CON OPERA PRESENTS Opera Australia’s production of Saturday 14 October, 6.30pm Tuesday 17 October, 6.30pm Thursday 19 October, 11.30am Saturday 21 October, 2.00pm MUSIC WORKSHOP SYDNEY CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC Sydney Conservatorium of Music Opera School presents DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE This Opera Australia production of The (THE MAGIC FLUTE) Magic Flute is presented in arrangement Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, The University of Sydney. This production Opera in two acts of The Magic Flute was first performed in 2014, and toured 43 regional centres throughout Australia. It is presented by Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder kind arrangement with Opera Australia. Sung in German with English surtitles The Magic Flute is published by Bärenreiter/ Approximately 2 hours, Alkor and supplied by Clear Music Australia, with one interval of 20 minutes their exclusive hire agents for Australia and New Zealand. Original production conceived and directed by Michael Gow Designer Robert Kemp Original Lighting Designer Matt Scott The Magic Flute was commissioned English Translation Michael Gow with for a playhouse in Vienna – an opera Anthony Legge (additional material by for the people, not the wealthy Roger Press) patrons of the Opera House. Mozart conducted the premiere and Sydney Conservatorium of Music felt the opera was an immediate production directed by Roger Press, based success, writing to his wife to say: on the original conception and production “But what always gives me the most of Michael Gow pleasure is the silent approval! You can see how the opera is becoming Music Director Dr Stephen Mould more and more esteemed…” Revival Lighting Designer Peter Rubie Sadly, Mozart died just two months later. Stay tuned with What’s on at the Con by signing up to our eNewsletter here: music.sydney.edu.au/enews 2 Tamino meanwhile encounters the Speaker Synopsis who questions him about his reasons for being in this tomb, overheard by another Act 1 stranger. Tamino tells him he’s here to rescue Tamino, a young explorer, finds himself in a a young woman from an evil man. The Speaker mysterious tomblike maze. A terrible monster tells him that Tamino doesn’t know the true begins stalking him and in his panic to escape, story about Pamina’s kidnap. Tamino is afraid Tamino knocks himself out. At that moment, Pamina might be dead but the mysterious Three Women arrive to send the monster voices tell him she is still alive. back to whatever vault it escaped from. The Speaker and the stranger return with their The Three Women are very taken with Tamino, followers. The stranger is in fact Sarastro, each wanting to stay alone with him while the Pamina’s father and leader of a band of other two go and alert the woman they serve, Philosophers working in the tomb. Monostatos the mysterious Queen of the Night. In the end has caught Tamino, who is shocked to learn all three go, promising to return. the stranger he insulted is the man who stole his beloved from her mother. Monostatos Tamino comes to, not sure where he is or even expects to be rewarded for finding Tamino whether he’s not dreaming. Another bizarre but instead is punished for harassing Pamina. figure appears. It’s Papageno, the former Sarastro tells Tamino he must join the ornithologist now bird catcher who works Philosophers if he wants to be accepted. for the Queen of the Night. Papageno claims to have defeated the monster but the three women return and make it clear they were the ones who rescued Tamino. To stop Papageno Act 2 fibbing they put a stopper in his mouth. Sarastro and the Philosophers convene and agree that Tamino is ready to undergo the They give Tamino a locket with a portrait of three trials that lead to membership of their the Queen of the Night’s daughter Pamina. circle. The first trial is the Trial by Silence. Tamino immediately falls in love with Pamina and vows to rescue her from the terrible man The Three Women appear and warn them that who has kidnapped her. terrible things will happen to them if they join the Philosophers. Papageno is terrified and The Queen of the Night hears his vow and can’t keep quiet. arrives to promise that the moment Pamina is rescued she will become Tamino’s bride. The Spirit Guides appear to tell the two men to be brave in the coming trials. Pamina finds The Three Women give Tamino a magic flute Tamino but he can’t speak to her because to protect him on his mission. They give of the Trial by Silence. She thinks he doesn’t Papageno, who doesn’t really want to help, a love her anymore and is heartbroken. She magic music box to keep him safe. The Three thinks that only death will end her suffering. Women give both men Spirits to guide them Papageno wishes he had someone to feel as on their quest. Tamino and Papageno set off deeply about him. to rescue Pamina. Monostatos finds the unhappy Pamina and Pamina is trying to escape from the maze but decides to make her his, but the Queen of she is caught by Monostatos, the man who is the Night arrives. She is impatient for Tamino assigned to guard her. It’s clear Monostatos is to lead Pamina out of the tomb. When very taken with Pamina. Papageno stumbles in Pamina tells her Tamino will become one of and looks so bizarre Monostatos goes to get the Philosophers, the Queen of the Night help. Papageno tells Pamina that a handsome is enraged. She tells Pamina she must kill young man is in love with her and they must Sarastro or she will no longer be her daughter. go to meet him. They both yearn to have someone to love. 3 Monostatos has overheard and tries to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 Jan 1756, blackmail Pamina but is finally banished by Salzburg – 5 Dec 1791, Vienna) is rightly Sarastro. Pamina challenges her father, and he regarded as one of the most supremely is forced to confront his own feelings gifted of musicians, a child prodigy who grew and beliefs. into a composer and pianist of the highest distinction. His style essentially represents a Tamino is led to the next two trials, The Trial synthesis of many different elements, which by Fire and the Trial by Water by two Priests in coalesced in his Viennese years, from 1781 protective outfits. Pamina cries out in despair, on, into an idiom now regarded as a peak Tamino hears her and they are reunited. of Viennese Classicism. The mature music, Pamina bravely leads Tamino through the distinguished by its melodic beauty, its formal secret doors that lead to the two Trials. Her elegance and its richness of harmony and love and the music of the magic flute protect texture, is deeply coloured by Italian opera them and they survive. They are welcomed though also rooted in Austrian and south into the band of Philosophers. German instrumental traditions. Unlike Haydn, Papageno is overwhelmed by the loneliness his senior by 24 years, and Beethoven, his and thinks of ending his life. But the Spirit junior by 15, he excelled in every medium Guides tell him to use the music box to obtain current in his time. He may thus be regarded what he longs for. He does and finally meets as the most universal composer in the history his perfect partner, Papagena. of Western music. Monostatos is now aiding and abetting the Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) is an Queen of the Night and they are about to example of Singspiel, the form of 18th century blow up the tomb when Sarastro exposes comic opera indigenous to Germany which their plot. But instead of punishing them, included spoken dialogue, although he heeds his own philosophy and humbles in complexity and quality it far exceeded himself before them, asking for forgiveness other examples of the genre. It was for having been so angry towards them. Every premiered in the Theater auf der Wieder in one sings of the joy and harmony that come Vienna on 30 September 1791, mere months from listening to this wisdom. before Mozart’s untimely death. Although it (Kindly reproduced with permission of was not a fashionable venue, audiences were Michael Gow and Opera Australia) good and included all ranks; Salieri attended a performance and complimented Mozart warmly. There were 20 performances in the first month. Soon after Mozart’s death Die Zauberflöte was performed in Prague and in all other centres of German opera (including Warsaw and St Petersburg) before 1798. No major operatic centre was without a production in the 19th century and the popularity of Die Zauberflöte has never waned. (Source Oxford Music Online) 4 enjoyed in the surtitles, which are derived Music Director’s Note from Michael’s text. In presenting Mozart’ s The Magic Flute The Conservatorium and Con Opera are this semester, Con Opera has moved very grateful to both Michael Gow and in a slightly different direction. We Lyndon Terracini, for their generosity in normally invite a director to create a facilitating the loan of this production, brand new production, tailor-made for and we are pleased to be fostering this our students using the resources of the important industry link with our national Conservatorium. This time, we have opera company. sourced an existing production, created I hope that you will enjoy this zany by Michael Gow for Opera Australia, a rendering of Mozart’s masterpiece. production that has toured widely, and been highly acclaimed.