The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue.
During World War I, in an unnamed country, a soldier named Tamino is sent by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter Pamina from the clutches of the supposedly evil Sarastro. But all is not as it seems.
Copyright. A BoMoJo Production for Deben Radio CIC
Andrea Chenier (1896) is a fiery verisimo work very loosely based on the life and writings of a French poet who was guillotined during the French Revolution. The opera excitingly depicts the excesses of the French aristocracy, the idealism of the revolutionaries in their dreams of freedom, equality, and brotherhood, and the excesses of blood lust that ended the Revolution.
The main character Florestan found himself locked in an unfathomable underground cell, without holding any blame. He had once denounced the illegalities of the governor and, as a result, latter took revenge by condemning him to death by starvation. Leonora, Florestan’s wife, finding out about her husband’s tragic fate, dresses up as a man, names herself Fidelio, goes under the service of Rocco, the guardian of the fortress. She decides to see her husband and save him.
Don Pizzarro, the criminal governor, learns that the news of his ill doings reached even Seville and that Minister don Ferdinando, Folrestan’s friend, whom he thought dead was personally coming to investigate Pizzarro’s activity. He gives order to the guardian of the fortress, Rocco, to kill Florestan, but he refuses, so he decides to murder the prisoner himself. Rocco and Fidelio leave together to dig the prisoner’s grave. Leonora does not recognize Florestan in the dark, where he was wearily sleeping.
Only after he awakes she recognizes her husband. Going after them in the underground dungeon, Pizzarro wants to kill Florestan but Leonora comes between them and says: “Kill the wife first!” Pizzarro’s is stricken with awe and misses his chance. The sound of the bugle makes its way into the dungeon announcing the arrival of the Minister. In the city square, where a large crowd had gathered in the meantime, the Minister recognizes Florestan and immediately becomes aware of Pizzarro’s ill doings.
