Overture to Die Zauberflte, K.

620 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died at age 35 on December 5th, 1791, just two months after conducting the premiere of his penultimate opera, Die Zauberflte (The Magic Flute). The Magic Flute reached its 100th performance less than one year after Mozarts death. The Overture was the last part of The Magic Flute to be composed: its completion a mere two days before the premiere. Mozart had recently joined Freemasonry a professional fraternal brotherhood which centers on a beautiful system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols. Freemasons emphasize the eternal human tendency for perfection and believe in three core principles: brotherly love, relief (charity), and truth (moral standards). The plot of The Magic Flute reflects these ideals. Emanuel Schikaneder (librettist) was also a Freemason, leading some to refer to the opera as a masonic opera. Mozart scholar Alfred Einstein believed that Mozart had compressed the struggle and victory of mankind into this Overture which, despite its heavy symbolism and spirituality, maintains the lighthearted charm, clarity, and grace of Mozarts classicism. Consistent with Overtures of the Classical-era, Mozart does not summarize the action of the opera or quote motives of its characters. Instead, it is a series of symbols representing the distillation of the works noble spirit (Freed). The Overture opens with three chords. Three is a significant number in Freemasonry. Not coincidentally, Mozart chooses E-Major: a key signature with three flats. These chords are followed by a mystical Adagio section which builds suspense to the energetic fugato Allegro section. A fugato is in the style of a fugue, but without strict adherence to fugue form. Mozart does adhere to the sonata-allegro form of Exposition, Development, and Recapitulation. The tempo shifts to Allegro as Mozart introduces a theme in the Violin II, lending energetic elegance to the Exposition. This theme is borrowed from the Allegro con brio of Muzio Clementis Piano Sonata in B-Major, Op. 24, No. 2. Mozart uses the rhythmic impetus of this theme throughout the entire piece. The only section that lacks this theme is the transition to the middle Adagio section. The fugal exposition is passed from Violin II to Violin I to Bassoon and Cello, and finally to Bass and Bassoon. The transition to the second theme is highlighted by a highly dissonant chord: an e-diminished chord over an F-bass. In comparison to the majority of clearly voiced and spaced chords in the Classical-era, this chord adds uncharacteristic tension until Mozart provides a beautiful resolution to F-major. He continues to use this chord progression throughout the Overture to create tension and release. Mozart unifies this overture by recycling the main rhythmic theme in a variety of contexts. During the lyrical second theme, the winds take over particularly flute and oboe. Mozart uses the main themefound in the clarinets, bassoons, and upper stringsas accompaniment for the elegant melody in the flute and oboe. Mozart presents the theme in different contexts with several different characters: from heroic to stately to lively. In this iteration, Mozart has made it into a lyrical countersubject to accompany the lyrical melody. Mozart interrupts his beautiful melody with an outburst of a forte theme alongside sforzandi syncopated dissonant chords. He returns quickly to the lyrical second theme in the winds, followed by the forte theme and sforzandi chords. Finally, the music crescendos and builds to a jubilant cadence. To end the exposition, Mozart includes a peppy codetta of B-major proclaimed strongly by the orchestra. Three Masonic B-Major chords are stated by the winds, in Adagio. The strings and timpani are absent this time. Mozart uses the B-Major chords as a common-tone modulation

from B-Major to e-minor. All three chords are the same quality, but the first two chords act the tonic of B-Major and the last chord acts as the dominant of e-minor. The main rhythmic theme set in minor sounds dark and brooding. Mozart uses the theme in canon after two quarter notes which creates a great rhythmic impetus. He builds up the listeners expectation of a climax, and then completely pulls out the rug: silence for a measure. Then Mozart creates a lyrical, yet mysterious sequence of dominant-seventh chords in a cycle of fifths. After this sequence, Mozart gives the listener the theme in its most complete form since the first theme of the exposition. It is, however, a false recapitulation. He develops the unity of the piece further, combining elements of the main theme with secondary themes which elegantly transitions into the true recapitulation in measure 154. Mozarts coda is notable in that it strongly emphasizes a theme D-B-C, which seems quite bold for a coda of a work in E-major. Mozart provides a strong finish with the theme in all string parts, bassoon, clarinet, oboes, flutes, and an exciting timpani part which accentuates the heroic and celebratory nature of this overture.