Mozart's Singspiel 'The Magic Flute' (or 'Die Zaubeflote')is regarded as one of the greatest operas of the entire repertoire. What makes it a great work of art is Mozart's unique ability to translate his humanistic ideals intomusic of extraordinary beauty and suggestiveness. The original libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder and Carl Ludwig Giesecle was a tale about good and evil in which Sarastro the high priest of an enlightened brotherhood abductsPamina whose mother is the evil Queen of the Night. The Queen sends Prince Tamino to save Pamina. Tamino not only falls in love with Pamina but also accepts Sarastro as the incarnation of truth and goodness. Tamino's counterpartis Papageno the Queen's bird-catcher whose earthiness counterbalances Tamino's idealism. Predictably because of the Magic Flute and Papageno's bells love and goodness triumph Sarastro overcomes the Queen of the Night Taminoand Pamina are united after many trials and Papageno finds Papagena a female version of himself - the principal theme of the whole opera being love.This is the Schirmer edition of the Libretto in the original Germanwith an English translation by Ruth and Thomas Martin.
