Die Zauberflöte

Opera - by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - The National Theatre

By Prague National Theatre

Mozart wrote his final operatic work, to Emanuel Schikaneder’s libretto, in 1791, several months before his untimely death.

Die Zauberflöte, National Theatre Opera (2014/2015) by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartPrague National Theatre

Mozart wrote his final operatic work, to Emanuel Schikaneder’s libretto, in 1791, several months before his untimely death.

Die Zauberflöte, National Theatre Opera (2014/2015) by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartPrague National Theatre

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s final stage piece, in a production staged by the renowned Czech director Vladimír Morávek, is a spellbinding spectacle providing a remarkable artistic experience.

Richard Samek, Michaela Kapustová

Die Zauberflöte, National Theatre Opera (2014/2015) by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartPrague National Theatre

The magical fairy-tale is replete with imagination, humour, as well as philosophy.

Die Zauberflöte, National Theatre Opera (2014/2015) by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartPrague National Theatre

The characters of Prince Tamino, Princess Pamina, the sage Sarastro – master of the realm of light –, the evil Queen of the Night and, above all, the merry birch-catcher Papageno have enchanted audiences worldwide for more than two centuries, constantly giving rise to the same questions:

Jiří Brückler (Papageno) & Marie Fajtová (Pamina)

Die Zauberflöte, National Theatre Opera (2014/2015) by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartPrague National Theatre

Is Die Zauberflöte a glorification of Masonry?

Jiří Brückler (Papageno), Martin Donutil (Mozart) & Marie Fajtová (Pamina)

Die Zauberflöte, National Theatre Opera (2014/2015) by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartPrague National Theatre

Does it encapsulate Mozart’s credo of Good prevailing over Evil?

Die Zauberflöte, National Theatre Opera (2014/2015) by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartPrague National Theatre

Or is it “merely” a fantasy fairy-tale intended for the audiences of the people’s Theater auf der Wieden, managed by the impresario Emanuel Schikaneder?

Miloš Horák (Papageno)

Die Zauberflöte, National Theatre Opera (2014/2015) by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartPrague National Theatre

Neboť právě on přišel za Mozartem s nápadem na zkomponování Kouzelné flétny, protože dobře věděl, že návštěvníci jeho divadla touží především po hrách plných kouzel…

Martin Donutil (Mozart) & Marie Fajtová (Pamina)

Die Zauberflöte, National Theatre Opera (2014/2015) by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartPrague National Theatre

It was none other than Schikaneder who submitted to Mozart the idea of composing Die Zauberflöte, since he knew that the visitors to his theatre above all longed for plays abounding in magic…

Jana Sibera

Die Zauberflöte, National Theatre Opera (2014/2015) by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartPrague National Theatre

No wonder then that the opera’s ambiguity has led staging teams to various symbolical interpretations.

Die Zauberflöte, National Theatre Opera (2014/2015) by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartPrague National Theatre

At the State Opera, Die Zauberflöte is a magical and mysterious fairy-tale that poetically and concisely expresses Order’s victory over Chaos, as well as the fact that decency and morality are the highest mission of society.

Richard Samek (Tamino), Jan Šťáva (Sarastro)

Die Zauberflöte, National Theatre Opera (2014/2015) by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartPrague National Theatre

The State Opera’s production of Die Zauberflöte, directed by Ladislav Štros, has earned repeated success in Japan too.

Jiří Brückler (Papageno)

Die Zauberflöte, National Theatre Opera (2014/2015) by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartPrague National Theatre

Jiří Brückler (Papageno) & Marie Fajtová (Pamina)

Credits: Story

Libretto: Emanuel Schikaneder
Conductor: Martin Leginus
Stage director: Ladislav Štros
Sets: Vladimír Nývlt
Costumes: Josef Jelínek
Chorus master: Adolf Melichar
Choreography: Otto Šanda
State Opera Orchestra
State Opera Chorus

Premiere: October 20, 1995

The opera is staged in German original version and Czech and English surtitles are used in the performance.
Photo: Oldřich Pernica, Dan Jäger
Approximate running time, including intermission: 2 hours, 35 minutes, one 20-minute intermission.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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