Die Zauberflöte (TV 1983)

Director:

Peter Windgassen

Writer:

Emanuel Schikaneder (libretto)

Stars:

Kurt Moll, Francisco Araiza, Jan-Hendrik Rootering

Cast

Credited cast:
Kurt Moll	...	Sarastro
Francisco Araiza	...	Tamino
Jan-Hendrik Rootering	...	Speaker of the Temple
Edita Gruberova	...	Königin der Nacht (Queen of the Night)
Lucia Popp	...	Pamina
Wolfgang Brendel	...	Papageno
Gudrun Sieber	...	Papagena
Norbert Orth	...	Monostatos
Pamela Coburn	...	Erste Dame (First Lady)
Daphne Evangelatos	...	Zweite Dame (Second Lady)
Cornelia Wulkopf	...	Dritte Dame (Third Lady)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Karl Helm	...	2 Geharnischter (Two Armed Men)

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

opera

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Genres:

Drama | Comedy | Fantasy | Music

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Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Also Known As:

The Magic Flute

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bayerische Staatsoper, UNITEL

Technical Specs

Runtime:

160 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Die Zauberflöte (2000)

User Reviews

This is a note to IMDb editors, NOT a review

Note to IMDb editors: Jan-Hendrik Rootering's role is NOT, as you have listed it, "Narrator". He plays a real character, and his character is called "Speaker of the Temple", or just "Speaker", or sometimes, "An Old Priest". He does not narrate and he does not speak (so "Speaker" is misleading in this regard); he SINGS recitatif ("recitatif" means not an aria nor set-piece, but operatically-sung dialog, punctuated with chords and occasional riffs from the orchestra.)

His character is critical to the plot: he is the one who first tells Tamino that Sarastro is a good-guy, not an evil demon. He also tells Tamino that women are not trustworthy, and thereby begins Tamino's conversion to the masculine religion of Sarastro and the Temple of Wisdom. This is key, because the women represent Catholicism, which (according to this opera) mankind must pass through and eventually destroy, in order to achieve enlightenment and become good rationalistic Freemasons like Mozart and Schickenaeder. Sarastro and his Priests represent Freemasons; Freemasons saw themselves as contemporary counterparts to the Egyptians who designed the Pyramids, realizing geometric principles in the real world, thereby making "the Earth into a Heavenly kingdom, and mortals like the gods."

So please, change the cast-list to show that Rootering's character is "Speaker of the Temple of Wisdom" or just "Speaker" or "An Old Priest." Not "Narrator".

Thanks, from me and from other MAGIC FLUTE junkies!