Free The Faber Pocket Guide to Opera by Rupert Christiansen Page A

pantomime, farce, spoken dialogue and ‘special effect’ scenes with the mystical Masonic philosophy to which Mozart subscribed, and, starting with the three solemn chords which open the Overture, the opera contains many references to the rituals and symbolism of the sect, as well as the contemporary debate among its members over the admission of women.
    It has been suggested that the Queen of the Night represents the reactionary Empress Maria Theresa and Tamino her more enlightened son Josef II, but the plot remains a splendid muddle which defies all attempts to interpret it as a coherent allegory.One theory is that, for some reason, the moral natures of Sarastro and the Queen of the Night were reversed half-way through the writing of the libretto – how else can one explain that it is the evil Queen of the Night who controls the benevolent magic of the flute and the Three Boys, or Sarastro’s employment of a rogue like Monostatos?
    Plot
    Prince Tamino, wandering far from home, is rescued from a monster by Three Ladies, though the comically cowardly birdcatcher Papageno tries to take the credit.Their mistress, the Queen of the Night, asks Tamino to rescue her beautiful daughter Pamina from the clutches of her rival Sarastro.To help him in his quest, Tamino is given a magic flute.Three Boys, also possessed of supernatural powers, show him the way, and he sets off together with Papageno, who is given some magic bells.
    In Sarastro’s domain, Pamina suffers from the lascivious attentions of her guard, the moor Monostatos.Papageno sneaks in and assures her that help is on its way.Meanwhile, Tamino encounters a priest at the gateway to the temple.Tamino questions him, and discovers that Sarastro is far from the wicked tyrant described by the Queen of the Night: in fact, he is the leader of a new order dedicated to the virtues of Wisdom, Reason and Nature.It is the Queen of the Night who is the villain, and Sarastro is only protecting Pamina from her evil intentions.Tamino enters the temple, playing the magic flute.As they run away from Monostatos, Papageno and Pamina are drawn to the sound.Papageno’s magic bells set everyone dancing.Tamino and Pamina fall instantly in love, and are brought before Sarastro.Sarastro orders Monostatos to be punished and invites Tamino and Pamina to submit to the ceremonial trials which precede initiation into his order.
    Tamino and Papageno are taken away in preparation for the trials.They resist the wiles of the Three Ladies, who appear in their cell and attempt to lure them back to the Queen of the Night’s cause.Meanwhile, Pamina is visited by her mother, who commands her to kill Sarastro.Monostatos continues to threaten Pamina, until Sarastro banishes him.
    As part of their trial, Tamino and Papageno are told to keep silent.Papageno, an incorrigible chatterbox, finds the injunction impossible to keep.An old hag appears and claims to be his sweetheart.At first he mocks her, but is thrilled when she is transformed into the lovely Papagena, the mate he has always longed for.As part of his trial, she is then whisked away from him.
    Driven mad by Tamino’s refusal to speak to her, Pamina contemplates suicide.But the Three Boys lead her to Tamino and, with the help of the magic flute, they endure the trial by fire and water together, emerging from it triumphant.Now it is Papageno’s turn to despair: he will hang himself if he cannot have his Papagena.As he is about to fasten the noose, the Three Boys intervene and Papageno is finally united withPapagena.The power of the Queen of the Night is defeated, and Pamina and Tamino are welcomed into Sarastro’s order.
    What to listen for
    A score of extraordinary contrasts, embracing Papageno’s immediately catchy hit-tunes and the solemn dignity of Tamino’s Gluck-influenced dialogue with the old priest who guards the temple entrance.Yet aside from the flamboyantly operatic nature of the music for the Three Ladies and the Queen of the Night, it is