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Overture to "The Magic Flute"

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (arr. Blomhert)


This work bears the designation Opus 620. It is also known under its German title, Ouverture 'Die Zauberflöte' .


General Info

Year: 1791 / 1982
Duration: c. 6:40
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Floricor Editions
Cost: Score and Parts - €35.00


Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II-III
String Bass


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

The first performance of The Magic Flute took place in 1791. The hero of the story, Tamino, is guided by the magic flute through all sorts of dangers toward the light. On his way, he meets Pamina and falls in love with her. Mozart wrote this overture two days before the opera’s premiere.

- Program Note from Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music


In eighteenth-century Europe, noblemen enjoyed musical accompaniment to their meals, parties and other social events. The wind octet (or, as the Viennese termed it, Harmonie) consisting of pairs of oboes, clarinets, horns and bassoons proved the ideal medium, and many aristocrats established their own private Harmonie - even public taverns and other gathering spots would engage the services of a professional wind band. At first, most Harmoniemusik consisted of transcriptions of the popular operas of the day; in fact such transcriptions became big business. In July 1782 Mozart wrote to his father:

"I am up to my eyes in work, but next Sunday I have to arrange my opera (Abduction from the Seraglio) for wind instruments. If I don't, someone will get to it before I do and reap the profits. You have no idea how difficult it is to arrange a work of this kind for wind instruments, so that it suits these instruments and yet loses none of its effect."

Mozart seems never to have completed his transcription: his operas in Harmoniemusik form have reached us through the pens of contemporaneous oboists and clainetists: Georg Triebensee, Johann Nepomuk Wendt and Joseph Heidenreich. Heidenreich was a prolific arranger of operas, and the Wiener Zeitung of January 14, 1792, gives the following announcement:

"Since several music lovers have expressed the wish to own a Harmonie arrangement of the popular opera The Magic Flute, the last work of the great Mozart, the undersigned flatters himself that he will not be giving unwelcome news when he says that the aforesaid opera set for 8 parts will be issued at a subscription price of 6 fl. 40 kr., which lasts until the end of january.... should some music lover prefer, however, to have this opera in six parts, the undersigned will be no less willing to serve a sufficient number of subscribers."

On the whole, Heidenreich's arrangement of the overture was well done, but his solution to the development section (where Mozart's modulations introduced keys beyond the capabilities of the instruments of his time) was simply to cut it out.

The modern adaptation by Bastiaan Blomhert restores the missing development section (there is such a thing as progress), adds a flute (restoring the leading instrumental character - "the magic oboe" just wouldn't be right....), and that reinforces the low voices with a double bass (following the practice recommended by Mozart's friend and leader of the Imperial Harmonie, Anton Stadler.

- Program Notes from University of Maryland Wind Orchestra concert program, 12 July 2015


Awards


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Butler University (Indianapolis, Ind.) Wind Ensemble (Grant King, conductor) – 28 September 2017, 7 pm
  • University of Maryland Wind Orchestra (Michael Votta, Jr., conductor) – 12 July 2015 - WASBE Conference, San Jose, Calif.


Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources


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