Guides

Die Zauberflöte: the story in five minutes Mozart's Die Zauberflöte explained in five minutes: the plot of both acts, the 1791 premiere in Vienna, and why this fairy tale still works. Read the guide → The roles of Die Zauberflöte, from Papageno to the Queen of the Night Every main role in Die Zauberflöte, from Papageno to the Queen of the Night: voice types, first singers and one memorable fact for each. Read the guide → Seeing Die Zauberflöte for the first time: a short guide Seeing Die Zauberflöte for the first time: how long it lasts, what to listen for, whether to bring children and how to pick a performance. Read the guide → Die Zauberflöte in 1791: how the most played German opera was born How Mozart and Schikaneder launched Die Zauberflöte at Vienna's Theater auf der Wieden in 1791, and how it became the most played German opera. Read the guide → Der Hölle Rache: why the Queen of the Night aria is opera's Everest Four high Fs, razor staccato, under three minutes: why Der Hölle Rache remains opera's ultimate test, from Josepha Hofer to the Voyager probes. Read the guide → Die Zauberflöte on record: seven recordings worth your ears From Beecham in 1937 to René Jacobs, seven recordings that tell the story of Die Zauberflöte on disc, and what makes each one worth hearing. Read the guide → Papageno: the birdcatcher who steals every show Schikaneder wrote the birdcatcher for himself and stole the show. Why Papageno, not Tamino, is the heart of Die Zauberflöte. Read the guide →

Images: Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Data: open sources (opera houses, ticketing platforms, Wikidata). Part of the worldwide Die Zauberflöte map.