Gesichtsvariationen. Faciale Motivik im Textbuch der Zauberflöte
Face variations in the libretto of “The Magic Flute”

Summary/Abstract: The paper discusses the intellectual content of The Magic Flute in the context of scenes and situations which touch on the subject of the human face. The main point of the paper is to identify inspirations which trace back to the concept of physiognomy by Johann Caspar Lavater, drawing on perspectives from cultural studies. The article analyses how Schikaneder and Mozart deal with the visuality of the face. It shows that the physiognomic ideas were indeed received in the libretto of the opera, but in a critical way. The face discourse in The Magic Flute confirms that its messages go beyond the main Manichean-like conflict between good and evil happening on the stage.

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