Completed in 1791, Die Zauberflöte was one of Mozart's final works before illness would inevitably take his life in December of that year. Since then, it's been performed countless times to a multitude of audiences around the world.
In this particular song, Sarastro, the High Priest of the Temple of Wisdom, admonishes Panima that he will not seek revenge upon her mother, the Queen of the Night, after he discovers that she wished to murder him in the previous aria (a side note: the Queen of the Night's aria "Der Hölle Rache" is a very challenging song for any soprano and my heart goes out to all who have fallen before it.). He sings the virtues of his Order, how through wisdom, love, and forgiveness, man may become as gods (as mentioned in the finale of the first act.)
I was fortunate enough to play the part of Sarastro during my Junior year at the University of Utah, however, I had caught a rather nasty cold and as a result, I was in no condition to sing. It broke my heart, to say the least. Because of my illness, the other bass in the show, had to sing for me and I was there mouthing the words as my friends sung. It seemed a tad silly, but at least I got to act a little bit.
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