Chapter XLIII: "die Zauberflöte" (3)

[Footnote 59: In the Parisian travesty of the "Zauberflöte" the virtuous shepherd Bochoris sings this song to induce the guard to liberate Pamina, and by this means gradually works up the twelve Moorish slaves and the guard into such a state of comic and exhilarated emotion that they form round him during his song, and execute an exceedingly characteristic pantomimic dance, expressive of curiosity and delight. Then the chorus of the guard falls in, interspersed with Lais' lovely singing, which continues until the chorus sink at his feet in delight. "It is impossible," adds Reichardt, in describing this scene (Vertraute Briefe aus Paris, I., p. 438), "to imagine anything more piquant or perfect. It made such an impression that it had to be repeated, a thing which had never happened there before" (A. M. Z., IV., p. 72). The rearrangement of the music necessitated is described in A. M. Z., IV., Beil. I.]

[Footnote 60: At a performance of the "Zauberflöte" at Godesberg, in June, 1793, a steel keyed instrument was substituted for the bells with good effect (Berl. Mus. Ztg., 1793, p. 151).]

[Footnote 61: Castelli (111. Familienbuch, 1852, p. 119), quoting from the bass-player Seb. Mayer.]

[Footnote 62: "Herr Schikaneder has made it his habit to dabble in all the operas composed for him, altering the keys and sometimes striking out the best-passages and substituting bad ones. Even Mozart had to submit to his criticism in the composition of the 'Zauberflöte,' and underwent not a little annoyance in consequence. For instance, the duet 'Bei Männern' had to be composed five times before it pleased him" (A. M. Z., I., p. 448.)]

[Footnote 63: Berl. Mus. Ztg., 1793, p. 148.]

[Footnote 64: N. Ztschr. fur Mus., XLV., p. 43.]

[Footnote 65: Allg. Wien. Mus. Ztg., 1842, p. 58.]

[Footnote 66: A duet composed by Mozart (625 K.) for Schikaneder's "Stein der Weisen," performed in 1792, is not known.]

[Footnote 67: Cf. Hotho, Vorstudien, p. 79.]

[Footnote 68: Strauss, Lessing's Nathan d. Weise, p. 77.]

[Footnote 69: Beethoven, according to Seyfried (Beethoven's Studien, Anhang, p. 21), declared the "Zauberflöte" to be Mozart's greatest work, for in it he first shows himself as a _German_ composer. Schindler adds (Biogr., II., pp. 164, 322) that he thought so highly of it because it contained every species of song, even to the chorale and the fugue. If we reflect that this praise from Beethoven can only refer to the intellectual power which succeeded in combining the most varied forms into an artistic whole, born of one conception, we shall be convinced how deep was his appreciation of that power.]

[Footnote 70: Berl. Mus. Ztg., 1793, p. 142.]

[Footnote 71: A. M. Z., I., pp. 73, 447.]

[Footnote 72: A. M. Z., II., p. 811.]

[Footnote 73: A. M. ZM V., pp. 778, 794. Zelter, Briefw., I., p. 74.]

[Footnote 74: A. M. Z., III., p. 484. Ztg. fur d. Eleg. Welt, 1801, No. 40, p. 315.]

[Footnote 75: Mozart und Schikaneder, ein theatralisches Gespräch uber die Auffuhrung der Zauberflöte im Stadttheater, in Knittelversen von * *. Wien, 1801 (Ztg. fur d. Eleg. Welt, 1801, No. 41, p. 326). Mozart's Traum nach Anhörung seiner Oper die Zauberflöte im Stadttheater, Jupitern und Schikanedem erzahlt im Olymp in Knittelversen von F. H. von TZ. Wien, 1801.]

[Footnote 76: Treitschke, Orpheus, p. 248. A. M. Z., III., p. 484.]

[Footnote 77: Jupiter, Mozart und Schikaneder nach der ersten Vorstellung der Zauberflöte im neun Theater an der Wien (Wien, 1802).]

[Footnote 78: A. M. Z., XII., p. 1057.]

[Footnote 79: A. M. Z., XIV., p. 558. Treitschke, Orpheus, p. 249.]

[Footnote 80: Reichardt, Vertr. Briefe aus Paris, I., p. 163.]

[Footnote 81: Schneider, Gesch. d. Oper, p. 63.]

[Footnote 82: A. M. Z., XLVI., p. 443. Rellstab, Ges. Schr., XX., p. 379.]

[Footnote 83: Meyer, L. Schroder, II., i, p. 115.]

[Footnote 84: A. M. Z., VII., p. 208.]

[Footnote 85: A. M. Z., I., p. 341.]

[Footnote 86: Treitschke, Orpheus, p. 250.]

[Footnote 87: A. M. Z., XX., p. 839. Cäcilia, VIII., p. 170.]

[Footnote 88: A. M. ZM XIV., p. 239.]

[Footnote 89: A. M. Z., XIV., pp. 593, 804, 864.]

[Footnote 90: A. M. Z., XXXI., p. 820.]

[Footnote 91: A. M. Z., XIV., p. 327.]

[Footnote 92: An attempt at Milan, in 1886, had a doubtful success (A. M. Z., XVIII., pp. 346, 485), and a second in Florence, 1818, was a decided failure (A. M. Z., XXI., p. 42).]

[Footnote 93: Pohl, Mozart u. Haydn in London, p. 147.]

[Footnote 94: Hogarth, Mem. of the Opera, II., p. 193.]

[Footnote 95: A. M. Z., XLII., p. 736; XLIV., p. 610.]

[Footnote 96: A. M. Z., III., p. 335.]

[Footnote 97: A closer analysis by a German musician is to be found in A. M. Z., IV., p. 69.]

[Footnote 98: A. M. Z., IV., p. 47.]

[Footnote 99: Reichardt, Vertr. Briefe aus Paris, I., pp. 162, 457. Solger, Nachgel.Schr., I., p. 69. Engel, Journal de Paris, 1801, No. 346. Schlegel, Europa, II., I., p. 178.]

[Footnote 100: Cramer, Anecd. sur Mozart, p. 18. Cf. Ztg. f. d. eleg. Welt, 1801, No. 101.]

[Footnote 101: Castil-Blaze, L'Acad. Imp. de Mus., II., p. 86.]

[Footnote 102: A. M. Z., XX., p. 858; XXXIII., pp. 82, 142. In the year 1829, the German performance of the "Zauberflöte" was very successful in Paris. (A. M. Z., XXXI., p. 466.)]

[Footnote 103: Niederrhein. Mus. Ztg., 1865, p. 68. Berl. Mus. Ztg., Echo, 1865, p. 73. Henry Blaze de Bury, Revue des Deux Mondes, 1865, LVI., p. 412.]

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MOZART 44

BY DAVID WIDGER