from Act I of the German opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Christoph Friedrich Bretzner

Role: Belmonte, Konstanze's lover

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: tenor leggiero

Setting: the seaside country estate of Pasha Selim

Synopsis: Having finally reached the place where his love, Konstanze, is being kept, Belmonte anticipates seeing her finally after all the suffering he has endured.

from Act III, Scene I of the German opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Christoph Friedrich Bretzner

Role: Belmonte, Konstanze's lover

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: tenor leggiero

Setting: the palace square

Synopsis: As Belmonte and Pedrillo plan to steal their women back from the Pasha, Belmonte sings that love has been and continues to be all his strength and that he will rely on its power.

from Act I of the German opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Christoph Friedrich Bretzner

Role: Belmonte, Konstanze's lover

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: tenor leggiero

Setting: the seaside country estate of Pasha Selim

Synopsis: In this recitative and aria, Belmonte sings of the almost painful anticipation he experiences now that he is so close to seeing Konstanze again.

from Act II of the German opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Christoph Friedrich Bretzner

Role: Belmonte, Konstanze's lover

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: tenor leggiero

Setting: the gardens of Pasha Selim's country house

Synopsis: Konstanze and Belmonte are finally reunited and as she falls weeping against his chest, he sings that tears of joy are one of the greatest things a lover can receive. He tells her that to see her again is worth more than all of Croesus's riches and that he would never have realized it if they had not seen each other again.

from Act II of the German opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Christoph Friedrich Bretzner

Role: Blondchen, Konstanze's English maid, now assigned to Osmin

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: soubrette

Setting: the gardens of Pasha Selim's country home

Synopsis: Osmin tries to order Blondchen to satisfy his every wish. Blondchen responds vehemently, though, stating that she will not be ordered around. The only ways she can be won over is by tenderness, flattery, and good humor and Osmin's bad attitude only make her want him less.

from Act II of the German opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Christoph Friedrich Bretzner

Role: Blondchen, Konstanze's English maid, now assigned to Osmin

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: soubrette

Setting: the gardens of Pash Selim's country house

Synopsis: After Pedrillo tells Blondchen two bits of good news, that Belmonte has arrived and been accepted by the Pasha as an potential employee, Blondchen sings of her bliss and joy and promises to tell Konstanze right away.

from Act I of the German opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Christoph Friedrich Bretzner

Role: Konstanze, a noble Spanish lady

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: dramatic coloratura

Setting: the seaside country house of Pasha Selim

Synopsis: The Pasha finds Konstanze weeping and asks her why she is sad. She responds with this aria, saying that she once was in love and happy, but now she has lost that joy because she is separated from her love and is now in complete misery.

from Act II of the German opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Christoph Friedrich Bretzner

Role: Konstanze, a noble Spanish lady

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: dramatic coloratura

Setting: the gardens of Pasha Selim's country house

Synopsis: Selim demands that Konstanze love him or suffer torture. Inspired by Blondchen, Konstanze declared that she will never be unfaithful even though it means that she suffer torture, misery, pain and even death. If he releases his demands on her, though, heaven will forgive him.

from Act II of the German opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Christoph Friedrich Bretzner

Role: Konstanze, a noble Spanish lady

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: dramatic coloratura

Setting: the gardens of Pasha Selim's country house

Synopsis: In this recitative and aria, Konstanze sings mournfully of the depression and despair she is undergoing because of her separation with Belmonte. She cannot even tell her pain to the winds because then others will know of it as well.

from Act I, Scene I of the German opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Christoph Friedrich Bretzner

Role: Osmin, custodian of the Pasha's country house

Voice Part: bass       Fach: heavy bass

Setting: the seaside country estate of Pasha Selim

Synopsis: After Pedrillo, Belmonte, Blondchen, and Konstanze are captured trying to escape, Osmin sings of the delight that he will have when they are all hanged.

from Act I of the German opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Christoph Friedrich Bretzner

Role: Osmin, custodian of the Pasha's country house

Voice Part: bass       Fach: heavy bass

Setting: the seaside country estate of Pasha Selim

Synopsis: In this aria, Osmin explains, in graphic manner, why he does not like Pedrillo. It turns out that it is mainly because Osmin and Pedrillo are both in love with Blondchen and Pedrillo is in better favor with both Blondchen and the Pasha.

from Act I of the German opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Christoph Friedrich Bretzner

Role: Osmin, custodian of the Pasha's country house

Voice Part: bass       Fach: heavy bass

Setting: the seaside country estate of Pasha Selim

Synopsis: Osmin sings a song while picking figs, not realizing that Belmonte is watching. His song advises the listener to reward your love with kisses and make her life great. It also advises the young lover to lock up your woman's other lovers, lest they tempt her to forget her faithfulness.

from Act II of the German opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Christoph Friedrich Bretzner

Role: Pedrillo, Blondchen's lover, now custodian of the Pasha's gardens

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: lyric tenor|buffo tenor

Setting: the gardens of Pasha Selim's country house

Synopsis: Pedrillo realizes that the only way that they will all get free of the Pasha is if he himself becomes bold. With this aria, he declares that he shall not be cowardly but, rather, shall be daring

from Act III, Scene I of the German opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Christoph Friedrich Bretzner

Role: Pedrillo, Blondchen's lover, now custodian of the Pasha's gardens

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: lyric tenor|buffo tenor

Setting: the palace square

Synopsis: Pedrillo sings this song to signal the ladies to get ready to leave. It describes a girl who is caught by the Moors and how a knight came to rescue her.