The Magic Flute K. 620

The Magic Flute K. 620

Mozart’s seven great operas, his brilliant contribution to musical theater and world culture, are unequalled in their depth of human characterization and musical expression. Here we have the original score of one of the seven great operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): Die Zauberflöte. It remains Mozart's most popular opera worldwide to this day. The libretto was written by Emanuel Schikaneder (1 September 1751 – 21 September 1812). Conducted by Mozart, the opera premiered on September 30th, 1791 in the Freihaustheater (which happened to be built by Schikaneder) just two months before the untimely death of the Austrian genius. The Freihaustheater auf der Wieden was a theatre in the suburbs of Vienna. It was a kind of people’s theatre with a corresponding repertoire and its attraction for the public was due not least to the use of spectacular stage effects. The concept ‘machine-comedy’ refers to the theatrical genre to which “The Magic Flute” owes its origins, and to which the work originally belonged. The opera is a work of fantasy presenting the typical story of a hero and a damsel in distress, but is actually an allegory for the quest for wisdom and enlightenment as presented through symbols of Freemasonry – both Mozart and Schikander were Freemasons. Thankfully, the original score is complete and well-preserved.