The Magic Flute the sound of a solemn march. Sarastro tells the priests that Tamino is ready to undergo the ordeals that will lead to enlightenment. He invokes the gods Isis and Osiris, asking them to protect Tamino and Pamina (Aria and chorus: ""). "Scene 2: The courtyard of the Temple of Ordeal" Tamino and Papageno are led in by two priests for the first trial. The two priests advise Tamino and Papageno of the dangers ahead of them, warn them of women's wiles and swear them to silence (Duet: ""). The three ladies appear and try to frighten Tamino and Papageno into
Eric Cutler in June 2009. He performed the Duke of Mantua in Giuseppe Verdi's "Rigoletto", in a Fenice's production, for a tour in Italy which involved Reggio Emilia and Venice. Cutler's most critically acclaimed performances have all been in Mozart operas. These include Tamino (Metropolitan Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Glyndebourne and Edinburgh Festivals), Belmonte in "The Abduction from the Seraglio" (Boston Lyric Opera, Houston Grand Opera and Teatro Real Madrid) and Don Ottavio in "Don Giovanni" (Wolf Trap Opera Company and Santa Fe Opera). EMI issued Eric Cutler's first solo recording featuring songs of Barber, Schumann, Hahn and Liszt, called