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One modern criticism of The Magic Flute, especially favored by [[postmodernism|post-modernist]] and [[feminism|feminist]] scholars, is the apparent racism and sexism written into the story and the dialogue. Indeed, there are some lines uttered by Sarastro and his followers (the "good guys") which sound overtly misogynistic by today's standards. The character of Monostatos, a [[Moor]], is unable to control his urges toward Pamina, and is generally dishonest and disloyal. Modern critics jump on these as evidence of Schikaneder's and Mozart's apparent espousal of a racist and sexist worldview.

One modern criticism of The Magic Flute, especially favored by [[postmodernism|post-modernist]] and [[feminism|feminist]] scholars, is the apparent racism and sexism written into the story and the dialogue. Indeed, there are some lines uttered by Sarastro and his followers (the "good guys") which sound overtly misogynistic by today's standards. The character of Monostatos, a [[Moor]], is unable to control his urges toward Pamina, and is generally dishonest and disloyal. Modern critics jump on these as evidence of Schikaneder's and Mozart's apparent espousal of a racist and sexist worldview.

However, such criticisms are not only anachronistic, but rather ignore the subtleties of Mozart's musical characterization that defy such stereotypes. The Queen of the Night, though coldly dismissed by Sarastro as a "proud wench" (''ein stolzes Weib''), is blessed with some of Mozart's best music (including the rage aria "Der Hölle Rache," a notoriously difficult and thrilling showpiece), while Sarastro's paternalistic pronouncements about a woman's "proper place" are not dignified with any music at all. Monostatos is also given sympathetic treatment elsewhere; while he is punished by Sarastro for his lack of self-control, his laments about receiving only ridicule based purely on the color of his skin could have been written in the 1960's.

However, such criticisms are not only anachronistic, but rather ignore the subtleties of Mozart's musical characterization that defy such stereotypes. The Queen of the Night, though coldly dismissed by Sarastro as a "proud wench" (''ein stolzes Weib''), is blessed with some of Mozart's best music (including the rage aria "Der Hölle Rache," a notoriously difficult and thrilling showpiece), while Sarastro's paternalistic pronouncements about a woman's "proper place" are not dignified with any music at all. Monostatos is also given sympathetic treatment elsewhere; while he is punished by Sarastro for his lack of self-control, his laments about receiving only ridicule based purely on the color of his skin could have been written in the 1960s.

==Notable Arias and Ensembles==

==Notable Arias and Ensembles==