In cinemas: The Magic Flute
In cinemas: The Magic Flute
In cinemas: The Magic Flute
Watch Mozart's enchanting quest for love and wisdom in cinemas from Tuesday 21 April 2026.
Mozart’s fantastical opera glitters in David McVicar’s enchanting production, conducted by French conductor Marie Jacquot in her Covent Garden debut, and Finnegan Downie Dear. In cinemas from Tuesday 21 April 2026.
Mozart’s fantastical opera glitters in David McVicar’s enchanting production, conducted by French conductor Marie Jacquot in her Covent Garden debut, and Finnegan Downie Dear. In cinemas from Tuesday 21 April 2026.
Story
Prince Tamino promises the Queen of the Night that he will rescue her daughter Pamina from the enchanter Sarastro. He begins his quest, accompanied by the bird-catcher Papageno – but all is not as it seems…
Tamino and Papageno discover Sarastro is a wise and kind leader. They undergo three ordeals. By the end they are united with their true loves: Tamino with Pamina, and Papageno with his Papagena.
Background
A fantastical opera for all the family
Princess Pamina has been captured. Her mother, the Queen of the Night, tasks the young Prince Tamino with her daughter’s rescue. But when Tamino and his friendly sidekick, Papageno, embark on their adventure, they soon learn that when it comes to the quest for love, nothing is as it really seems. Guided by a magic flute, they encounter monsters, villains, and a mysterious brotherhood of men – but help, it turns out, comes when you least expect it.
With the Queen of the Night’s showstopping arias, an Overture that fizzes with energy, Papageno’s catchy tunes and sublime melodies for Pamina and Tamino, the music of The Magic Flute leaves no heart uncharmed. Two starry casts include Julia Bullock and Lucy Crowe as Pamina, Amitai Pati and Mingjie Lei as Tamino, Huw Montague Rendall as Papageno, Kathryn Lewek and Annie Fassea as the Queen of the Night and Soloman Howard and Timo Riihonen as Sarastro, led by French conductor Marie Jacquot in her Covent Garden debut, and Finnegan Downie Dear.
Performance history
The Magic Flute was Mozart’s last opera before his untimely death at the age of 35. The premiere took place on September 30, 1791, not in a royal theatre, but the popular Vienna Theater auf der Wieden. The actor Emanuel Schikaneder wrote the libretto and played the role of Papageno. It was a huge success from the outset – although some of Mozart’s masonic colleagues were offended by the opera’s references to their customs: a closely guarded secret.
A viral hit
Mozart’s The Magic Flute features ‘Der Hölle Rache’ (‘The wrath of hell’) - the famous aria sung by the Queen of the Night to her daughter, Pamina. Do not be fooled by the major key: this is an aria that smoulders with fury, as the Queen threatens to disown her daughter if she refuses to kill her enemy, Sarastro. The aria is a masterclass in coloratura singing (fast-moving notes and virtuoso technique) reaching the stratospheric heights of F6. That’s three and a half octaves above middle C! Soprano Diana Damrau’s performance of the aria has racked up over 65 million views on our YouTube channel.
Cast and Creatives
Creatives
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