Essay on Mozart and Die Zauberflöte - 1368 Words

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Austrian wunderkind, was an accomplished and magnificently gifted musician. He is attributed with the composition of 22 operas in his 35-year life, but his most successful theatre work was his last. Die Zauberflà ¶te, completed in 1791, was written specifically for the Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna. The theatre housed a troupe of actors led by Emmanuel Schikaneder, a versatile actor and writer who crafted the libretto of Zauberflà ¶te and portrayed Papageno at its premiere. Zauberflà ¶te was written in the singspiel operatic style; the libretto is in the vernacular – German – language, spoken dialogue is interspersed with recitative and aria, and there is a folk-like strophic style in the music. Schikaneder had†¦show more content†¦The rest of the orchestra enters; the high woodwinds take the fugue theme while the lower instruments emphasize each downbeat with familiar chordal movement. The fugue enters the development section and twists through a variety of major and minor tonalities. Mozart delays the recapitulation by inserting three Adagio major chords repeated three times. Now the ‘magic number’ is made blatantly apparent. The second Allegro opens, in Bb this time, and the anticipation build as Mozart introduces dramatic dynamic contrast and contrapuntal texture. The overture ends in its original key, with three pronounced Eb major chords accentuating the triumphant conclusion. The curtain rises on a rocky terrain with a frightened Prince Tamino crying for help (‘Zu Hilfe!). A terrible serpent is pursuing him, and the key of c minor emphasizes his fear. The orchestra lays the scene with descending scales and sudden dynamic changes until the Prince succumbs to his fright and passes out. Three handmaidens of the Queen of the Night slay the serpent and resurrect the key of Eb (‘Triumph!’). As they inspect the fallen Tamino, each maiden develops a love for him and a brief Allegretto in 6/8 time ensues. Mozart shifts to G major for this section, possibly because this key rests a third above Eb major. This forms a quasi-tonal triangle, which began in c minor, ascended a third to Eb major, and rose a third time to G major.Show MoreRelatedMozart Was Born Into A Society Where Nobility Ruled, And1240 Words   |  5 PagesMozart was born into a society where nobility ruled, and the noblemen had the privileges and freedom that came wit h such a title. Consequently, Mozart learned at a young age that to become a sough after musician meant playing to the dignitary’s hand. As a result, Mozart quickly found favor in Vienna and across Europe, which led to many successful Opera Buffas. 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