Die Zauberflöte

Opera

Grand opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder
In German with German surtitles

It is perhaps the most famous opera of all time. When the Queen of the Night and Sarastro meet in Mozart's "Magic Flute", when comedy and tragedy, the theater of enlightenment and fairy tale come together, a cosmos as rich as life itself is created. Tamino loves Pamina. Papageno is a cunning bird-catcher, but really wants nothing more than a Papagena. But it's not quite that simple. Pamina has been kidnapped under mysterious circumstances, and it is Papageno of all people who is now supposed to help Tamino free her. On their adventurous journey between day and night, hope and despair, the two must repeatedly put what they thought they knew to the test. Because there are no easy answers to the question of what it means to be human. Musically, too, the "Magic Flute" takes us through an astonishing variety of styles, from simple ditties to the most virtuoso coloratura arias. Mozart's unbridled joy in playing is juxtaposed with depth and seriousness, giving each character their unmistakable profile. Director Cordula Däuper (including "Albert Herring", "Dido and Aeneas", "Comedian Harmonists") will follow these traces and create an opera evening for the opening of the Mannheim Summer 2026 that celebrates the joy of theater and at the same time questions us about our own longings and desires.