Magic Flute is a world success, it counts as the most played opera.
the “side operas” thus have less success:
Z0 24 years 1790-1814 non-stop success over 24 years. Since re-discovery 1998 ca 13 performances. Z2 only in ca. 13 theatres just one time or a few times, see wikipedia, with BIG international success 2012 @ Salzburg Festival Z3 world premiere 1891 concertante in Hengelo/NL and one scene 1939 for the 80th birthday of Goepfart Z4 1797-1801 64 performances in Vienna, then Ständetheater Prag 1815 two performances.
…between Philosopher´s stone (Z0) and Magic Flute (Z1):
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: composed 3 pieces in der Philosopher´s Stone, and the entire Magic Flute
Johann Baptist Henneberg: one of the composers and conductor of Philosopher´s Stone, conductor of the World Premiere of Magic Flute
Benedikt Schack: one of the composers of Philosopher´s Stone, Astromonte in Philosopher´s Stone, Tamino in Magic Flute
Franz Xaver Gerl: one of the composers of Philosopher´s Stone, Eutifronte in Philosopher´s Stone, Sarastro in Magic Flute
Emanuel Schikaneder: Librettist und one of the composers in Philosopher´s Stone, Lubano in Philosopher´s Stone, Librettist of Magic Flute, Papageno in Magic Flute
Urban Schikaneder (brother of Emanuel Schikaneder): Sadik in Philosopher´s Stone, First Priest in Magic Flute
Johann Michael Kistler: Nadir in Philosopher´s Stone, second priest in Magic Flute
Anna Gottlieb: Nadine in Philosopher´s Stone, Pamina in Magic Flute
Barbara Gerl (wife of Franz Xaver Gerl): Lubanara in Philosopher´s Stone, Papagena in Magic Flute
The intention to follow-up to the succes of Magic Flute with an effectful title was surely a pure motive of Schikaneder.
There have been attempts to follow the success of Magic Flute without direct relation to the story: Die Waldmänner (1793, Henneberg), Der Höllenberg (1795, Wölfl), Der Spiegel von Arkadien (1794, Süßmayr).
A real sequel was tried by Goethe but composed and performed 100 years later in 1891 with “Sarastro” after enlarging Goethe´s fragment to a libretto by Gottfried Stommel.
For the celebration of 100. year after Mozart´s death the Liszt student Karl Eduard Goepfart performed this sequel in Hengelo/NL.
So Schikaneder recognized this potential of good sequels and engaged Johann Mederitsch to compose Act 1 and Peter von Winter for Act 2, finally the performed it already in 1797: Die Pyramiden von Babylon.
First performance 25. Oktober 1797 Freihaustheater auf der Wieden Wien.
Das Labyrinth oder Der Kampf mit den Elementen. Der Zauberflöte zweyter Theil (“The Labyrinth or The Struggle with the Elements. The Magic Flute’s Second Part”) is a “grand heroic-comic opera” in two acts[1] composed in 1798 by Peter von Winter to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The opera is a sequel of Mozart‘s The Magic Flute.
The allegorical plot was influenced by Schikaneder and Mozart’s interest in Freemasonry and concerns the initiation of Prince Tamino. Enlisted by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter Pamina from the high priest Sarastro, Tamino comes to admire the high ideals of Sarastro. He and Pamina both join Sarastro’s community, while the Queen and her allies are vanquished.
