| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart operas |
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• Die Entführung aus dem Serail (1782) • Le nozze di Figaro (1786) • Don Giovanni (1787) • Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti (1790) • La clemenza di Tito (1791) • The Magic Flute (1791) |
“The Magic Flute” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ♡
Die Zauberflöte, La Flûte enchantée, Волшебная флейта
Read The Magic Flute with the original libretto and a clear English translation presented side by side.
See on Amazon – $11.99 → 📄 Preview sample (PDF)Premiere / date of written: 30 September 1791
The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte) is a two-act opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. Combining fairy tale, comedy, and Enlightenment symbolism, it became one of Mozart’s final and most beloved works.
The opera premiered in Vienna on 30 September 1791 at the Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden. Mozart conducted the orchestra, Schikaneder performed Papageno, and the Queen of the Night was sung by Josepha Hofer, Mozart’s sister-in-law.
Set in a fantastical Egypt-inspired world of temples, magic instruments, and secret brotherhoods, the opera follows Prince Tamino and Papageno on a journey of wisdom, love, and initiation. Beneath its comic and fairy-tale surface, the work reflects ideas associated with the Enlightenment and Freemasonry, including reason, truth, and moral purification.
Musically, The Magic Flute ranges from simple folk-like songs to brilliant coloratura writing, including the Queen of the Night’s famous aria “Der Hölle Rache.” As a German Singspiel, the opera combines spoken dialogue with musical numbers, helping make it one of the most popular and frequently performed operas in the world.
Libretti
German–English side-by-side translation
| # | Language | Authors |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
German
  |
Emanuel Schikaneder |
| 2 |
English
|
|
| 3 | French | Arlette de Grouchy |
original libretto
side-by-side of the original libretto
History
- 1791 September 30 — Premiere of Mozart’s opera *Die Zauberflöte* (The Magic Flute) in Vienna at the Theater auf der Wieden.
- 1900 March 30 — Mozart’s "Die Zauberflöte" was first performed at the Metropolitan Opera (New York), sung in Italian.
- 1970 January 19 — Soprano Judith Blegen made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Papagena in Mozart’s "The Magic Flute."
Printed Editions
| Year | Edition | Publisher | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | The Magic Flute / Die Zauberflöte: Opera Libretto with German–English Translation | DM’s Opera Series |
|
Audio recordings
| Year | Cast | Conductor, Opera chorus and orchestra |
Label, Comment |
Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964
|
Nicolai Gedda Gundula Janowitz Gottlob Frick Lucia Popp Walter Berry Ruth-Margret Pütz Cast also includes: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Christa Ludwig |
Otto Klemperer Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus |
EMI Great Recordings of the Century 5673852 |
$13.94 |
External links