The Immortal Hour The Immortal Hour The Immortal Hour is an opera by English composer Rutland Boughton. Boughton adapted his own libretto from the play of the same name by Fiona MacLeod, a pseudonym of writer William Sharp. "The Immortal Hour" is a fairy tale or fairy opera, with a mood and theme similar to Dvořák's "Rusalka" and Mozart's "The Magic Flute". Magic and nature spirits play important roles in the storyline. The fairy people are not mischievous, childlike sprites, but are proud and powerful: immortal demigods who are feared by mortals and who can (and do) interfere with the lives of men
The Magic Flute He promises that Tamino's confusion will be lifted when Tamino approaches the temple in a spirit of friendship. Tamino plays his magic flute. Animals appear and dance, enraptured, to his music. Tamino hears Papageno's pipes sounding offstage, and hurries off to find him (aria: ""). Papageno and Pamina enter, searching for Tamino (trio: ""). They are recaptured by Monostatos and his slaves. Papageno plays his magic bells, and Monostatos and his slaves begin to dance, and exit the stage, still dancing, mesmerised by the beauty of the music (chorus: ""). Papageno and Pamina hear the sound of Sarastro's retinue approaching.