This is an utterly stunning aria of vocal power and virtuosity from Mozart’s late opera The Magic Flute.
It’s written for dramatic coloratura soprano and demands huge range and vocal might, as well as colour and agility.
Listen out for vicious long runs and famous staccato notes up to a top F as the mother of the opera’s heroine, Pamina, vents her considerable rage.
Mozart wrote Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) for a suburban theatre in Vienna, the Theater auf der Weiden.
He drew on the magical spectacle and earthy comedy of popular Viennese theatre.
As well as being a comedy, The Magic Flute is an expression of Mozart’s profound spiritual beliefs:
Enlightenment concerns with the search for wisdom and virtue are at the heart of this enchanting tale.
The Magic Flute was an instant success with audiences and Mozart’s supposed rival Salieri described it as an ‘operone’ – a great opera.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magic_Flute
Sources: @ fair use
Music: The Magic Flute – Queen of the Night Aria by Mozart
Performance: © The Royal Opera - Soprano Diana Damrau sings 'Der Hölle Rache', the famous Queen of the Night aria from Mozart's The Magic Flute, with Dorothea Röschmann as Pamina.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Damrau
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_R%C3%B6schmann
The Magic Flute - The Queen Of The Night