The magic flute

by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Paperback, 1980

Status

Available

Publication

London : New York : Calder ; Riverrun, 1980.

Description

With his last opera Mozart created a piece of theatre which defies categorization. In theory it is a Singspiel, a mixture of songs and dialogue, in which the spectacular effects and comedy fit naturally: they appeal today as much as they did when it first opened in a popular Viennese theatre two hundred years ago. Rodney Milnes recalls some of the other pieces playing at the time, such as Kaspar the Bassonist, or The Magic Zither. On the other hand, it belongs to a tradition of Enlightenment texts in which a young prince, destined to be a ruler, learns from his adventures how to behave wisely as a social being. This is a re-working of the Orpheus myth, in the context of the Age of Reason and Freemasonry. David Cairns describes the many beauties of the score in loving detail, taking the reader through the complex plot, to clarify and interpret it. Famous commentaries by Goethe, Berlioz, E.T.A. Hoffmann and G.B. Shaw reveal their enthusiasm for the opera. A useful and unusual feature of this guide is the complete dialogue, in German with an English translation, which is often badly cut in performance. Like so many fairy tales, The Magic Flute repays careful attention: its music has a charm to inspire the child in every listener.Contents: Synopsis; 'Singspiel and Symbolism', Rodney Milnes; 'A Vision of Reconciliation' David Cairns; 'A Public for Mozart's Last Opera' Nicholas John; Die Zauberflöte: Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder and Carl Ludwig Giesecke; The Magic Flute: Lyrics by Michael Geliot, Dialogue by Anthony Besch… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member tripleblessings
A guide to the opera "The Magic Flute" by Mozart, this slim book includes historical background and biographical information about the composer, synopsis of the plot, 3 essays on the opera, a thematic guide, the complete libretto text, and a discography and bibliography. Very useful reference for
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fans of the opera, or first-time opera goers.
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LibraryThing member the.ken.petersen
Opera can come across as an elitist musical form. Performances are expensive to attend and one is expected to dress and behave in a certain fashion. I find this sad. Mozart did not write Die Zauberflote as an excluding, but as an educational opera. This little book helps to de-mystify the work. It
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does not patronise, it explains in a way that even an operatic novice, such as myself, can simply comprehend.

In just 128 pages, this book manages to include a synopsis, a history of performances and a libretto. This is such an aid to the understanding of Mozart's last opera that I cannot begin to express my gratitude. This is a book to read, re-read and have to hand every time that one places the disc on to the record deck, or CD player - and let's be honest, that should be frequently!

The back cover of my copy of this book shows that 39 other operas have been given this wonderful treatment: I shall add as many as I am able to my collection!
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Language

Barcode

10113
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