Tamino is rescued from a huge serpent by the three attendants of the Queen of the Night. They persuade him to rescue the Queen's beautiful daughter, Pamina, who is held prisoner by Sarastro. Tamino sets off on his adventure protected by a magic flute and glockenspiel, and with Papageno the birdcatcher for company. Mozart's allegorical singspiel is open to many interpretations, but there's no doubting the quality of the music. Here it's performed by a top cast and conducted by James Levine.

Presented from New York by Margaret Juntwait.
New York Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra, conductor James Levine Act1

7.45 Interval: A Map of Manhattan
Novelist Karen Moline pays tribute to the old East Village in New York, where rents were so cheap artists could afford to fail.

8.15 Act 2