“Der Hölle Rache” (Queen of the Night’s Aria), from Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart olfgang Amadeus Mozart’s involve- in Salzburg. He was now at the helm of Wment with opera spanned near- Vienna’s 1,000-seat Freihaus-Theater auf ly all of his short career. From Apollo et der Wieden, where he specialized in pre- Hyacinthus, a Latin intermezzo that senting lighthearted German-language was produced at Salzburg University Singspiels, sometimes to librettos he in 1767, when he was 11, to Die Zauber- had written himself. His resident musical flöte (The Magic Flute), which reached ensemble was substantial, including an the stage at the end of September 1791, orchestra of 35 players and an impressive little more than two months before his troupe of singing actors. death, Mozart completed 19 operas. Schikaneder himself crafted the libret- During his final year, he composed two, La to, drawing on several collections of sto- clemenza di Tito and Die Zauberflöte, both ries and fairy tales popular in Germany of which lay claim to being his last stage and Austria at the time. His audience did work. He finished almost all of Die Zauber- not embrace the new work immediately, flöte during the spring and early summer but — mirroring Mozart’s recent experi- of 1791, but several numbers (including ence with La clemenza di Tito — they soon the Overture) remained to be written when, fell under its charms. Mozart conducted in July, Mozart was invited to compose an only the first two performances and then opera, to Metastasio’s already much-used relinquished the podium to colleagues libretto La clemenza di Tito, for the festivi- who husbanded the Singspiel to huge ties surrounding the coronation in Prague popular acclaim. Finally, Mozart had a of Emperor Leopold II as King of Bohemia. He gladly accepted, plunging into a flurry of IN SHORT composition that continued until the eve of the performance, which took place on Sep- Born: January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria tember 6. La clemenza di Tito enjoyed only Died: December 5, 1791, in Vienna a moderate reception at first, due in large Work composed: Die Zauberflöte, mostly part to some deficiencies in the casting, but between April and July 1791, to a libretto by audiences gradually warmed to it, and its fi- Emanuel Schikaneder nal performance, on September 30, was ac- knowledged as a resounding success. World premiere: September 30, 1791, at Mozart, however, had to enjoy this cliff- Vienna’s Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden; Josepha Hofer (Mozart’s sister-in-law) sang hanger of a triumph from a distance, since he the part of the Queen of the Night. had returned to Vienna two weeks earlier to oversee final preparations for the premiere New York Philharmonic premiere: of Die Zauberflöte. He had recently renewed January 11, 1890, Theodore Thomas, conductor, Clementine de Vere, soprano a friendship with Emanuel Schikaneder, a singer-actor-dancer-manager-playwright Most recent New York Philharmonic who had been bumping up against the performance: July 21, 1952, Alexander Mozart family with some regularity since late Smallens, conductor, Roberta Peters, soprano 1780, when a company he directed appeared Estimated duration: ca. 3 minutes 30 | NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC much-needed hit on his hands. If he had Queen of the Night gives Pamina a dagger, not died little more than two months fol- commands her to kill Sarastro and retrieve lowing the premiere, Die Zauberflöte would the “seven-fold circle of the sun,” a power- doubtless have changed the course of his life. infused totem that Pamina’s father had At heart, Die Zauberflöte is the story of given to Sarastro. Pamina tries to protest, Tamino and Pamina, who fall in love and but the Queen cuts her off. “Hell’s ven- must prove their worthiness through a geance boils in my heart,” she proclaims series of trials before they can embark on in her dazzling aria “Der Hölle Rache.” their life together. The plot, it is said, is an “Death and despair blaze around me!” In allegory for Masonic beliefs and rites. For a bristling display of coloratura filled with listeners not party to that secret informa- agitated rhythms, wide melodic leaps, and tion, the narrative takes an unusual twist. arpeggios that lead repeatedly to strato- The Queen of the Night sends Tamino on spheric F’s, the Queen proclaims her thirst a mission to rescue Pamina (her daugh- for vengeance and threatens to disown ter) from the clutches of Sarastro, who has Pamina if she fails to carry out her grim task. abducted her. But it turns out that Saras- tro is the good guy and that Pamina was Instrumentation: two flutes, two oboes, two deceived in assuming that her mother act- bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, ed in her best interests. In Act Two, the and strings, in addition to the solo soprano. Text and Translation “Der Hölle Rache” (“Hell’s vengeance”), from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen, Hell’s vengeance boils in my heart; Tod und Verzweiflung flammet um Death and despair blaze around me! mich her! For if Sarastro feels not the pain of death Fühlt nicht durch dich Sarastro through thee, Todesschmerzen, Thence shall thou be my daughter So bist du meine Tochter nimmermehr. nevermore. Verstoßen sei auf ewig, Disowned be thee forever, verlassen sei auf ewig, Abandoned be thee forever, zertrümmert sei'n auf ewig Shattered be forever alle Bande der Natur. All the bonds of nature Wenn nicht durch dich Sarastro wird If it is not through thee that Sarastro erblassen! turns pale! Hört, Rachegötter, hört, der Hear ye, gods, of vengeance, hear the Mutter Schwur! mother’s oath! FEBRUARY 2019 | 30A.