“Alles fühlt der Liebe Freuden“ from Die Zauberflöte - W.A. Mozart (1756-1791), Text by Emanuel Schikaneder (1751-1812)

One of the most well-known composer on the program, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born into a music family, with his father, Leopold, being a violinist and well regarded composer, and his older sister, Nannerl, being extraordinarily gifted. Both siblings were regarded as keyboard virtuosos, and Wolfgang became an accomplished violinist as well.

Beginning his composition career at the age of six, Mozart’s career was cut short at the young age of thirty-five. While he lived a relatively comfortable life, he spent a decent amount of his money gambling, paying of lost lawsuits, living an expensive lifestyle. This, coupled with the wars that were plaguing Europe in the mid- to late- 1700s, led to Mozart facing financial difficulties, and he often found respite from these troubles from a fellow Freemason, Michael Puchburg. Mozart’s dedication to the Freemasons was not insignificant, and is often portrayed in his works. The Magic Flute is one of the more popular examples of this imagery, with the number three being prevelant, as well as the high priest Sarastro speculated at being a representation of Ignaz von Born, the leader of the Masonic lodge that Mozart was a member of.

This aria was composed for the character Monostatos. Monostatos is the leader of Sarastro’s slaves, and is generally known as the creepy character in the opera. This particular aria illustrates that point, as Monostatos sings over the sleeping Pamina, fantasizing about kissing her while she’s asleep. Ultimately scared away as the Queen of the Night arrives and performs her signature aria, the scene is nonetheless mean to be relatively disturbing to illustrate the disgusting nature of the character.

Note: the character of Monostatos is a slave and is meant to be portrayed as such. Several of the original translations for the song as well as the character itself ranged from relatively insensitive to downright racist in today’s time, and as such as been altered slightly to ensure the inclusivity of everyone. This is in no way meant to discredit the work, but given how times have changed, was deemed necessary and the most thoughtful way to still sing the aria while remaining sensitive and inclusive to those around me.

Burkholder, J. P. (2019). A history of western music (10th edition). W.W. Norton & Company. Page 534-551.

Opera Grand Rapids. (2018, September 28). Mozart's the magic flute: A Masonic Opera. Opera Grand Rapids. Retrieved April 21, 2022, from https://www.operagr.org/mozarts-the-magic-flute-a-masonic- opera/