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Book/Printed Material The Magic Flute. Die Zauberflöte

About this Item

Title

  • The Magic Flute.

Other Title

  • Die Zauberflöte

Summary

  • Die Zauberflöte (The magic flute) is among the best known of the 22 operas written by the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756--91). Mozart composed the opera in the spring and summer of 1791, with the exception of the Overture and the March of the Priests at the beginning of Act II. These parts were completed only a few days before the premiere on September 30 of that year. Shown here is Mozart's original manuscript score. During the initial phase of work, Mozart normally wrote only the melody portion and the bass line, as well as several structurally significant figures in the middle range. Only later did he add the remaining instruments, in some cases using a different color of ink. Various colors of ink can be seen on many pages of the score, and the differences between them provide insights into Mozart's process of composition. Mozart's final opera, The Magic Flute was controversial for what it revealed about freemasonry; both the composer and librettist Emanuel Schikaneder were masons. The opera is an allegory concerning the struggle between The Queen of the Night, representing darkness and repression of knowledge, and Sarastro, an enlightened benevolent monarch whose rule is based on wisdom and reason. Tamino and Papageno struggle by trial and error between these opposing forces to find a heaven on Earth and enduring love. The fable is both profound and fantastical, and the work is a staple of opera houses worldwide.

Names

  • Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, 1756-1791 Composer.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 1791.

Headings

  • -  Austria--Vienna
  • -  1791
  • -  Musical scores
  • -  Operas

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  "KV 620; Autograph score"--Note extracted from World Digital Library.
  • -  Original resource extent: Score : 224 pages.
  • -  Original resource at: Berlin State Library - Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.
  • -  Content in German.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021667708

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

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Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, Composer. The Magic Flute. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, 1791] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667708/.

APA citation style:

Mozart, W. A. (1791) The Magic Flute. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667708/.

MLA citation style:

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, Composer. The Magic Flute. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, 1791] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021667708/>.