for every director who chose the atmosphere and scenery of the phantasmagoric East. The unscrupulous and impudent Schikaneder was not embarrassed by the unscrupulous robbery of established authors.

It seems that he had some difficulty trying to persuade Mozart, although he was also a “brother” and both belonged to the same lodge with the strange name “Lodge of Tasters”. The opera that Schikaneder dreamed of seemed to him playful - giocosa, buffa, - with stunning mise-en-scene, with sensational plot twists, the secrets of which, as we saw, he knew, in order to make the good Viennese public sit with their mouths open in amazement and besiege the theater box office for many weeks. Wolfgang listened to him, thought about it and criticized him: the proposal only half interested him. The pure, unmotivated extravaganza found a weak response in the soul of a man who, perhaps feeling the approach of his end, vaguely wanted to write, finally, such a work that would become the testament of a great man and artist. The frivolity of Schikaneder's original plan did not fit well with this mood of Mozart's mind, but the idea of ​​redemptive music, magical music that rises above all the difficulties of life, touched him and prevented him from giving a final answer. And not at all out of a sense of Masonic solidarity. For his part, Schikaneder, who valued Mozart’s friendship, realized that he could not take him at such a low price and that concessions had to be made. After all, this work could have been just as successful if it had been series and was aimed at real music lovers, rather than at the general public. They agreed that every viewer should find in this spectacle pleasure commensurate with his needs: music lovers - a sublime overture, simpletons - changes in scenery during the action and stunning miracles.

Two other Freemasons became interested in this discussion, the adroit compiler of opera librettos Gieseke and Ignaz von Born, the most famous man in Austrian Freemasonry. As they came up with the initial plan together, the central idea The Magic Flute acquired broader and more brilliant prospects. Soon the question of a spectacular extravaganza, suitable only to amuse children and common people, was removed. Gieseke thought that it was possible to write a magnificent poetic text based on a plot about a magic instrument. Ignaz von Born and Mozart conceived the play as a symbolic drama, which, although in a strange, but attractive and mysterious form, should recall the most sublime secrets of human destiny. Wolfgang now had only to listen to his own anxiety, to rely on his own concept of human life in order to lead the development of the plot in the direction of the goal set by Ignaz von Born, however, while observing the necessary precautions so that the profane did not gain access to the sublime truths that raise a person to his heights. the highest level of humanity. He had to tell a gospel that would correspond not only to Masonic rules, but also to “natural philosophy.” To present in the form of an allegorical action religious beliefs that do not reveal any one dogma, but embrace them all... Whoever can will hear the message conveyed by music Magic flute everyone must approach higher knowledge, provided that, like Tamino, he can purify his mind and heart.

The joint efforts of a philosopher, poet, musician and director gradually gave birth to a strange work that will be called DieZauberflote(The Magic Flute),- the first and, in my opinion, the most perfect of the masterpieces of that very “German opera” that Mozart dreamed of staging for so long. The libretto was as he wanted, Schikaneder graciously agreed to make the changes that were required of him. His flexibility and dexterity under these circumstances created a miracle. Of course, one could wish that an appropriate text had been written for such sublime music, but at that time there was only one poet capable of writing such a text - Goethe. Author Faust he regretted that Mozart did not have time to set his tragedy to music, because only he could have done this; this means that only Goethe, in turn, could write poetry worthy of Mozart's music. Moreover, the plot The Magic Flute fully corresponded to Goethe’s human ideal, which is expressed in Wilhelm Meister. Author Orphic poems And Don't tell this to anyone except the wise men recognized his doctrine in the precepts of Sarastro, of whom it is said that Mozart composed it in the image and likeness of his revered friend von Born. This whole era, with its lofty hopes and noble philanthropy, finally received full and perfect expression, through which the blossoming soul of Mozart made its highest lesson accessible to the ear.

These four who worked on the essay Magic flute Each brought into it their own spirit and their own vision of the world. Schikaneder, who played the role of Papageno, completely transformed into his character: a child of nature, quite simple in the intellectual and spiritual sense, a lover of women. He is also a Birdcatcher in his own way, in the sense that to fill the theater with spectators, he spins his trap with mirrors, making fake gold and precious stones sparkle, which blind naive simpletons, luring them into the hall. In addition, he is an excellent director. The theatrical experience gained in traveling troupes gave him an understanding of the needs of the public; he was well aware of how and how to seduce her. Other theaters made excellent collections by presenting enchanting plays, the only accessory of which was some kind of magical instrument. Great, he will also use this technique and make a fortune from it. People who lived in ancient times and constantly dealt with stronger and more powerful creatures, passionately desired to get their hands on some magical object, the possession of which could compensate for the physical inferiority of a weak person. A magic sword, a magic horn, an invisibility cap, an enchanted ring... At all times and everywhere, a person in his childhood dreams possessed such a priceless treasure. Thanks to their ability to make magical objects, dwarves defeated giants, who were infinitely stronger and more daring. The audience is pleased to see on stage what their imagination secretly pictures, since they habitually identify themselves with the heroes of the plays; Schikaneder understood that such a plot would attract crowds of people to the Theater auf der Wieden. And that Mozart’s music will only be an additional pleasure for particularly discerning viewers. For the rest, a mixture of buffoonery and extravaganza will be enough.

Giesecke's point of view differed sharply from Schikaneder's. This extraordinary man, who wrote opera librettos, was at the same time a mineralogist and it was in this capacity that he ended his days in Ireland as a professor of geology at Dublin University, dressed in a tailcoat, with a white tie and with an order ribbon around his neck. His real name was Johann Georg Metzler, and he was born in Augsburg in 1761. That is, he was barely thirty when he suddenly found himself at the Schikaneder Theater. It is not difficult to imagine that, after graduating from university, he wanted to spend several years filled with joy and pleasure in the company of actors and actresses before once again putting on the harsh yoke of science. Later he made a number of trips to Greenland, studying the metals mined in that country, while he explored the realm of frivolous poetry and artificial theatrical wonders. In 1789 he collaborated with musician Paul Wranitzky on an opera Oberon, king of the elves, which Schikaneder staged with great success. Its plot was borrowed from Wieland, and the plot of the play was copied, perhaps with excessive accuracy, from Singspiel, given to him a year earlier by the famous actress Sophia Friedriche Hensel, who married the theater director Abel Seiler, the same one with whom we had met several years earlier in Mannheim. November 22, 1789, just two weeks after the production in Vienna Oberon, so recklessly copied from her own Singspiel, the actress died without having time to show her indignation.

But still, Gieseke was not a plagiarist - primarily because the story of Oberon was very ancient, and I don’t even know in which chronicle Wieland dug it up; but mainly because he himself brought to the libretto The Magic Flute a very original spirit, which may be due to his commitment to science. Mineralogy at that time was a completely new science, not yet sufficiently purified from the fantastic speculations of alchemists. She had a significant influence on the formation of romantic poets. Many of the German natural philosophers the second half of the 18th - early 19th centuries are simultaneously doctors, naturalists, and geologists. The physical properties of metals did not prevent them from being endowed with mysterious virtues. When Gerard de Nerval, the only French romantic really close to the German romantics, writes that “pure spirit grows under the crust of stone,” he interprets this belief, widespread at that time, in the sense that minerals are not inanimate substances. He assigns them supernatural properties, finds in them allegories and symbols, since nature at that time was a large book full of secrets, capable of teaching the most varied and deep lessons. As a mineralogist, Gieseke undoubtedly studied the natural philosophers and received from them that mixture of scientific and mystical knowledge which did not then seem incompatible with a rational approach. Thus, he brought to Schikaneder's libretto - if it is true that he participated in its writing (Monard's biographers disagree on this) - first of all, a more subtle, lighter poetry than the poetry of the director-actor, and some signs of the presence of a secret teaching , since he was also a Freemason.

Originally conceived as a spectacular extravaganza with extensive buffoonery a la Kasperl and a la Ganswurst, which aroused great enthusiasm among the venerable Viennese public, as it was written it evolved to a more refined, more mystical fantasy, based on the intuition of natural philosophers so close to Gieseck. As for the major figure in Austrian Freemasonry, Ignaz von Born, he led the joint work on the stage embodiment of the hidden doctrine, so that, as far as was allowed by society, it would be carefully revealed and combined with the reign of a monarch openly hostile to the “brothers.” Ignaz von Born had to be all the more careful because he was suspected of heresy because of his views on the properties of metals - he was also a geologist - and because of his pamphlet Monachology, directed against religious orders, thanks to which he made numerous enemies. It was also known about his connections with the Illuminati society, founded in 1766 in Ingolstadt by Adam Weishaupt.

In the hierarchy of Illuminism, Freemasonry was ranked second, since the first was the novitiate, and the last, the so-called "Secrets", was the pinnacle of wisdom and power that could be acquired. Since the beginning of the century, the position of Freemasonry in Austria has changed. The husband of Empress Maria Theresa, Franz of Lorraine, was a Freemason; in 1731, while in The Hague, he was dedicated and received by the English ambassador, Lord Chesterfield. As a member of this society, he refused to apply in his dominions the decree adopted by Pope Clement XII and condemning Freemasonry. After his death, the Empress, following the advice of the clergy, extended the ban; Freemasonry had to go underground until the arrival of the liberal Joseph II, who showed tolerance for the practice of Masonic ceremonies and their propaganda, although he himself was not a Freemason. After the death of Joseph II, Leopold II continued his mother's policy with all severity, and the Freemasons again had to hide. Fortunately, the Austrian character is characterized by benevolence and tolerance, and no one persecuted Haydn, von Born, or Mozart for their membership in the lodges.

The fact that Mozart was a Freemason never stopped him from being a very devout and ardent Catholic. He did not skimp on holidays dedicated to saints dear to his heart. Even before his marriage, he went to mass with Constance and took communion with her. He adds in his letter to his father dated August 17, 1782: “I realized that I had never before prayed with such ardor, confessed or received communion with such reverence as next to her.” The Christian faith and the Masonic ideal coexisted well in such a deeply religious soul, capable of seeing the sacred even in other religions. While in Paris, Mozart also attended services. But even if we were not aware of these outward signs of Mozart’s piety, it would be enough to listen to his music to be convinced of how deeply and sincerely religious his nature was. To such an extent that it is impossible to distinguish religiosity in church music itself - in masses, motets, vespers, etc., on the one hand, and in cantatas, Masonic funeral marches or Magic flute- with another. It is in this sense that Alfred Einstein said that for Mozart, Catholicism and Freemasonry are two concentric spheres. Magical flute - this is not an act of Masonic faith, but to a much greater extent a total expression of Mozart’s philosophy, how he understood the fate and responsibilities of man, which makes Mozart similar to Goethe, with his concept formulated in the poem Divine:

Be right, man

Gracious and kind:

With just one

We distinguish it

From all creatures

Known to us.

Be right, man,

Gracious and kind!

Create without rest

Necessary, right!

Be a prototype for us

The creatures we see.

(Translated by A. P. Grigoriev)

This is almost Sarastro's admonition to Tomino (Act II, number 15): “In these sacred halls there is no vengeance; and if a man falls, it is love that leads him back to his duty. So, led by the hand of a friend, he finds himself, contented and joyful, in a better world. In these sacred walls, where man loves man, there is no gap through which a traitor could slip, because here the enemy is forgiven. Anyone who does not understand this lesson is not worthy to be called a man.” Such is Mozart’s “humanism”, such is his faith in humanity, the nobility of heart and mind, the conviction that people deified by music, through beauty and virtue, can comprehend the heights of the spirit.

Schikaneder's buffoonery, Giesecke's natural philosophy, Ignaz von Born's Masonic ideal... magical flute became Mozart's most sublime lesson in human dignity that has ever been heard from the stage. This libretto, with all the improbabilities that amazed Goethe with his poetic leftism, contains a bright message that the musician left to his contemporaries and descendants; his music, thoroughly religious, speaks of human love and the relationship of man with the Divine, connects the peaks of religious music, Mass in B-flat major(KV 275), Credo-Mass(KV 257) and Mass in C major(KV 317).

Eagerly awaiting the opportunity to show his enchanting opera to the Viennese, Schikaneder hurried Mozart and, they say, even settled him in a small wooden pavilion in the depths of his garden, which was then reverently transferred to the Kapuzinerberg in Salzburg. We don't know when Mozart started composing. In November 1790, Schikaneder gratefully returned to him Papageno's aria, which was intended for him and he really liked. In this house, which sounded like a violin, Wolfgang returned to the wonderful world of childhood dreams, trying to express what was at the same time most natural, most important and deep in him, grasping on the fly the musical ideas that circled around him like huge birds.

Having finished with the distribution of roles, we began rehearsals. Benedict Schakk sang Tamino, François-Xavier Gerl - Sarastro, Schikaneder himself - Papageno, and his son Urban received the role of the First Priest. Pamina was played by the very young Anna Gottlieb, who Mozart really liked and whose divine voice he admired. His sister-in-law Josepha Hofer, Queen of the Night, received a wonderful match coloratura, designed to highlight her talent and voice. The brightly dramatic role of Monostatos was entrusted to Nouhoil. Mozart was assisted by the young conductor of the Henneberg orchestra. Director Schikaneder left the mise-en-scène and “enchanting effects” behind him. As he proudly wrote in the playbill, "Mr. Keil, the theater designer, and Mr. Neszaler, the set designer, can be proud of the fact that they worked very professionally and efficiently, in accordance with the production plan." The hatches, and there were three of them, and the flying devices were hidden by flowers. Twelve new sets were painted. Ten changes were planned in front of the audience. Egon Komorcinski said: “At the moment of the first appearance of the Queen of the Night, the background mountains moved apart and turned into a luxurious room in which the Queen sat on a throne decorated with sparkling stars. The priests gathered in a palm grove, where the palms were golden, other trees were silver, and all this was surrounded by eighteen pyramids, and in the middle, next to the large pyramid, stood the largest palm tree. Pamina was lying in a rose-covered gazebo in the middle of the garden, the trees of which were arranged like a horseshoe. In the trial by water and fire scene

two large mountains were visible, one with a foamy cascade of water, the other spewing fire. Each mountain was locked with an iron door, in front of which stood a pyramid. Finally, after the roar of the fire, the howling of the wind, the deafening rumbles of thunder and the bubbling of waters, a brightly lit temple opened before the audience. At the end, amid flashes of fire, peals of thunder and the howl of a hurricane, everything turned into dazzling sunlight that flooded the stage.”

The first show took place on September 30, 1791, in the small Wiedenertheater, “a long rectangular building, like a giant box,” writes Ignaz Franz Castelli in his Memoirs. Mozart conducted the orchestra. After the first act, the audience remained so cold, so stingy with applause, that the pale Mozart rushed to Schikaneder, who calmed him down. I liked the second act better, and after the curtain the authors were called. Either from uncertainty or from shyness, Mozart hid in the wings and refused to go on stage. It seemed to him that the work was not clear enough and that no one liked it, and the applause was mainly due to Schikaneder’s tricks and his rude gaiety in the role of Papageno. Starting from the second performance, Mozart no longer stood at the music stand, entrusting the baton to Henneberg.

Despite the lukewarm reception received by the public at the first performance, magical flute was a huge success. The Widenertheater hosted one hundred performances in a row, which was a completely exceptional fact. On October 25, 1792, it was triumphantly received by Prague. The following year the opera was given in Frankfurt, where Goethe's mother listened to it, leaving a very expressive report. “There is nothing new happening here that is worth talking about,” she writes on November 9, 1793, “except for eighteen performances Magic flute each time with a packed hall, ready to burst with audience. There is not a single person here who would not listen to this opera. Workers, gardeners, even people from Sachsenhausen, whose children play monkeys and lions, rush here. No one had ever seen such a spectacle. The theater opens at four o'clock every day, and even then many hundreds of people return home without getting a ticket. They made a lot of money!”

Goethe himself, who declared: “With sufficient understanding, the value of this libretto becomes unconditional,” listened to it in Weimar on January 16, 1794, in a bad “arrangement” by his brother-in-law Christian August Vulpius. It was Vulpius's version that was then accepted by German theaters, despite Schikaneder's vehement protests. The poet was so amazed by what he heard and saw that he intended to write a sequel Magic flute intending to more fully express his Masonic feelings in it. Belonging to the Amalia lodge, he highly valued this story, deeply imbued with its pathos. As for music, he declared that it was the most beautiful in the world, and was in complete agreement with Rossini, who said: “Beethoven is the greatest musician, but Mozart is the only one!” - and with Richard Wagner, who wrote: “Until now, German opera did not exist in principle; With the appearance of this work, we can say that she appeared. Here we see quintessence, a fusion of all the noblest colors of art, cast into one flower. What divine magic runs through the entire work, from a folk song to the most sublime hymn! What diversity, what multiplicity!” Italians turned out to be deaf to innovations The Magic Flute and even rejected this “criminal music.”

In contrast to Italy, Germany has generally accepted divine music, in which romanticism itself recognizes itself in everything that is most complex and greatest in it, in the richness and diversity of all its incarnations. magical flute a highly romantic opera, because in it all the secrets of a disturbed heart become clear and all romantic themes are already present. And if the greatness of a work of art is measured by the wealth of emotions that it can evoke, then there is simply no other such great masterpiece. The opera speaks to everyone in a language they understand.

Some people thought they saw it as a “play with a key.” The Queen of the Night is supposedly Maria Theresa, intending to tame her daughter, Masonic thought. In the understanding of others, she personifies Italian opera, which seeks to prevent German opera from reaching maturity. Some saw Monostatos as a rival of Mozart Salieri or Prince-Elector Charles Theodor, an enemy of the Freemasons. The trick that the Queen of the Night uses, personifying obscurantism, to prevent Pamina from getting closer to Sarastro, convincing her in every possible way that he is her worst enemy, and ordering her to kill him with a dagger, is a Lie that seeks to block people from the path of Light.

In fact, symbolism The Magic Flute much more sublime, and these mediocre interpretations cannot comprehend it. The main meaning of the struggle in which the Queen of the Night confronts Sarastro is the eternal battle between Night and Day, darkness and light. The tyrannical Queen personifies the pitch night with its darkness and horrors, nightmares and miracles, and this is her dangerous and mysterious greatness. Before her, Sarastro is more than a priest of the Sun, he is the Sun itself, and that is why in the original mise-en-scène he appears on a cart drawn by six lions, solar animals. The night, which romantics fear and worship at the same time, represents the place of major transformations, the sleep of the mind, the mother of dark forces, indefinite impulses, both creative and destructive.

Pamina, the sister of Psyche, is a symbol of the human soul, the power over which dark forces seek to maintain; she will break through to the light, driven by the love and help that the Animus provides to the Anime. Without each other they are powerless, and isn’t it thanks to their union, their unity, that in the end, after overcoming all dangers and winning all the trials that show that they are worthy of a truly human condition, their human essence is realized. We are talking here about a genuine dedication, comparable to that which existed in the ancient secret societies revived by Freemasonry, and with that which was reflected, on the other hand, in the famous “novels of education” of the German romantics, in particular in Wilhelm Meister.

In the service of the Queen of the Night, who also acts in a certain sense in the image of Death, there are Three Ladies, similar to the Parks, who play an unclear and complex role in this action - they prevent the lovers from meeting, prevent them from passing the tests, the result of which should be their union, although they are the ones at the beginning of the play, Tamino is saved at the moment when the dragon is about to devour him, killing the monster with blows of a spear. The forces of evil, despite themselves, do good, or perhaps they are akin to the one in whose mouth Goethe put the mysterious words: “Am I the one who always wants evil, but always does good”? Their assistant saves the young prince, who, to fight the dragon (in the original text - a lion), is armed only with a bow without an arrow. What does this absence of an arrow mean? Undoubtedly, the following: the will to action (bow) is devoid of practical effectiveness, since it does not yet have a target, that is, a goal, therefore there is no need for an arrow. Before committing a knightly feat, freeing Sarastro's captive Pamina, Tamino is an inferior person, almost insane, because he lacks an understanding of the meaning of existence, the motives of action, the purpose of the struggle into which he is drawn already due to the fact that, as Goethe says, “I was a person, and therefore a fighter.” On the other hand, the forest where Tamino got lost and met the dragon immediately brings to mind selvaobscura- a dark forest in which Dante wanders, who is also attacked by wild animals.

The intervention of the Three Ladies is explained by the fact that all three of them are enchanted by the beauty of Tamino and declare their love to him in a delightful trio (Act I, number 1), each seeking to get rid of her companions and be alone with him. However, restraining passion and obeying their Queen, they present the prince with a portrait of Pamina, which, according to the Queen’s calculations, should ignite Tamino’s love and encourage him to search for her in Sarastro’s palace.

As a result of changes made during the course of the work in the development of action, the psychology of the characters and the secret meaning of the work, ambiguities and unclear places arose in the libretto. Originally, the Queen of the Night repeated the ancient theme of Demeter searching for her daughter, kidnapped by Hades. That is why Sarastro portrayed black magician because he represented the god Hades, the ruler of Hades. In a magnificent aria in the first act "Zum Leidenbinichauserkoren" a mother mourns her daughter, kidnapped by her enemy, and her tears touch Tamino so much that the young man decides to kill the kidnapper so that justice will prevail. “You will free her, you will become her savior... my daughter...” In the brilliant coloratura written by Mozart for his sister-in-law, which so vividly express the awakening of violent passion, the Queen promises him Pamina: “She will be yours forever.”

The Queen of the Night is served by another character, the birdcatcher Papageno, child of nature, personifying innocent simplicity. Cheerful, light, singing like the birds he catches, Papageno stopped in his development halfway between man and animal. The viewer wonders: is his feather clothing integral with his body? He plays the flute of Pan, symbolizing here the voice of nature, the elements music of things, spontaneously emanating from matter itself, like music of the spheres, which the ancients spoke about. He catches birds for the Queen of the Night - for her dark and sinister purpose, about which he knows nothing. And if we are surprised that this good creature serves the power of evil, it is even more strange for us to see Monostatos, a lustful and cruel black man - a tragic development of what Osmin was in terms of buff V Abduction from the seraglio,- in the service of the solar priest, the priest of the Sun Sarastro. The meaning of this apparent contradiction is that good sometimes serves evil, and evil sometimes serves good, which will become one of the articles of Masonic doctrine during this period and will allow Masons to justify the use of reprehensible means and harmful forces for the triumph of principles that they considered good.

Good forces in the service of evil are the Three Pages, who play a significant role in the development of the entire complex story. Perhaps they personify Faith, Hope and Love, the purpose of which is to unite Animus and Anima, to help them pass tests with dignity. Mozart himself saw them as angels, and Schikaneder enthusiastically joined in this vision; he provided them with wings and made them fly under the stage grates using a mechanism of which he was very proud.

Papageno is Tamino's "double". While the latter dreams of ideal love, of spiritual unity with his beloved, Papageno hopes only that he will “find a little woman” with whom he will give birth to numerous offspring of papagens and papagens. It manifests elementary, easily satisfied instincts. He is the shadow of the prince's body, a sort of Sancho Panza of Don Quixote. Comical in its gourmandity, cowardice, and simplicity; cunning, he continues the favorite comic character of the 18th century Hanswurst, Kasperl. Less subtle in its essence than the Harlequin of the Italian comedy, he is, however, endowed with some of the features of this character, and perhaps both are descended - through a chain of significant mutations - from the Harlequin, or "Hennequin" of medieval legends.

Tamino, who went under the guise of a knight errant to the greaves of Pamina to punish Sarastro, whom he considers an evil man, personifies the human mind, energetic, courageous, inspired by a fiery thirst for power, but unfamiliar with reality and unconsciously mistaken in assessing the purpose of its actions. True, he wins back Pamina, since they are created for each other and he can only be fully realized through their union, but it is necessary that he knows the truth, so that he understands the true essence of the Queen of the Night and Sarastro. Thus, most people act blindly, pushed by false motive forces towards illusory goals, ignoring the consequences of their actions. They allow themselves to be controlled by evil, dark forces that deceive them. To discover the truth, to direct on the right path - this is precisely the mission of the priests of Isis and Osiris, led by Sarastro. A person cannot completely control his soul; he comes to total knowledge by accepting initiation, which only they can give him.

Need to, to Tamino clearly saw, that is, he was aware of the fact that he was deceived by the Queen of the Night; it is necessary that he submit to Sarastro and undergo tests under his guidance, ultimately receiving Pamina as the equivalent of the Sophia of the Gnostics, the highest Science, the Knowledge that gives Masonic initiation. We see how multivalent the characters of the opera and how varied their meaning is depending on the angle from which they are viewed.

The trials facing Tamino and Papageno are those symbolic trials that secret sects organize, and their symbolism is obvious. Keeping a vow of silence, not approaching women, abstaining from eating and drinking - these are the initial stages, which I would call negative, but through which the one who hopes to gain wisdom shows that he knows how to control his instincts, does not allow himself to be carried away by excessive appetite, habits and love for pleasure. Positive tests, the most serious, the most difficult, consist in the duty to boldly meet the greatest dangers associated with fire and water and overcome them. Those seeking initiation will wander in the mountains, where they are haunted by fear at every step. They will go through a labyrinth, which is a symbol of both earthly life with its dangers and life postmortem- after death, having overcome the trials of the afterlife that a person undergoes before achieving the highest bliss. In the Greek sacraments, initiation taught us to understand the meaning of life in this world and allowed us to say goodbye to otherworldly trials forever. “Heroes,” as the initiates were called, through them were introduced to higher knowledge and bliss. A labyrinth that is not explicitly mentioned in the libretto Magic flute- the main symbol of this initiation, and that is why Goethe, who possessed a more sublime and complete" knowledge of the "sacraments" than Mozart and his Freemasonic assistants, introduced this labyrinth into Sequel to The Magic Flute.

To help those hoping for initiation successfully pass the tests, he hands each of them a magical instrument, whose property, of course, will not replace the human qualities that they have to prove the possession of, but will make them stronger and more confident. Tamino is given a flute, Papageno is given bells. Why doesn't the magic extend to Pan's flute, which the Birdcatcher is already playing? Because she is a symbol of a state that I would call superhuman or not fully human: Papageno, an elemental being, looks like goat-footed satyrs; it is necessary for him to achieve complete humanity and, therefore, abandon his, if you like, semi-divine bestiality: let's think about Pan and his cortege of geniuses in the form of half-humans, half-animals - about this obstacle on the path to complete humanization. Papageno keeps Pan's flute, he continues to play it, because it expresses his nature, but the magic is concentrated in the bells, which are created by the hand of a non-elementary person and the ringing of which stems from a certain spirituality.

When Mozart entrusts Tamino with the magic flute, he forgets that in ancient mythology this instrument belongs to the elemental world. In the duel between nature (Marsyas) and reason (Apollo), one is represented by a flute, the other by a lyre. The first was the voice of instincts and passions, the second was spiritually pure. But Mozart's choice of the flute is easy to explain. First of all, he really loves this instrument. The most beautiful pages of his work are perhaps those that he dedicated to the flute. With it, he reaches the heights of earthly beauty, illuminated by the mind, the soul, expressing itself with the most tender and ardent voices of passion. Finally, we are not sufficiently aware of what Pamina herself says in the final dedication scene (Act II, number 21). This text is curious, because from it we learn that Pamina’s father, in an hour of disappointment, in the moment between a strike of lightning and a clap of thunder, a hurricane and a downpour, made this flute “from the most sonorous wood of a thousand-year-old oak.” Who was Pamina's father? It's another mystery Magic flute which we cannot solve. Perhaps he put his magic into this instrument so that at the right moment the flute could serve to save his daughter, like the sword in the German myths revived by Richard Wagner. Pamina’s musical phrase in this recitative is filled with extraordinary solemnity. “Es schnitt in einer Zauberstunde mein Vater sie aus tiefstem Grunde der tausendjahrigen Eiche aus...”- sounds with the mysterious power of a spell. The flute, without a doubt, is a symbol of the virtue of music, the creative power of the artist, a calling from above, a genius, a symbol that allows one to overturn all obstacles in the name of Love, Knowledge, and the Highest Good. That is why wild animals are obedient to the call of the instrument and listen to it with admiration; One of the most moving scenes is the one where all the animals of the forest crowd around Tamino, bewitched by the magic of singing, the image of nature joyfully responding to the voice of music. Later it will not only be lions and monkeys conquered by music, but also the most severe forces - a stream, a volcano, a hurricane, which rage in the final trials. Let's not forget that here Tamino accompanies Pamina, just as Dante accompanied Beatrice in the last canto Divine Comedy, where the gracious action is reconciled with his soul, conquering at that moment all obstacles.

What was the significance of the flute in Masonic symbolism? Mozart's commentators insist that the brass instruments used at lodge meetings, especially trombones, are included in the orchestration The Magic Flute with unusual weight, especially since Mozart did not really like them; he repeatedly expressed his dislike of the pipe. From the very first bars of the overture, the trombones sound emphatically powerful. The Great Choir of Priests (Act II, No. 18) is a real Masonic chorale, where horns, trombones, and trumpets sound in harmony with the bowed ones.

Mozart's own Masonic works, written on the occasion of specific lodge ceremonies, are quite numerous. For example, A small Masonic cantata on the base of the temple(KV 623), the words of which belong to Schikaneder (November 1791), Cantata The Joy of a Freemason in honor of Ignaz von Born, Grand Master of the Lodge True harmony(KV 471) to Petran's text, Masonic funeral music(KV 477) in honor of two deceased “brothers”, Cantata to the Ecumenical Master(KV 619), Cantata on the Universal Spirit(KV 429), a choir called with the song "The Apprentice's Path" (Gessellenreise)(KV 468), choir "Towards the opening of the Masters' Lodge"(KV 483) and chorus “Towards the conclusion of the work of the masters”(KV 484), both accompanied by an organ. Alfred Einstein discovers in these plays a whole chain of extremely curious musical symbols, expressing not only various moments of the Masonic ritual, but also the guiding ideas of the Society; they are also found in Magic flute.

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I always dreamed of creating a national opera that would be performed in German. Shortly before his death, he managed to bring his ideas and ideas into reality - he wrote the opera-fairy tale “The Magic Flute,” which triumphantly completed his entire creative career. The libretto was written by Johann-Emmanuel Schikaneder, based on Wieland's fairy tale Lulu, or The Magic Flute.

Summary of Mozart's opera " magical flute"Read many interesting facts about this work on our page.

Characters		Description
Tamino	tenor	Egyptian prince
Pamina	soprano	daughter of the Queen of the Night, whose beauty smitten Prince Tamino
Papageno	baritone	bird catcher, prince's travel companion
Queen of the Night	soprano	the embodiment of the power and beauty of Darkness
Sarastro	bass	High Priest of Osiris and Isis
Papagena	soprano	Papageno's beloved and his future wife
Monostatos	tenor	Moor, chief of the temple slaves
Fairies of the Queen of the Night, old priest, pages, warriors, speaker

Summary of "The Magic Flute"

The whole action takes place in Egypt, during the reign of Ramses I. Prince Tamino once got lost in a valley and was saved by three fairies, who immediately rushed to tell their mistress the Queen of the Night about him. Immediately the prince is met by another main character of the opera - the birdcatcher Papageno, dressed in feathers.

The fairies suddenly returned and told the young man about a beautiful girl, Pamina, who, according to the Queen of the Night, was kidnapped by the insidious villain Sarastro. Only later does the prince learn that in fact the kidnapper is not a sorcerer at all, but a high priest who captured the girl by the will of the gods so that Tamino would become the protector of the temple, having passed all the tests. Pamina’s beauty captivated the prince and he immediately goes in search of the daughter of the Queen of the Night, besides, she herself promised to give the girl as a wife if Tamino finds her.

The fairies give the heroes a magic flute and bells that will help them cope with evil forces. Thanks to these wonderful gifts, they manage to find the missing girl, who was immediately inflamed with mutual feelings for the prince, and rescue her from captivity. Now the lovers will have to undergo a rite of passage, including difficult tests, to determine whether Tamino and Pamina are worthy of being together and becoming spouses.

Together with the heroes, the birdcatcher Papageno overcomes all difficulties, and as a result finds the desired happiness in the form of his beloved Papagena. As for the couple in love, Tamino and Pamina pass all the tests that the priests prepared for them, not without the help of a magic flute, and also cope with the insidious Queen of the Night, who wants to take revenge on the High Priest Sarastro. The opera ends with the triumph of the priests and the wedding of the lovers.

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Interesting Facts

• "The Magic Flute" was written Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1791. The libretto of the opera was written by Emanuel Schikaneder, a well-rounded man who was a nationally recognized actor, singer and composer.
• Originally titled "Die Sauberflote", the performance is performed in German and is the first opera written outside the operatic canon of the time, which dictated that only Italian should be used.
• Singspiel, the genre in which it is written, is translated as “folk song.”
• Using the money received from the production of The Magic Flute, in 1801 Schikaneder, together with his partner Bartholomeus Zitterbart, opened the theater An der Wien, which later became one of the largest and most extravagant theaters in the world.

• For the libretto of The Magic Flute, Schikaneder used several sources, including stories and tales of Egyptian priests, as well as the events and rituals of the secret Lodge.
• Mozart's opera is commonly known as a Masonic allegory. Both Mozart and Schikaneder were "freemasons" and the symbolism they used is present throughout the opera and is readily apparent. The concept of the opera reflects the ideals of the Age of Enlightenment, belief in freedom, progress, knowledge, and religious freedom, as well as rejection of the church and its abuses. The Queen of the Night represents the church, while Sarastro represents the Enlightenment.

• The Magic Flute was Mozart's last opera, first performed on September 30, 1791 - about 2 months before the author died. The maestro himself conducted the orchestra, while librettist Emanuel Schikaneder sang the role of Papageno.
• Many vocal parts were written by the author for specific singers. These are the roles of the Queen of the Night and Sarastro, which are still considered one of the most difficult in the operatic repertoire. The ranges of these parts require great skill and vocal flexibility of the voice. For less experienced performers, Mozart duplicated their voice melodies in the orchestra.
• The Queen of the Night's aria "Der Hölle Rache kocht" from Act 2 is one of the most famous opera arias. Performing this technically and dramatically difficult aria requires the singer to have a 2-octave range, an agile lyric soprano with enough weight and drama to convey the gravity of the scene.
• Although there is no specific evidence of the success of the first productions, it is known that the public immediately fell in love with the opera, and in the more than 200 years that have passed since its creation, its popularity has only grown. According to Operabase statistics for 2012-2013, the opera is in fourth place in terms of the number of productions.
• In the score of The Magic Flute one can find stylizations and exact quotations of many works by composers of that time in various forms and musical moments. Including earlier ones Bach , Gluck, Clementi.

• The attitude towards the opera's libretto has received the largest number of interpretations of all theatrical plots existing in the world. The opinions of the deepest minds diverged to the opposite, from recognizing the libretto as tasteless, trivial, and uninteresting to the understanding that it contained ideas of “long-past cultures.”
• I.S. Goethe was so impressed by the content that he wanted to write a sequel to The Magic Flute.
• The mystical number 18, sacred to many religious rituals and rites, is played out in the opera many times: many numbers last 18 bars, 18 years of Papageno, Sarastro first appears in scene 18. Twice the square of the number 3 is 18.
• The entire opera is a clear, geometrically verified pyramid. Which involuntarily refers to the ancient philosopher Pythagoras, who is considered the creator of not only geometry, but also music as a science. Having established mathematically precise canons of harmony in music, Pythagoras transferred them to the analysis of all natural phenomena, including the relationships between stars and constellations.
• Many researchers are inclined to believe that the life of Mozart himself was strictly subordinated to the dominant number 8, which, in various variations, accompanied many of the most important events of his life. However, similar mystical connections with this number can be traced among many of the greats of this world - Napoleon, Raphael, Byron. It is believed that many of them came with a specific mission, after completing which they left, by earthly standards too early...

Popular arias from the opera “The Magic Flute”

Papageno's aria “Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja” (I am a bird catcher known to everyone) - listen

Aria of the Queen of the Night “Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen” (The thirst for revenge burns in my chest) - listen

Tamino’s aria “Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön” (Such magical beauty) - listen

Pamina’s aria “Ach, ich fühl’s, es ist verschwunden” (Everything has passed) - listen

Sarastro’s aria “In diesen heil’gen Hallen” (Enmity and revenge are alien to us) - listen

The history of the creation of "The Magic Flute"

In the first summer months of 1791 (year of death) Mozart composed The Magic Flute. The very idea of ​​embodying this mystery belonged to Mozart’s friend and comrade in the Masonic lodge, Emanuel Schikaneder. He also wrote a libretto for it, taking as a basis Wieland’s fairy tale “Lulu” from a collection of fantasy stories, but significantly reworking the plot.

In general, the choice of the fairy-tale genre for this work was not accidental. In those years, Schikaneder was himself an artist and director of his own theater in Wieden near Vienna. The theater was going through difficult times; it was necessary to attract the fading attention of the public with something bright and at the same time massive. Emmanuel conducted, as they would say now, marketing research. It turned out that mystical themes were of great interest to the audience.

The opera is full of secret symbolism. According to one version, the cause of Mozart’s death 2 months after the premiere of “The Magic Flute” could be the revenge of the secret society “Freemasons”, the secrets of whose service are exposed in the opera for everyone to see.

In general, if you compare the two actions, as well as the original source, a lot of inconsistencies and absurdities arise, some characters and their character change dramatically. The beginning of the performance is made in the spirit of an ordinary romantic fairy tale, however, in the second part it takes on a rather religious orientation. It is believed that while the libretto was being written, the premiere of a performance based on the fairy tale “Lulu, or the Magic Flute” took place in one of the theaters. As a result, Schikaneder had no choice but to make some changes. At first it seems that this is an opera-fairy tale that glorifies the victory of good and love over evil and deceit. However, this is not entirely true; The Magic Flute is filled with deep philosophical meaning. Moreover, it clearly shows the hidden symbolism of the secret society, whose ranks included the composer and librettist.

Much of the content cannot be understood by modern listeners, however, Mozart’s contemporaries understood every stroke and detail encrypted in the plot. And upon deeper study it becomes clear that The Magic Flute is... a sharply satirical parody. Many researchers believe that the opera boldly ridicules the very idea of ​​secret initiation into the Masonic lodge.

The fact is that Mozart, for all the apparent lightness and frivolity of his music, was a man of deep philosophical views. Having ridiculed the aristocracy as a class in " The Marriage of Figaro ", essentially questioning the fact of human elitism based on the principle of inheriting a name, in The Magic Flute he went even further.

What the Freemasons presented as secret knowledge for the elite, to which access could only be gained through mystical initiation into a special caste, Mozart devalued and sarcastically ridiculed. At that time, the ideas of the Enlightenment were just emerging, with which the composer was deeply imbued. Knowledge, in his opinion, cannot belong to a limited circle of people. The magician Sarastro, the personification of the sun in the opera, triumphs over darkness, the Queen of the Night, which symbolically means the victory of Knowledge over Ignorance.

Mozart accepted the offer to write music for the opera with great enthusiasm, despite the fact that at that moment he was working on the Requiem and the completion of the opera La Clemenza di Tito. There was less and less time left for The Magic Flute. But already on September 30 the premiere took place. Mozart himself assessed the audience's reaction as "tacit approval", as he wrote to his wife Constanze a few days later. However, real recognition came to the work a few years later, and enthusiasm and interest in it still do not subside.

He no longer saw all this. From October 1791, Mozart's ailments became increasingly severe. At the end of November he fell ill, after which he never got up. Until his death on the night of December 4–5, he worked on “Requiem,” which he did not manage to complete. It is symbolic that the last piece of music for him was “ Requiem " - funeral mass in Catholic worship. The composer died at the age of less than 36 years.

The opera received well-deserved success during its production and subsequent performances. It is known that partly with the proceeds from “ Magic Flute» librettist Emmanuel Schikaneder built a new theater and decorated it with his own sculpture, which depicted him in feathers as the birdcatcher Papageno. A large number of amazingly beautiful numbers were warmly loved by both true connoisseurs of musical art and ordinary listeners. We invite you to watch the opera “The Magic Flute” and appreciate the beautiful Aria of Revenge of the Queen of the Night, Papageno’s aria “I am the most dexterous bird-catcher”, Tamino’s Aria with a portrait and the duet “When a man is a little in love”, which are still in the times V.A. Mozart caused a storm of admiration from the public.

Video: watch the opera “The Magic Flute” by Mozart