The Themes and Motifs in the Magic Flute Song

The Magic Flute is an opera composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It premiered in Vienna in 1791, shortly before the composer's death. The opera tells the story of Prince Tamino, who is on a quest to rescue and win the hand of Princess Pamina. In the opera, there is a famous and enchanting song called "The Magic Flute." This song is performed by the character Papageno, a bird catcher who accompanies Prince Tamino on his journey. Papageno is known for his light-hearted and humorous character, and his song reflects this.

Scene 5. In the council room, the priests celebrate Tamino’s success. Sarastro separates Pamina and Tamino for their final trial.

Tamino is at first rebuffed as he seeks to enter the temples of Reason and Nature, but the speaker of the temple of Wisdom reveals to him that Sarastro is good, not evil. From one of the best known classical composers of his time, The Magic Flute Die Zauberflöte was the last opera completed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart before his untimely death aged 35.

Papageno is known for his light-hearted and humorous character, and his song reflects this. The Magic Flute song is catchy and whimsical, with lively and playful melodies. It features simple and repetitive phrases that are easy to remember and sing along to.

Opera - The Magic Flute

Sir Charles Mackerras conducts this enchanting performance with a superb cast headed by Barry Banks and Rebecca Evans, with Simon Keenlyside’s Papageno and John Tomlinson’s Sarastro.

Mackerras… is perhaps the world’s wisest and most inquiring Mozartian, and here he gets playing of magical transparency from the LPO… bringing a sense of wonder to the music now rarely experienced in the theatre.

The lovely, warm soprano of Rebecca Evans shines as Susanna… she captures the right feeling of sensuality of a woman awaiting her lover on her wedding night…

This may be the finest release yet in Chandos’ Opera in English series: an opera that is singularly appropriate for English-language performance in a recording that is worthy of comparison with most of its German-language predecessors. I enjoyed this ‘Flute’ enormously, in part because of Jeremy Sams’s delightful, witty translation and in part because this is a first-rate performance in almost every way.

Mackerras has long been one of the most discerning of Mozartians. As ever, he chooses lively but never inflexible tempos, encourages light, period style articulation, and never misses a trick with Mozart’s miraculous woodwind colouring. Linguistic purists will turn up their noses. Others will find this ‘Magic Flute’ as magical as any in the catalogue, irrespective of language.

The performance is very good, with some lively singing, both from the soloists and the Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, excellent orchestral playing from the LPO, and above all that sure sense both of overall direction and of an appreciative ear for detail that characterises Sir Charles Mackerras’s conducting (not least in his feeling for appoggiaturas and light ornamentation).

Rebecca Evanss Ilia is all one expects from this lovely soprano, the voice pure, intonation secure and musicianship impeccable…

This set is the best argument I have heard in ages for the Royal Opera to perform Mozart’s great vernacular Singspiel in English. Rebecca Evans (Pamina) and Simon Keenlyside (Papageno), sang in Covent Garden’s recent revival, as did John Graham-Hall (Monostatos), and they are even better here in their own language, particularly in Jeremy Sams’s witty dialogue. Mackerras, who conducted, is perhaps the world’s wisest and most inquiring Mozartian, and here he gets playing of magical transparency from the LPO, highlighting the wind solos and bringing a sense of wonder to the music now rarely experienced in the theatre.

No work seems to me to make better sense in the vernacular than Mozart’s concluding masterpiece… All in all, anyone wanting the work in English need no hesitate to acquire this set, the first-ever version in the vernacular on CD.

Chandos has assembled a superb cast. It is wonderful to have Simon Keenlyside’s incomparable Papageno preserved on disc and clever to bring along Lesley Garrett as a delectable Papagena. Barry banks and Rebecca Evans are ideally matched as Tamino and Pamina, both singing superbly. Elizabeth Vidal is a Queen of the Night who retains her character and is not just a coloratura soprano. Sarastro’s arias are sung with immense authority and richness of tone by John Tomlinson. With Majella Cullagh, Sarah Fox and Diana Montague as an especially well contrasted Three Ladies, John Graham-Hall as Monostatos and Chrisopther Purves as the Speaker (and in two other roles), one could not hope for a finer English-singing cast.

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The music of The Magic Flute closely underscores the drama. Mozart used varied musical styles to depict his characters. Folksy birdcatcher Papageno—a role first played by Schikaneder himself—and his late-appearing sweetheart Papagena (the names derive from the German word for “parrot”) are given unpretentious, folklike melodies. By contrast, the deceptive Queen of the Night is portrayed as an Italianate coloratura indulging in both vocal and emotional histrionics. (The role, written for Mozart’s sister-in-law Josepha Hofer, is famed in opera circles as the highest and perhaps most difficult ever composed, with its light, fast coloratura singing and large intervals between consecutive pitches.) For the young lovers Tamino and Pamina, Mozart composed music that is sweetly romantic yet also harmonically progressive, using at times an unusually chromatic vocal line. Using music to reinforce personality allowed Mozart to create characters that continue to move modern audiences.

The lyrics of the song describe Papageno's desire to find a girlfriend and his longing for love and companionship. The Magic Flute song has become one of the most recognizable and beloved pieces from the opera. It showcases Mozart's skill in composing catchy and memorable melodies that capture the essence of the character and the overall spirit of the opera. "The Magic Flute" is often performed as a standalone piece outside of the opera, and it has been re-arranged and interpreted by numerous musicians and artists over the years. Its joyful and spirited nature has made it a favorite among audiences of all ages. Overall, "The Magic Flute" song is a delightful and enchanting piece of music that captures the whimsy and charm of the opera. Its memorable melodies and playful lyrics have made it a timeless classic in the world of classical music..

Reviews for "The Magic Flute Song: A Lesson of Love and Wisdom"

1. Jessica - 2 stars

I was really excited to watch "The Magic Flute Song" as I had heard great things about it. However, I was thoroughly disappointed. The storyline was confusing and lacked coherence. The characters were dull and lacked depth. The music, which I had expected to be the highlight of the film, was mediocre at best. Overall, I found the whole experience to be quite underwhelming.

2. Andrew - 1 star

"The Magic Flute Song" was a complete waste of time for me. The acting was horrendous, with the actors seeming disinterested and disconnected from their characters. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural. Furthermore, the special effects were poorly executed and looked incredibly fake. I couldn't wait for the movie to be over and I definitely won't be recommending it to anyone.

3. Sarah - 2.5 stars

I had high hopes for "The Magic Flute Song," but it failed to deliver. The pacing was incredibly slow, making it difficult to stay engaged in the story. The visuals were lackluster and failed to create the magical atmosphere that was promised. The costumes and set design were also disappointing, lacking originality and imagination. While the music was decent, it was not enough to salvage the film for me. Overall, I found "The Magic Flute Song" to be a forgettable and lackluster experience.

4. Michael - 1 star

"The Magic Flute Song" was a complete disaster. The plot was convoluted and made little sense. The dialogue was pretentious and overly verbose. The acting was wooden and uninspiring. I couldn't connect with any of the characters and found myself struggling to care about their journey. The whole film felt like a failed attempt at being profound and artistic. I would not recommend wasting your time on this film.

The Magic Flute Song and its Historical Context