The Magic Flute: Act I, Scene 1: Introduction 'Zu Hilfe, zu Hilfe' (Tamino) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act I, Scene 2: No. 2 Aria: 'Der Vogelfanger bin ich ja' (Papageno) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act I, Scene 3: No. 2 Aria: 'He da! - Was da?' (Tamino, Papageno) - Scene 3 (Papageno, Tamino) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act 1, Scene 4: No. 3 Aria: 'Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon' (Tamino) - Scene 5 (Tamino) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act I, Scene 6: No. 4 Recitative And Aria: 'O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn' (Konigin der Nacht) - Scene 7 (Tamino) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act I, Scene 8: No. 5 Quintet: 'Hm! Hm! Hm!' (Papageno, Tamino) - Scene 8 - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act I, Scene 10 - 12: 'He, Sklaven!' - No. 6 Trio: 'Du feines Taubchen nur herein' (Pamina, Tamino) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act I, Scenes 13 & 14: 'Mutter! Mutter! - Wie? - Noch schlagt dies Herz?' (Pamina) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act I: No. 7 Duet: 'Bei Mannern, welche Liebe fuhlen' (Pamina, Papageno) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act I, Scene 15: , No. 8 Finale: 'Zum Ziele fuhrt dich diese Bahn' (Tamino) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act I, Scene 15: Recitativo: 'Die Weisheitslehre dieser Knaben' (Tamino) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act I, Scene 15: Andante: 'Wie stark ist nicht dein Zauberton' (Tamino) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act I, Scene 16: 'Schnelle Fusse, starker Mut' (Pamina, Papageno) - Scene 17 (Pamina, Papageno) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act I, Scene 17: Allegro maestoso 'Es lebe Sarastro!' (Pamina, Papageno) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act I, Scene 18: Larghetto 'Herr, ich bin zwar Verbrecherin' (Pamina, Sarastro) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act I, Scene 19: 'Na, stolzer Jungling; nur hieher!' (Pamina, Tamino) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 1: No. 9 March Of The Priests - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 1: 'Eingeweihte Diener der grossen Gotter Osiris und Isis!' (Sarastro) - William Christie
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 1: No. 10 Aria And Chorus 'O Isis und Osiris' (Sarastro) - William Christie
Track Listings (24) - Disc #2
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 2 & 3: 'Eine schreckliche Nacht!' (Tamino, Papageno) - Scene 3 (Sarastro) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 4: No. 11 Duet: 'Bewahret Euch vor Weibertucken' - Scene 4 (Papageno, Tamino) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 5 & 6: No. 12 Quintet: 'Wie? Wie? Wie?' (Papageno, Tamino) - Scene 6 - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 7: No. 13 Aria: 'Alles fuhlt der Liebe Freuden' - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 8: 'Zurucke! - Ihr Gotter!' (Konigin der Nacht, Pamina) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 8: No. 14 Aria: 'Der Holle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen' (Konigin der Nacht) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 9 - 12: 'Morden soll ich?' (Pamina, Sarastro) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II: No. 15 Aria: 'In diesen heil' gen Hallen' (Sarastro) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 13 - 15: 'Hier seid ihr euch beide allein uberlassen' (Papageno, Tamino) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 16: No. 16 Trio: 'Seid uns zum zweiten Mal willkommen' - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 17 & 18: 'Tamino, wollen wir nicht speisen?' (Papageno, Pamina) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 19: No. 17 Aria: 'Ach ich fuhl's, es ist verschwunden!' (Pamina) - Scene 19 (Papageno) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 20: No. 18 Chorus Of Priests 'O Isis und Osiris' - Scene 21 (Sarastro, Pamina, Tamino) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 22 & 23: No. 19 Trio: 'Soll ich dich Teurer nicht mehr sehn?' (Pamina, Sarastro, Tamino) - Scene 22 (Papageno)- Scene 23 (Papageno) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II: No. 20 Aria 'Ein Madchen oder Weibchen wunscht Papageno sich!' (Papageno) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 24 & 25: 'Da bin ich schon, mein Engel!' - Scene 25 (Papageno) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 26 & 27: No. 21 Finale 'Bald prangt, den Morgen zu verkunden' (Pamina) - Scene 27 (Pamina) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 28: 'Der, welcher wandert diese Strasse voll Beschwerden' - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 28: 'Tamino halt! ich muss dich sehn!' (Pamina, Tamino) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 28: 'Wir wandelten durch Feuersgluten' (Pamina, Tamino) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 29: 'Papagena! Papagena!' (Papageno) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 29: 'Pa- Pa- Pa-' (Papageno) - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 30: 'Nur stille! stille!' - W.A. Mozart
The Magic Flute: Act II, Scene 30: 'Die Strahlen der Sonne vertreiben die Nacht' (Sarastro) - W.A. Mozart
"You are right, Natalie Dessay sings the Queen of the Nights aria a semi-tone lower. In fact, the whole opera is a tone lower. It is recorded on Authentic instruments, which were tuned a semi tone lower in mozarts day than they are now. Therefore almost all pieces recorded on baroque instruments are a semi-tone lower.
I think the recording is masterful. Semi tone lower or not..."
Crystal clear recording and my favorite opera disc
05/23/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This performance is very involving; the period instruments have an unusually warm sound, but retain their clarity. The sopranos do not shriek excessively, as is the case with many larger-scale performances. I never liked opera until I heard performances like this; the singing is sweet, pure, enthusiastic. The sound quality is excellent; warm, detailed, somewhat dry--but it suits this performance perfectly."
The Magic Flute as Mozart would have heard it?
G. Camara | Sao Jose dos Campos, SP Brazil | 11/06/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Coming from a highly successful carrer in Baroque choral music (Rameau, Mondonville, Charpentier, Monteverdi) William Christie and his talented Les Arts Florissants give us what is arguably the most challenging Zauberflote around. We think we know it all: the "Queen of the Night" aria, Tamino & Pamina, Papageno & Papagena... Christie challenges our convictions: why should Mozart sound like Verdi when his background is closer to Bach and Monteverdi? Why should Mozart's chamber and piano music sound so subdued and our modern versions of Zauberflote be sung forte or mezzo-forte? In this recording (as other reviewers have pointed out) all instruments are toned as they would have been in Mozart's time, and the conductor does not force the singers to do bravura arias all the time. The result is a unique recording that will give much satisfaction to all listerners. Even if you own other recordings of Zauberflote, try this one. It will be a pleasant and welcome choc."
A winning, theatrical Zauberflote in period style
Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 07/03/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It's odd that this older period-style Magic Flute sounds so close to Claudio Abbado's new version released just last month. A decade ago, in 1996, William Christie was at the leading edge of authenticity, yet now we have a mainstream conductor adopting the same gesutres: strings playing without vibrato, reduced orchestra, and 'unforced singing,' as Christie calls it. The good news for him is that his recording easily keeps up with the new one in almost every way.
Despite the period flavor, tempos are not rushed--Christie is actually slower than usual in the Queen of the Night's music. He does that to give the excellent Natalie Dessay room for more expression. In general Christie is aiming at a natural theatricality that is neither pompous nor archly fairy tale--just as Abbado does, too. The Tamino of Hans Peter Blochwitz is vocally more beautiful than any on disc since Fritz Wunderlich, though Blochwitz is more lyrical than ardent. His Pamina is unknown to me, the modest, sweet-voiced Rosa Mannion. I'm also unaware of the Papageno, Anton Scharinger, who is genial and lively but with no attempt at humor--Christie clearly didn't want a Papageno who clowns around.
It's in several leading roles that Abbado goes ahead of Christie, because Mannion and Scharinger are unimaginative and sometimes only pleasant. Even Dessay, gifted with such a brilliant technique, doesn't sound threatening or particularly angry as the villainess of the piece. Rene Pape is such a commanding Sarastro for Abbado that Reinhard Hagen, doing a serviceable job, sounds disappointing when he tunrs out to have weak, gravelly low notes.
I've owned period Die Zaubeflotes from Norrington and Gardiner as well, and Christie's is the best of the lot, a vital, engaging, natural account."