Salzburg-born Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was a musical child prodigy who started composing at age five. His father, himself a musician and minor composer, took Wolfgang and his gifted sister on tours throughout Europe, where they performed for European royalty. In 1773 he became court musician in Salzburg but left his position after four years. After several years of travel and unsteady employment, Mozart settled in Vienna in 1781, where he befriended Joseph Haydn. He worked mostly as a freelance musician until 1787, when Emperor Joseph II appointed him “chamber composer.” Highly productive during his short life, Mozart composed more than 800 works in all genres of Western classical music, significantly shaping the Classical period.

This is an aria from The Magic Flute, one of 22 operas Mozart wrote. It had its premiere in Vienna in September 1791, only a few months before Mozart’s death. The libretto was written by Emanuel Schikander, a Viennese actor and opera impresario who also staged and acted in the production. As was customary at the time, Mozart conducted himself while playing the piano. Mozart’s music, the fairy-tale plot and its elaborate set designs made The Magic Flute a popular and critical success, and it remains one of the most performed operas to this day. Featured here is the second aria sung by the Queen of the Night, "Hell's Vengeance Boils in My Heart."