The Magic Flute the Masonic influence is exaggerated. Schikaneder and Mozart were Freemasons, as was Ignaz Alberti, engraver and printer of the first libretto. The opera is also influenced by Enlightenment philosophy and can be regarded as advocating enlightened absolutism. The Queen of the Night is seen by some to represent a dangerous form of obscurantism, by others to represent Roman Catholic Empress Maria Theresa, and still others see the Roman Catholic Church itself, which was strongly anti-Masonic. Some modern audiences detect strains of misogyny and casual racism in "The Magic Flute". The names of the performers at the premiere are taken from
The Magic Flute the music, to Scene 10: The Temple of the Sun" Sarastro announces the sun's triumph over the night, and hails the dawn of a new era of wisdom and brotherhood. Act 1 Act 2 The first recording of "The Magic Flute"s overture was issued around 1901–1903, at the dawn of the recording era, by the Victor Recording Company and played by the Victor Grand Concert Band. The first recording of "The Magic Flute" was of a live performance at the 1937 Salzburg Festival, with Arturo Toscanini conducting the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera. The first studio recording of the