Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)
This masterpiece by Mozart is one of my 4 favorite operas. Yet even if I listen to one of the recordings I have owned for many years, I usually skip over the somewhat long recitative sections. The reasons are:
A. I already know the basic content of what’s being said, so I am impatient to get to
B. I want the music to continue!
As such, I found that this new recording creates some conflict for me, and here’s why:
Believing that Emanuel Schickaneder’s text for the opera is equal in Mastery to Mozart’s score, conductor René Jacobs has recorded the complete dialogue. His argument is that in early performances of this opera, the orchestra would have supplied sound effects throughout, and some of the dialogue would have been accompanied by musical improvisation, whether from Tamino’s flute, Papageno’s pipes by the singers on stage, or from a fortepiano in the pit. Mr. Jacobs concludes this based on study of some of Mozart’s letters. For me, however, it adds more content that does not maintain my interest.
The singers on this Zauberflöte recording are Anna-Kristiina Kaapola as the Queen of the Night and Sunhae Im as Papagena. The star is tenor Daniel Behle, whose Tamino is the finest of all the singers.
Here are some videos:
First the “Pa-pa-pa” (Papageno/Papagena Duet)
And next the duet “Tamino mein!” Performed by Topi Lehtipuu & Sophie Karthäuser
Tags: Zauberflöte, magic flute, Mozart, Schikaneder, Daniel Behle