The Magic Flute - Softcover

Gatti, Anne

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0811849740 ISBN 13: 9780811849746

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2005

Synopsis

Enter a magical world of monster serpents, mysterious ladies, and flying machines where giant flowers and butterflies the size of birds abound. It is here amid a lush wood and within a dark labyrinthine castle that an unforgetable cast of characters gathers and a magical story of good versus evil unfolds. Illustrated with the glorious paintings of Peter Malone, this enchanting retelling of Mozart's famous opera is sure to delight all ages.

About this title

Review:

"A beautiful treat for the eyes...and the imagination."

From the Back Cover:

..".it is the evident quiet approbation which best pleases me! It is apparent that this opera is rising rapidly and steadily in estimation."--Mozart, letter to his wife, October 7-8, 1791.
Unfortunately, his tragic death a scant two months later prevented Mozart from ever realizing the full accuracy of this observation, made a few performances after the cool reception given The Magic Flute at its Viennese premiere.
In May 1791, Mozart's friend Emanuel Schikaneder commissioned The Magic Flute. In keeping with the popular level of this theater, Schikaneder himself supplied Mozart with the libretto about the rescue of a good fairy's daughter from a wicked magician by a hero armed with a magic flute. After a good deal of the music was written, the composer and librettist--both Freemasons--grafted Masonic ideals onto the plot, transforming a simple fairy tale into a moralistic allegory and a Singspiel into one of the world's greatest operas.
This handsome, moderately priced volume, reprinted directly form an authoritative edition, will enable musicians, music students, and opera lovers to gain a fuller appreciation of Mozart's mastery of operatic language, orchestral color, and dramatic expression. A helpful feature of this edition is the inclusion of all spoken dialog, usually abbreviated in other editions.

About this edition

• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0811849740
• ISBN 13: 9780811849746
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Malone Peter