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Mozart<\/a>‘s opera The Magic Flute<\/em> (or Die Zauberfl\u00f6te<\/em> in the original German) was premiered in Vienna, just two months before the composer’s premature death in 1791. The German libretto was written by Emanuel Schikaneder, the theatre’s director and the very first actor to step into the role of Papageno.<\/b><\/strong><\/p> Those unfamiliar with the opera as a whole should at least recognise its most-famous aria<\/a><\/strong>: in Act II, the Queen of the Night boasts dizzying vocal heights of repeated high Fs that demonstrate the character’s intimidating presence.<\/p> The Magic Flute<\/em> is a Singspiel, meaning it consists of both music and spoken dialogue, though the latter is often omitted in audio recordings. Of the recordings that exist, and there are many to consider, there are several that stand out as consistent fan favourites. From the mid-20th century, traditional recordings by conductors such as Otto Klemperer (EMI, 1964)<\/a><\/strong>, Ferenc Fricsay (Deutsche Grammophon, 1955)<\/a><\/strong> and Karl B\u00f6hm (Deutsche Grammophon, 1964)<\/a><\/strong> are blessed with evergreen popularity. Similarly, recordings from the 1990s by William Christie (Erato, 1990)<\/a><\/strong>, Arnold \u00d6stman (L’Oiseau Lyre, 1993)<\/a><\/strong> and John Eliot Gardiner (Archiv, 1996)<\/a><\/strong> have many Magic Flute<\/em> enthusiasts reaching for them time and time again.<\/p> While each of these older recordings have their merits and remain in demand for good reasons, the list below details the best of the latest recordings, all produced in the 21st century.<\/p> When Prince Tamino is rescued from a monster by three ladies, he is given a picture of Pamina, daughter of the Queen of Night, and instantly falls head over heels for her. Unfortunately, the lady of Tamino’s affection is held captive by a sorcerer named Sarastro with his henchman Monostatos. Armed with the eponymous magic flute and a reluctant companion, the bird-catcher Papageno, Tamino sets off on a rescue mission but soon learns that not everything is as it seems… What follows is several trials to prove Tamino’s worth and to reach a happy ending.<\/p> We named the ‘Queen of the Night’ area from The Magic Flute <\/em>as one of the hardest songs to sing<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p><\/div><\/div> Will Hartmann, Dorothea R\u00f6schmann , Diana Damrau, Franz-Josef Selig, Simon Keenlyside, Ailish Tynan, Adrian Thompson, Thomas Allen; Royal Opera House\/Sir Colin Davis, dir. David McVicar<\/strong>Opus Arte DVD: OA0885D, Blu-ray: OABD7002D<\/em> (2003)<\/strong><\/p> The highlight of this filmed production is the performance by Simon Keenlyside as Papageno. Critic Max Loppert writes: ‘Simon Keenlyside\u2019s Papageno offers none of the vaudeville high jinks traditionally associated with the role: he brings to its comedy a Pierrot lunaire-like poetry, precisely achieved down to the smallest detail. This Papageno arouses both delight and poignant emotions, and his singing is wonderfully strong and true in style.’<\/p> Also noteworthy is Diana Damrau’s ‘sharply intelligent’ interpretation of the Queen of the Night. See her performing the character’s famous aria<\/a><\/strong> below.<\/p> Read our full review of this recording here<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>What is the plot of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute<\/em>?<\/h2>
The best recordings of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute<\/em><\/h2>
Royal Opera House (2008)<\/h3>