Have you heard of a composer called Mozart? In this activity, you will learn about the life of the composer and meet some of the characters from the last opera he ever wrote called The Magic Flute. One of them might ask you to make a bird for him to catch!
Who was Mozart?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the most famous western classical music composers of all time. He started writing music when he was very young and wrote so many pieces, including 21 operas!
Watch this video to learn more about his life and the music he composed.
The story
Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute was originally written in German and includes singing and speaking (a bit like a musical). The story opens in the middle of the action. Tamino, a prince lost in a foreign land, is being pursued by an enormous monster.
He is rescued by three mysterious ladies, who kill the monster and give Tamino a picture of Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night, with whom he falls instantly in love.
They tell him that Pamina has been captured by the powerful and evil Sarastro, and Tamino vows to rescue her. With the gift of a magic flute and some magic bells, and the assistance of the bird-catcher Papageno, Tamino sets off on his quest…
Richard Pinkstone in The Mini Magic Flute © Mark McNulty
Meet some of the characters
Tamino
Tamino is the prince who sets on the quest to rescue Pamina.
You can listen to him sing as he plays his magic flute to help find his way to Pamina. Around him, animals start to appear and dance to his music…
The Queen of the Night
As the story unfolds, the Queen of the Night turns out not to be as nice as Tamino first thought.
In this scene, she is very angry at Pamina’s father and gives her daughter a dagger, ordering her to kill him.
Papageno
Papageno is a bird-catcher. He dresses as a bird to approach them.
In the opera, he introduces himself with this song…
Activity: Can you make Papageno a bird?
Some of you might be coming to see our Magic Flute inspired Whistle Stop Opera soon.
In this version of the story, all the birds and animals of the kingdom have vanished… Papageno keeps calling the birds with his pipes but they don’t answer! Could you help him?
Watch this video and make a bird for Papageno to catch and don’t forget to bring your bird with you to the performance.
You can also share your creation with us on social media using #ONLittleSchool.
Whistle Stop Opera: The Magic Flute
Would you like to experience The Magic Flute yourself?
Join a cast of three professional opera singers and an accordionist on a new whistle stop adventure Whistle Stop Opera: The Magic Flute this summer, inspired by Mozart’s popular work The Magic Flute. Suitable for all the family, this performance is sure to get everyone hooked on opera!
John Savournin and Charlotte Trepess in The Mini Magic Flute © Mark McNulty
