236 PART THREE — Classical Compositions THE BIRD-CATCHER’S SONG from The Magic Flute (1794) Text: Emanwel Schikaneder Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1794) Mozart last opera is a sublime allegory on universal themes, at once comic and serious. In its fairy-tale-like story, Papageno represents the simple ordinary man—the child of nature. His job is catching birds for the Queen of the Night, but what he really wants to catch is a wife. Soon after the ‘opening of Act I, he makes his entrance with this song, i ah 3. The bird-catcher am The bird catcher am I, all the girls were mine, and always merry! and always merry! 1 fetch a fine lump of sugar, As bird-catcber Im known As bird catcher I'm known 1d chose the girl Tike the best by young and old throughout the land. by young and old throughout the land. and give the sugar lump to he. ew how to re them, Ta like to have a net for girls Shed hiss me then most tenderly, ‘and make tem derstand my pipes. and catch them by the dozen. she'd be my wife and I ber mas Som happy and gay, Then lock them up with me, She'd fall asleep beside me then, Sor all the birds are mine. «and all tbe grt would be mine. Tr rock ber like cid to sleep. ‘The music, in popular style and composed of the simplest chords, non-chord tones, and modu- lations, is unusual for its use of Pan-pipes, which Papageno plays between phrases. How is this composition subtle—how saved from monotony? (Omitted here is the orchestral introduction, which is identical with the song.) Andante Papageno Der Vo-gel-fin-ger bin ich ja, stets Der Vo-gel- fin-ger bin ich ja, stets 3.Wenn al- le Mad-chen wa- rea mein, so os Udo a gh ek Orchestra (reduction) 6 Po Iu - stighei - Ba hop-sa-sa! Ich Vo-gel-fin-ger bin be-kannt bei lu = stig hei - a hop-sa- sal Ich Vo - gel-fain- ger tausch- te ich bray Zu-cker ein: die, wel-che mir am ey a — ee Reprinted from Peters Etions No, 71 Reprint permission granted bythe publisher, CF Peters Corporation, New York. EEE EERE RRET AIA ELE PPSCE UP PLC © ‘THE BIRD.CATCHER'S SONG from THE MAGIC FLUTE und Jusg im gan-zen Land. undJung im gan-zen Land. ich gleich den Zucker her. ® mit dem Lo -cken um-su-gehn,und ailch ails Plo-fen au yer-steha, Nete‘flr Midchen méchto.“chy'ich fisg’ ‘sie cut asad fy eal w-to. sie-mich sirtiicn dans, wir sie’ mefaWelp wad’ et ine tt i een Seas Leta Drum kann ich froh und lustig sein, denn al - Dann sperr-te ich sie bei mir ein, und al - Sie scbliet an mei-ner Sei-te cin, ich wieg - = eae sind ja mein, (fet) wa - Ten mein, Kind sie ein, ae Meat 237 le V6 - gel le Mad-chen te wie ein = ae