NEC Opera: Mozart's The Magic Flute

Chorus
Carlos Arcos, Maklyn Baley, Brittany Bryant, Alesandra Collins, Sara Cox, Chenxi Fu,
Megan Hull, Minsun Im, Thai Johnson, Ja Woon Koo, Wanchun Liang, Benjamin Maines, Wenxin Sha,
Olivia Sheehy, Hyungjin Son, Margaret Stone, Mark Tempesta, Alexandra Wiebe, Dong Yun Yoon

NEC Philharmonia

Violin 1                  
Felicitas Schiffner, Evelyn Song, Xiaoqing Yu, Rachel Yi, Thompson Wang, Stella Ju, Isabella Gorman, Natalie Boberg

Violin 2                  
Yulia Watanabe-Price, Kristy Chen, Theresa Katz, Yebin Yoo, Caroline Jesalva, Anatol Toth

Viola                       
Jacqueline Armbruster. Sophia Tseng, Elton Tai, Kwong Man To

Cello                     
Nicholas Tseng, Sarah Tindall, Bennet Huang, Aixin Vicky Cheng

Bass                        
Alyssa Peterson, Christopher Laven

Flute                      
Yechan Min, Mara Riley

Piccolo                    
Mara Riley

Oboe                       
Samuel Rockwood, Sojeong Kim

Clarinet                  
Thomas Acey, Hugo Hyeokwoo Kweon

Bassoon                  
Matthew Heldt, Andrew Flurer

French horn           
Hannah Messenger, Sophie Steger

Trumpet                 
David O’Neill, Dimitri Raimonde

Trombone               
Noah Korenfeld, Puyuan Chen

Bass Trombone      
Roger Dahlin

Timpani                  
Zesen Wei

Piano                      
Sepehr Davallokhoungar

Synopsis

ACT I
Three Ladies in the service of the Queen of the Night save Tamino from a serpent. Papageno, a bird catcher who sells his birds to the Queen, appears. He boasts to Tamino that it was he who killed the creature. The ladies return to punish Papageno for lying and to give Tamino a portrait of the Queen’s daughter, Pamina, who they say has been enslaved by “evil” Sarastro. Tamino vows to rescue her.  The Queen appears to tell Tamino about the tragic loss of her daughter and encourages him to save her. The Ladies give a magic flute to Tamino, magic silver bells to Papageno and appoint three young spirits to guide them on the journey.
       Monostatos, Sarastro’s henchman, enters dragging in Pamina, whom he lusts after. He is frightened away by Papageno who tells Pamina that Tamino loves her and on his way to save her. Meanwhile, led by the Three Spirits to the Temple Palace of Sarastro, Tamino learns from the Speaker that it is the Queen who is evil, not Sarastro. Confused, he tries to figure out the truth. Tamino plays the flute in order to find Pamina and rushes off to follow the sound of Papageno’s pipes. Monostatos and his men recapture Papageno and Pamina but are left helpless when Papageno plays his magic bells. Sarastro punishes Monostatos for his designs on Pamina and promises Pamina that he will eventually set her free. She catches a glimpse of Tamino, who is led into the Temple with Papageno.

-INTERMISSION-

ACT II
Sarastro tells his fellows that Tamino must be initiated and join their brotherhood in order to become their new leader with Pamina. Tamino and Papageno are brought in, as well as Pamina who is told to wish Tamino a final farewell. Tamino and Papageno begin their initiation trials. Monostatos finds the sleeping Pamina and complains that everyone but he is allowed love. He goes to kiss her, but runs off to hide as the Queen of the Night appears. The Queen gives Pamina a dagger and on threat of losing her as a mother, and orders her to murder Sarastro. Monostatos overhears and tries to blackmail Pamina into loving him. Sarastro stops him and sends him away. He consoles her, explaining that he is not interested in vengeance. Tamino and Papageno are told to remain silent, a vow that Papageno struggles to maintain.  A flirtatious old lady appears and gives him a glass of water. When he asks her name, she vanishes.
        The Three Spirits guide Tamino through the rest of his journey and to tell Papageno to be quiet. Tamino remains silent even when Pamina appears. Misunderstanding his vow of silence for coldness, she is heartbroken.  The priests appear to lead Tamino to his last trial. Papageno gives up on joining the brotherhood, preferring to drink wine. The old lady appears again and when he promises to be faithful she reveals herself as the beautiful young Papagena. Immediately she is sent away by the Speaker. Pamina thinking Tamino no longer loves her, is distraught and suicidal. Just as she is about to end her life, the Three Spirits arrive to stop her and tell her that Tamino still loves her. Pamina and Tamino are reunited and face the trials of water and fire together. Papageno looks in vain for Papagena and threatens to hang himself. The Three Spirits remind him that if he uses his magic bells he will find true happiness. When he plays the bells, Papagena appears and the two start making family plans. The Queen of the Night, her three ladies, and Monostatos plan an attack on the temple but are defeated and banished. Sarastro blesses Pamina and Tamino as all join in hailing the triumph of courage, virtue and above all, wisdom.