The Magic Flute is Mozart's last opera, written in the year of his death - 1791. The opera is in two acts, in the popular one. It is based on the libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder, a well-known actor, director, playwright, impresario and an extraordinary admirer of Wolfgang Amadeus' talent.
As soon as he became the director of the famous Viennese theater "An der Vin", Schikaneder commissioned the composer to write an opera on his libretto. He chooses the fairy tale "Lulu, or the Magic Flute" from Wieland's book "Jinistan" as the plot. Mozart worked with enthusiasm and passion and managed to finish the opera in September 1791. The premiere was on September 30 at the out-of-town "FreihausTheater". The orchestra is conducted by Mozart; Schikaneder himself plays Papageno, and the Queen of the Night - a role requiring considerable vocal skills - is entrusted to Mozart's daughter-in-law, Josef Hofer. The success of The Magic Flute is huge.
In November 1792, Schikaneder announced the 100th staging of the opera. Mozart himself did not attend this important event, as he died only 2 months after its premiere - on December 5, 1791. Today, the opera is one of the most beloved and most frequently performed works in opera houses around the world.
The most famous parts of the opera are the duet of Papageno and Papagena and the aria of the Queen of the Night for coloratura soprano, which also finds a place in Voyager's Golden Record - a gramophone record placed on board the two spacecraft launched in 1977. Voyager program The record contains recordings of sounds and photos depicting the diversity of life and cultures on Earth.).
