From April 27-30 at the DPAC, Mozart’s famous opera “Die Zauberflöte” (The Magic Flute) is being presented by the Music Department at Notre Dame. Besides the fact that two (!!) HCND writers are in the cast (yours truly and Madelyn Steurer), here are some incentives to come see this opera.
A quick synopsis:
“The Magic Flute” is a whimsical fairy-tale in two acts. The prince Tamino and his sidekick Papageno are sent by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter, Pamina, from the evil wizard Sarastro. However, once they get to his temple, they realize that Sarastro is the good guy, and the Queen is the real villain. Tamino then undergoes several trials to join Sarastro’s brotherhood and to become worthy of marrying Pamina, because the two have fallen madly in love. The Queen is defeated, deus ex machina style, and everyone lives happily ever after.
The opera is called “Die Zauberflöte” because Tamino is presented with a magic flute in Act I to aid him in his quest to save Pamina; he later uses the flute to help overcome the trials in Act II. Also, If you think the plot is totally ridiculous, you are 100% correct! However, it is very entertaining to watch and is set to some of the most gorgeous music ever!
What’s different in Notre Dame’s production:
Because the opera takes place in a magical kingdom, there are a thousand different ways to set the production. Opera Notre Dame has decided on a modernized version, placing Sarastro’s domain in a sunny beach setting. The costumes have been updated to goth, biker-punk, beach-goers, etc. Several props and situations have also been updated to be technologically current. The opera will be sung in the original German with projected English subtitles, but all the spoken dialogue will be in English.
Musical highlights:
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Der Hölle Rache– Also called the “Queen of the Night Aria”, this is one of the hardest arias to perform ever! The Queen sings this piece when she asks Pamina to kill Sarastro, or be disowned forever. It reaches stratospheric heights in the vocal range and requires extreme control and agility. The Queen has another showstopper in Act I, but the Act II aria is more famous and guaranteed to bring the house down.
Operatic soprano Diana Damrau as Queen of the Night
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Dies Bildnis ist…(Tamino’s aria)- This is an iconic tenor aria. Tamino sings (literally) the praises of Pamina after seeing her portrait for the first time; it is love at first sight. Musically, it is exquisite.
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Ach, ich fühl’s– Pamina sings this aria after Tamino refuses to talk to her (he has taken a vow of silence as one of his trials). Believing he doesn’t love her anymore, she feels utterly alone and says only death can console her now– in other words, classic opera. The text is cliche, but the music is memorable.
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Literally anytime Papageno sings ever :) Papageno is an extremely comic and relatable character, especially to the average college student; all he wants out of life is good food, wine, shelter and a girlfriend. His music is often upbeat, endearing, and extremely catchy.
Tickets are $10 for students. For more information, go to http://dpactickets.nd.edu/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=9079.
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