Die Zauberflöte Fact 1:
Mozart's last opera, Die Zauberflöte premiered on September 30, 1791 - roughly three months before Mozart died. Mozart himself conducted the orchestra, while the librettist, Emanuel Schikaneder, sang the role of Papageno.
Die Zauberflöte Fact 2:
Mozart's opera is widely known as a Masonic allegory. Mozart, as well as the librettist, was a Freemason. Throughout the opera, the symbolism is easily apparent, especially during the trials in the Temple of Wisdom.
Die Zauberflöte Fact 3:
When Mozart wrote this opera, many of the vocal passages were written specifically for the singers that would premier his work. Mozart accomodated the less experienced performers by doubling their parts in the orchestra.
Die Zauberflöte Fact 4:
The Queen of the Night's aria, "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" is one of the most well-known opera aria's of all time. Taking place in the second act, this difficult aria demands a two range octave and and a lyric soprano voice dramatic enough to convey the emotional brevity of the scene. Read the English translation of "Der Hölle Rache."
Die Zauberflöte Fact 5:
When Emanuel Schikanede wrote the libretto for The Magic Flute, he borrowed from a handful of sources including Jean Terrason’s Sethos, Yvain, Abbé, On the Mysteries of the Egyptians, as well as fairy tales from the Dschinnistan. He also drew upon his own experiences as a Freemason.
