What is the story behind the Queen of the Night aria?

The story comes from an 1840 letter from composer Ignaz von Seyfried, and relates an event from the last night of Mozart’s life—4 December 1791, five weeks into the opera’s initial (very successful) run. According to Seyfried, the dying Mozart whispered the following to his wife Constanze: Quiet, quiet!

What is the role of the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute?

She is first introduced as the desperate mother whose beloved daughter was kidnapped, but it ultimately appears that she is the villain of the story, who wants to steal the powerful Circle of the Sun.

What does the Queen of the Night represent?

So who or what does SHE symbolize? That’s easy. For Mozart, the Queen of the Night represents that segment of his well-meaning Austrian neighbors who were suspicious of Freemasonry; neighbors who now included the Emperor himself, Joseph II.

What is the message of the song The Magic Flute?

It acts, in fact, as a kind of introduction to the secret society. Its story celebrates the main themes of masonry: good vs. evil, enlightenment vs. ignorance, and the virtues of knowledge, justice, wisdom and truth.

Why is Queen of the Night so famous?

Set in a terrifying D minor, this aria is particularly memorable because of its extraordinarily wide and demanding two octave vocal range. Mozart wrote it with his sister-in-law, Josepha Hofer, in mind. Hofer, who was 32 at the time of The Magic Flute’s 1791 premiere, was known for her extraordinary upper register.

What happens to the Queen of the Night at the end of The Magic Flute?

The Queen of the Night states that all her power is gone since her husband died and that she claims the Circle of the Sun for herself, in order to restore her former glory. She then gives a dagger to Pamina and orders her to kill Sarastro, otherwise, she would disown her and curse her for all of eternity.

What are three interesting facts about the Queen of the Night flower?

The flowers of Queen of the Night plants have a strong, sweet-smelling fragrance, and the flowers can be picked at night and brought inside to enjoy their perfume. Queen of the Night plants are commonly grown ornamentally, and they can be manipulated to climb, or can be grown in hanging baskets.

What is the melody of Queen of the Night?

Her aria ‘Der Hölle Rache’, more commonly known as the Queen of the Night aria, reaches an astonishingly high, Mariah Carey-level F6 above top C. It’s an aria reserved only for the most daring sopranos, like Mozart’s sister-in-law Josepha Hofer (the original Queen of the Night) and German opera singer Diana Damrau.

What is the setting of Queen of the Night?

The Queen of the Night is a 576-page historical novel set between about 1865 and 1880, largely in France, including the turbulent years covering the fall of the Second Empire in the Franco-Prussian War, the Commune, and the installation of the Third Republic—dramatic opportunities that Chee uses to full effect.

Who are the main character Queen of the Night?

In The Magic Flute, almost all the main characters (Prince Tamino, Papageno, Sarastro, the Queen of the Night, and Princess Pamina) have little depth to their personalities—except for the Queen.

Who sings the Queen of the Night aria from Mozart’s The Magic Flute?

Soprano Diana Damrau sings ‘Der Hölle Rache’, the famous Queen of the Night aria from Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Mozart wrote Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) for a suburban theatre in Vienna, the Theater auf der Wieden. He drew on the magical spectacle and earthy comedy of popular Viennese theatre.

What is the Queen of the Night aria?

This rage aria is often referred to as the Queen of the Night Aria, although the Queen sings another distinguished aria earlier in the opera, ” O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn “. The German libretto of The Magic Flute was written by Emanuel Schikaneder, who also led the theatre troupe that premiered the work and created the role of Papageno.

What does the Queen of the night do to Sarastro?

It depicts a fit of vengeful rage in which the Queen of the Night places a knife into the hand of her daughter Pamina and exhorts her to assassinate Sarastro, the Queen’s rival, else she will disown and curse Pamina.

Why did Mozart write the Magic Flute?

He drew on the magical spectacle and earthy comedy of popular Viennese theatre. As well as being a comedy, The Magic Flute is an expression of Mozart’s profound spiritual beliefs: Enlightenment concerns with the search for wisdom and virtue are at the heart…