Part of our MAGIC SIX
in fact there are SIX Operas around the ONE famous opera Magic Flute!
We present each one on a single page (click!)
connecting aspects on ONE meta-web-site:
Johann Mederitsch – Wikipedia composed the 1st Act
Peter von Winter composed the 2nd Act
There was a “competition of theatres” in Vienna between Schikaneder and Marinelli, so Schikaneder threw out many operas which were composed in cooperation with other composers to speed the process. Thus the two acts of this opera Z4 were done by two different composers.
In Z0 there were even more composers among which Mozart was found!
The intention in this opera was also to follow the success of Mozart´s Magic Flute. Schikaneder had already brought “Das Labyrinth” and then did it another time:
Schikaneder choosed Johann Mederitsch, called Gallus (Act 1) and Peter von Winter (Act 2) 1797 with his first sequence for the market: Die Pyramiden von Babylon. [The pyramids of Babylon]
Ellenberger.institute has published the manuscript of the Mozarteum University Salzburg on December 22nd, 2024 after digitalising the manuscript. Though it is lacking some titles of the 1st act it results in a hybrid partition. As soon as there is more material available for the lacking parts or the second act we will integrate it in the publication and any buyer will get the “update” for free.
Es handelt sich, wie bei der Vorlage zur 1791er Zauberflöte (Der Stein der Weisen) um ein Potpourri-Werk, wie es Schikaneder oftmals mit großem Aufwand zu produzieren pflegte.
| Personen: |
| Die Königin von Babylon |
| Artandos |
| Pitagoleus, dessen Freund. |
| Ragunka, Deuterin des Landes. |
| Cremona, ihre vermeinte Tochter. |
| Senides, Oberpriester. |
| Timoneus, Babylonischer Held, Sohn des Senides |
| Saleutos, junger Priester, Sohn des Senides |
| Forte, Haupt der Tygerknechte und Aufseher der Pyramiden. |
| Piana, sein Weib |
| Ischiros. |
| Kakos. |
| Kophos. |
story:
No. 1 Führst du mich wohl gar zur Hölle?
Artandos and Pitagoleus go to medium Ragunka and her daughter Cremona, who see a dark future for both dying after wanting too much from the people after some successes.
No. 2 Ein gutes Kind sagt ohne Scheu Arie the pure spirit Cremona
The simple couple (as Papageno and Papagena in Magic Flute) is named with musical irony: Piana and Forte. Forte explains his naturalistic view of the world:
No. 2a Forte Hat einer nur Philosophie
No.2b Forte Du guter schöner Mond willkommen
The brothers Timoneus and Saleutos go into the temple. Timoneus convinces his brother who is priest to secretly marry him to Cremona.
No. 3 Hier, Bruder, wohnet meine Schöne
No. 4a Terzett Komm Holdeste der Schönen
Piana and Forte bring a matrimonial quarrel in the duetto
No 4b Heute sind es gerade drey Wochen
No. 4c Ha, Verräther, ich verstehe
Finale I
continuation of the terzetto:
Es ist geschehen, wir sind/ihr seid verbunden
Frohlocket, lieben Freunde
Piana und Forte cannot find the key (very symbolc!)
Sagt mir ihr guten Götter
High priest Senides, father of Timoneus and Saleutos:
No. 5c Mein Sohn ruf’ die Herolde her
No. 5d Sendet uns ihr guten Götter
Artandos wants to force Senides to make him enter the temple and meet the queen:
No. 5 e Senides! Weile! Hör mich an!
and threats him: Mein Schwerdt blitzt über deinem Haupt!
but gets spelled and stopped by Senides:
No. 5e+ Der Fluch hat meinen Arm gelähmet
Senides as ritual calls the queen in front of the people to select her groom as future king:
No. 5f Du Landesmutter! Königin!
and the queen does not select Artandos but Timoneus who is already secretly married.
Ragunkainterrupts her:
No. 5g Königin! Hör meine Klagen
and since Forte has found Cremonas veil in the temple it gets public that they have desecrated the temple and have to die.
Forte sees what he has done and reports to his wife Piana:
No. 5h Forte Ach Weib, ich hab was Dummes gemacht
Cremona consolates him – her love is above death. They want to throw her in front of the tigers as food but these are chased away by magic of Cremonas mother Ragunka. The people are celebrating the liberation and the innocence of Cremona.
Artandos and Pitagoleus want revolution to get power. The queen has given them a dagger to kill Timoneus who has confessed her he was not ready to become king.
No. 6 Höret ihr desVolkes Wonne?
New Scene: Cremona finds the temple
Rec. + Arie No. 7 Wo bin ich? Ha, da ist die Pyramide
Ohne Mutter, ohne Gatten, bin ich Arme ganz allein
Also Timoneus thinks he is alone:
No. 8 Cremona! Holdes Mädchen, ach erscheine
Wer die holde Liebe kennet
They meet in the temple together with Ragunka and confess her the secret matrimony. They get surprised and imprisoneed by the queen, Artandos and Pitagoleus to receive the death penalty. But this has to be signed by the high priest Senides who is father of Timoneus and thus in conflict.
Finale II
No. 10 Artandos, Senides, Priester, all
Komm, Oberpriester, wir erwarten dich schon lange
The queen who has lost her desired groom is singing in self-pity:
Rec. Wohin wird die Verzweiflung mich noch bringen?
Arie Hinein im Ruhplatz stiller Schatten!
Again Ragunka saves her daughter and Timoteus by her magic from the flames.
Piana and Forte findeach other again:
Duetto Lieber Mann! Komm, gehen wir weiter
About Artandos it is reported that he has lost his violence reputation and is running through the streets and runnind mad:
Rec. Ist’s möglich! Man schließt mich vom Tempel aus
Arie Wird man meinen Mord entdecken?
Then all are happily reunited and the couple Timoneus and Cremona are allowed to love each other:
Ensemble O liebe Eltern! Theure Kinder!
and the choir resumes with
Fluch drücke ewig seine Erde and
Durch Göttergnade Glück und Heil!
First performance 25. Oktober 1797 Freihaustheater auf der Wieden Wien.
Aufführungen im Ständetheater von Prag 1815-06-23 und 1815-06-27
https://lccn.loc.gov/2010661002
Hamburg : Gedruckt bey Johann Gottfried Müller, 1807.
