The Magic Flute is a type of opera known as a ‘Singspiel’ – in German, quite literally, ‘sing-play’. It is a genre of opera characterised by spoken dialogue, which is alternated with sung ensembles, songs, ballads and arias, often including folk-like material. The plots are often comic or romantic in nature, with elements of magic, fantastical creatures and exaggerated characterisations of good and evil. Mozart wrote other ‘Singspiele’, for example The Abduction from the Seraglio (1782).

The enduring fascination of The Magic Flute lies in its constant juxtaposition of ‘high’ (sophisticated, high art) and ‘low’ (folk influenced) music, according to character types and situations. While the bird-catcher Papageno is often given simple, folk-like material to sing, his high-born companion Tamino has more sophisticated ‘operatic’ music.

The florid arias for the Queen of Night, with their decorative runs and extremes of range, and the sombre instrumental March of the Priests would not be out of place in one of Mozart’s serious operas (‘opera seria’), such as Don Giovanni.

The orchestral forces in the opera are typical of the classical period consisting of two flutes (one doubling piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets (doubling basset horns), two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings.

In this production, and unusually for opera, the orchestra is integrated into the production. The musicians and conductor play from a raised pit onstage so they are more visible to the audience and are able to interact with the singers on stage. This is very different to the usual orchestra pit, where players are traditionally hidden away from the action. As the title suggests, the flute takes a central role in the music representing Prince Tamino. For Papageno’s magic bells, Mozart scored a stromento d’acciaio or keyed glockenspiel. In modern productions this is usually performed on the celeste.

Have a listen to the Queen of the Night aria to listen to what music from The Magic Flute sounds like…