Mozart - The Magic Flute

Mozart - The Magic Flute

‘The Magic Flute’ is one of Mozart’s best-loved works. This upbeat opera tells the tale of Prince Tamino, who, on orders of the Queen of the Night, needs to save Princess Pamina from Sarastro. Pamina is a stunning beauty, and Tamino falls in love with her portrait the second he sets eyes on it. On his quest, Tamino is aided by bird-catcher Papageno, who is on the look-out for a woman to spend his days with. Yet nothing is what it seems: Sarastro turns out to be the ruler of the Temple of Wisdom rather than a villain; he’s protecting Pamina from the bad influence of the Queen of the Night. Tamino is set three trials to prove he’s worthy of marriage to Pamina and of succeeding Sarastro: trials of silence, fire, and water. Aided by the ‘Magic Flute’, he succeeds. Papageno experiences similar success: he finds his woman in Papagena. The Queen of the Night, however, feels betrayed: angered, she picks a fight with Sarastro. A well-timed earthquake throws her and her train off balance into a gorge. The opera ends with the victory of light over darkness. This production was recorded in 2006 at the Opernfestspiele in St. Margarethen. The orchestra is conducted by Koen Schoots and main soloists are Heinz Holecek, Janusz Monarcha, Isabelle Razawi, Julia Koci, Michael Kurz, Thomas Weinhappel and Elisabeth Ofenböck.