Based on Mozart's „Thamos, King in Egypt“ K. 345, in a version by Carlus Padrissa, with selected arias, i.e. from „The Magic Flute“ K. 620 and „Zaide“ K. 344

New production of the Salzburg Mozarteum Foundation

Mozart loved the theatre – in all its forms. Tobias Philipp von Gebler’s didactic play “Thamos, King of Egypt” revolves around Egypt, freemasonry and the Enlightenment. Mozart was a man of the Enlightenment and the freemason’s lodge he belonged to was not an esoteric but an intel lectual one. The music he wrote to accompany the play is not amongst his best-known works, but it is among his most extraordinary achievements, and it gives the main role to the chorus. The idea of staging “Thamos” with his fantastic troupe La Fura dels Baus inspired Carlus Padrissa to develop his own new play from the score. It is a spectacularly dramatic and theatrical journey, interweaving dance, new passages of writing and Mozart’s score, to which arias from other works have been added, sung by three soloists. A conductor from Mexico, a soprano from Egypt, a tenor from Thailand and a star bass from Germany are accompanied, as if this were nothing out of the ordinary, by the Salzburg Bach Choir and the Camerata Salzburg. Music brings people from all different cultures together, and Mozart knew how to do that better than anyone.