Without a doubt one of my favorite moments of the entire opera, and it's before the action begins! I recently had the chance to see Julie Taymor's wonderful production at the Met - What a terrific show!
Factoids:
One of the great tragedies in all of music is the length of Mozart's life, a mere 34 years!
Although his life was short, it was musically fruitful including roughly 41 symphonies and around 20 operas.
- The Magic Flute is a wonderful and complex fairy tale.
- Within the story there are several allusions to freemasonry as both Mozart and librettist Emanuel Shikaneder were freemasons.
- The show is set in Egypt, and as you know the pyramid as a significant masonic icon.
- The number "3" is hugely important.
- Three ladies in waiting, Three boys, Three Trials etc.
- The trials Pamino is asked to endure are intended to be similar to masonic initiation rites.
- Musically, the opening of this overture is meant to sound like the secret knock (3) needed to enter the Viennese lodge.
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