THE MAGIC FLUTE

A co production of the Niš National Theater and Niš Symphony Orchestra under the patronage of the City of Niš

An Opera in 2 Acts

Libretto: Emanuel Schikaneder

First performance: 30 September 1791

About the composer

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Salzburg, January 27, 1756 – Vienna, December 5, 1791) was an Austrian composer and pianist, one of the most important and influential classical music composers in the world.

Mozart’s work of over six hundred works covers almost all genres of his time, including symphonies, concertos, chamber music, piano music, opera and choral compositions.

Even in his earliest childhood, he showed an exceptional talent for music and was known as a “child prodigy”. As a five-year-old, he played the harpsichord excellently, and as a six-year-old, with the help of his father, he wrote down his first composition. Even then, he became widely famous and performed as a pianist at the most prestigious royal courts in Europe.

When he turned seventeen, he got a job as a court musician in Salzburg. However, he grew up restless and dissatisfied, often traveling in search of a better position, but always actively composing. During a visit to Vienna in 1781, after being dismissed from the court, he decided to settle in this city, where he later gained fame.

Having started composing still in the spirit of pastoral and Italian fashion opera, he only in his later works came somewhat closer to the musical characteristics of romance, so that in his last opera, The Magic Flute, completed a few months before his death, he created a synthetic work of the epoch, composed of elements of folk music plays and great heroic operas, imbued with reflections of literary and political aspirations.

Although he died very young, he left 626 completed and 109 unfinished compositions to mankind. His works became famous immediately after his death, and he was soon included among the most performed composers in the world. The key value of his artistic legacy is certainly represented by his opera creation, which includes an opus of 21 opera works.

Act 1

Prince Tamino is in great trouble: he is being chased by a huge snake, and his forces are betraying him. At the last moment, three miraculous girls arrive, who save him by killing the monster; they are emissaries of the Queen of the Night. They bicker for a moment about who will be left alone with the handsome guy, but they all three agree to go anyway. In front of Tamino, who has just recovered from unconsciousness, appears a strange bird hunter, Papageno, carrying a pan flute. Papageno introduces us to the world of his obsessions – his greatest desire is to finally find a wife for himself, and he survives by catching birds for the Queen of the Night and her maids, in order to receive food and drink in return. Tamino thinks that the snake was killed by Papageno, and Papageno reluctantly accepts the idea and starts boasting that he strangled it with his bare hands; his eulogy is interrupted by the same girls, who now give him a stone instead of bread, water instead of wine and a lock on his mouth as a “reward” for his services, so that he would no longer appropriate glory for other people’s deeds.
Pamina is shown a picture of a young and beautiful girl, with whom he immediately falls in love. The Queen of the Night herself is coming; she reveals that it is her daughter Pamina, who has been captured by the evil Sarastro. If Tamino frees her, he will have her hand. For this task, to which he gladly agrees, he receives a magical flute, which heals cold hearts; Papageno removes the padlock, and orders him to follow Tamino. He gets magic bells. Three boys will show them the way.

In Sarastro’s palace we see Pamina, possessed by the grotesque Monostatos. Papageno comes to her, to inform her ̶ her mother sent the knight Tamino to save her. The two sing a duet together about longing for love.

During that time, Tamino found himself in front of the entrance to the temple, to which three gates lead: Nature, Reason and Wisdom. He cannot open the first two, but behind the third he finds a Priest, who assures him that Sarastro is actually a noble ruler. Tamino will try to summon Papageno and Pamina with his flute; wild beasts approach him, which the sound of the flute has mesmerized and tamed. On the other hand, Papageno and Pamina try to find Tamino by the sound they hear; barely with the help of magic bells they free themselves from Monostatos and his guard, who are on their heels. Sarastro and his retinue arrive solemnly; the confused Papageno will instruct Pamina that he must tell the ruler the truth, even if it is not pleasant, and there will be the first meeting between Tamino and Pamina, who immediately recognize each other and fall into each other’s arms. However, her freedom and their love cannot be realized just like that. They are separated, and Tamino and Papageno go to the Temple of Temptation.

Act II

The priests, led by Sarastro, declare that Pamina cannot be returned to her mother (who is the cause and embodiment of superstition and superstition among the people); instead Tamino will undergo trials to prove his maturity, wisdom and sacrifice, and as a crown and reward he will receive her hand. Sarastro prays to the gods Osiris and Isis to protect the novices on their journey.

At the entrance to the temple, Tamino and Papageno have one last chance to give up; Tamino is determined to persevere, and Papageno says that he has no desire to fight for or because of wisdom. The priest lures him in with the story that, in case he persists, there may be a woman just right for him, Papageno.

The first test of their self-control is before the women: Tamino and Papageno must not speak a word to them, however much they wish; those three pretty girls in the Queen’s service appear, but fail to get anything out of them (though Tamino constantly has to quietly admonish Papageno to curb his chatter).

Meanwhile, in the garden, Pamina has fallen asleep, and Monostatos eagerly prepares to kiss her. He is stopped by her mother who suddenly appears. As Monostatos retreats to cover and watches what is happening, the Queen of the Night sings her famous aria, one of the most difficult soprano trials ever (Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen ̶ Hell’s revenge boils in my heart). She actually shows her true colors to her daughter, giving her a dagger to use to kill Sarastro. After she leaves, Monostatos returns and starts blackmailing a frustrated Pamina with the secret he just found out by eavesdropping. However, Sarastro comes by and comforts her.

Tamino is very strong-willed and remains mute even when Pamina comes to him; it breaks her heart because she thinks it’s a sign that he doesn’t love her anymore. On the other hand, Papageno sings of his longing for a young and beautiful woman; an ugly old woman appears and declares herself to be his wife, but she soon transforms into the young and beautiful Papageno. However, she disappears and Papageno is left alone again.

Three boys find Pamina trying to kill herself; prevent her from doing so, assuring her that she has a reason to live; they take her to Tamino. And he is nearing the end of his journey; he was allowed to meet Pamina, but this time he was released from his vow of silence. Together they have to cross the finish line and complete the final task ̶ to walk through fire and water (literally), and they do it with the help of a magic flute.

Papageno, who did not withstand all the temptations, wants to kill himself because he did not succeed in winning Papageno. He is also comforted by three boys, reminding him of the trump card he forgot – magic bells. The sound of the bell summons the Papageno, and the happy couple at first cannot believe their eyes (there is perhaps the most charming duet from this opera, which begins with a stammer: “Pa… pa… pa…” and ends with planning how many new Papagenos and Papagenas will come into the world).

The ending is represented by the attack of the Queen of the Night and the traitor Monostatos on the temple and their final defeat. Sarastro and the priests in the chorus bless the happy couple and sing a triumphant ode to courage, virtue and wisdom.

We would like to thank the Student Cultural Center in Niš and the Niš Cultural Center for their technical support.