ABSTRACT

In the concluding vaudeville of Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Mozart sets into motion an unprecedented disruption of contemporary operatic conventions. At the beginning of the finale, the Europeans take turns expressing gratitude to Pasha Selim, finishing their announcements with a recurring phrase that draws a generalized principle from Selim’s act of mercy towards his (former) captives. The phrase is treated as a typical vaudeville refrain in that all characters repeat it in unison after each individual statement (see also Table 2.1):1

Wer so viel Huld vergessen kann, Anyone who could forget such great a favor Den seh’ man mit Verachtung an. Should be regarded with contempt.