Queen of the Night aria

"Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" ("Hell's vengeance boils in my heart"), commonly abbreviated "Der Hölle Rache", is an aria sung by the Queen of the Night, a coloratura soprano part, in the second act of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte).

Memorable with its upper register staccatos, the fast-paced and menacingly grandiose "Der Hölle Rache" is one of the most famous of all opera arias.

The German libretto of The Magic Flute was written by Emanuel Schikaneder, who also led the theatre troupe that premiered the work and created the role of Papageno.

Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen, Tod und Verzweiflung flammet um mich her!

The aria is written in D minor, and is scored for pairs of flutes, oboes, bassoons, horns in F, and trumpets, along with timpani and the string section.

[3] The effect is accompanied by unexpected Neapolitan harmony in the orchestra, with all the violins playing in unison high on the G string to intensify the sound.

The story comes from an 1840 letter from composer Ignaz von Seyfried, and relates an event from the last night of Mozart's life—4 December 1791, five weeks into the opera's initial (very successful) run.

Hofer is just taking her top F; – now my sister-in-law is singing her second aria, 'Der Hölle Rache'; how strongly she strikes and holds the B-flat: 'Hört!