The Compositions: Operas/Musical Plays/Dramatic Cantatas ... "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" (aka "The Abduction from the Seraglio")

SETTINGS

Time Period: 16th Century
Place: Turkey
Premiere: July 16, 1782 in Vienna

Mozart (Tom Hulce) conducts "The Abduction from the Seraglio" in Amadeus -- photo © Warner Brother's Inc.

CHARACTERS:

Konstanza, a Spanish Lady (Soprano)
Blondchen, her English maid (Soprano)
Belmonte, a Spanish nobleman (Tenor)
Pedrillo, his servant (Tenor)
Selim Pasha (Speaking Part)
Osmin, loverseer of his harem (Bass)

HISTORY:

Mozart composed "The Abduction from the Seraglio" at one of the happiest times in his short life (he was barely twenty-six). He was very much in love with Constanze Weber and was engaged to marry her, doing so just a little over three weeks after the opera's premiere. In addition, the first name of his fiancé was the name of the heroine of the story in the opera.

The opera was, at the time, considered more of a Singspiel to the Viennese (meaning a gay play with music) and took nearly ten months to complete. All of the action is carried on with spoken dialogue, and the characters break into song only to express stong emotions, seldom to further the story. One important character, the Pasha, does not sing at all but only speaks.

Eighteenth-Century Vienna was crazy about the Turks. There were Turkish dress styles, Turkish hair-dos, Turkish stories, and a great deal of Turkish music­. Some of the pianos even had tiny drum and bell attachments to make Turkish effects. The story and music of "The Abduction" were part of this Turkish fad. It concerns a high-minded Pasha of the sixteenth century, who captures a beautiful English maiden, Constanze, and her maid Blondchen (meaning "little harlot"), and also Pedrillo, the servant of a young Spanish nobleman named Belmonte.

SYNOPSIS:

OVERTURE

The overture, a familiar piece in concert halls, reflects the contemporary Turkish fad: it makes prominent use of the triangle and the bass drum. Gay in mood, as the overture to any Singspiel should be, it offers a moment of sweet sadness by including, in a minor key, the young hero's opening aria.

ACT I

Katerina Cavalieri portrays Konstanze in "The Abduction from the Seraglio" -- photo © Warner Brother's, Inc.

Without waiting for a conclusion to the overture, the curtain rises on Belmonte, the noble young Spanish hero of the story. He has reached a seaside plaza outside the palace of the Pasha, and he sings of his hope of finding Konstanze­ ("Here may I hope to find you Kontanze"). An unpleasant old fellow named Osmin appears. He is picking figs in the garden and singing a ditty about unreliable sweethearts ("Whoever has found a sweetheart"). Now, Osmin is the Pasha's overseer, and when Belmonte asks about his friend Pedrillo, he receives a very scurvy welcome. Osmin, it seems, is in love with Blondchen but so is Pedrillo, and the girl wants the young Spaniard. When Osmin has disappeared, Pedrillo himself comes out and tells his master that he is a favorite of the Pasha. Immediately they begin to scheme to get the two girls. A chorus of Janissaries, welcoming the Pasha, interrupts them, and a scene between the Pasha and the lovely Konstanze tells us how things are going. The high-minded Turk loves the lady, but he will not force his bed on her. She, for her part, still pines for her old love, Belmonte, and frankly tells her captor so. It is a fine, brilliant coloratura aria she has there ("Ah, I was in love"). When she has left, Pedrillo introduces Belmonte to the Pasha as a visiting architect. The Pasha is most cordial, but when he has left, old Osmin tries to keep the two friends from entering the palace. An amusing trio follows ("March!"), and as the act ends, the two men push Osmin aside and rush in.

ACT II

So far we have not met the most engaging lady in the cast­, Blondchen; but in the very opening of Act II, which takes place within the palace, she really tells Osmin off. English girls can't be ordered around, she says, not even in Turkey; and before she gets rid of him, she offers to scratch the fellow's eyes out and to get him beaten off. It's quite a scene, but Konstanze is more tragically disposed. Belmonte has (she thinks) failed to rescue her, and now the Pasha demands that she love him tomorrow. This state of affairs she reveals to Blondchen in the aria, "Through tenderness." The Pasha enters at this point and demands her love at once­p;even threatening torture. This is the occasion for her wonder aria of defiance called, "All kinds of martyrs." Then there follows a scene between little Blondchen and Pedro. He tells his girl the great news: Belmonte has arrived. In face, he is in the palace as an architect; he has a ship anchored in the bay, and they will all elope at midnight! As for the ever-suspicious Osmin, he will have to be taken care of by a will-prepared drink. Almost at once Pedrillo has his chance. Osmin comes in, and it does not take a long argument for Pedrillo to overcome his Mohammedan scruples about alcohol. The old fellow drinks himself silly and is dragged off sound asleep. The act ends with a perfectly delightful "quartet" by the four lovers. The Spanish men are at first a little suspicious about the faithfulness of the two girls, but they are quickly convinced, and the plans to elope that night are confirmed.

ACT III

Scene 1 begins at midnight. Belmonte and Pedrillo, outside the palace, are ready to abduct Konstanze and Blondchen in the approved romantic fashion­; that is, with ladders and serenades. They begin properly enough, and Belmonte gets away with his Konstanze. Unfortunately, it is a rather noisy business, and the jealous Osmin recovers from his drunken stupor just in time to catch the runaways. They are all brought in under guard, the Pasha is summoned, and the culprits are condemned to an immediate and hideous death. Yet there is still time for a lovely duet of farewell and courage between Belmonte and Konstanze and also for a rather fiendish aria of revenge by Osmin ("Ha! How I shall triumph o'er you").

Scene 2: Then, within the palace, comes the surprise ending. It turns out that Belmonte's father had been the Pasha's worst enemy and had treated him most harshly. The high-minded Turk wishes to teach the Europeans a lesson in forbearance. He pardons Belmonte and presents him with his own beloved Konstanze, and he forgives Pedrillo and Blondchen even over the protests of Osmin. Naturally, everyone except Osmin is thoroughly delighted, and the opera ends with a concerted number in which all join in praising the Selim Pasha.

After "The Abduction from the Seraglio"

"THE ABDUCTION" IN AMADEUS:

The "Overture" can be heard in the film when Wolfgang, Constanze, and Leopold all go to the costume store and then when they are at the Masquerede Ball.
In the film, Katerina Cavalieri portrays the character Konstanze in "The Abduction." It is Mozart's first opera shown in Amadeus. One of Konstanze's aria's can first be heard at the end of the scene inwhich Katerina is having a singing lesson with Salieri. The scene goes right into one of Konstanze's arias from the opera.
The Turkish finale is also in the film, right after the sequence inwhich Salieri declares that he could not imagine "anyone else touching her [Katerina], least of all the creature." The film then backtracks to Mozart's "Abduction" opera and the big, extravagant finale.