Act 2, Part 5 Summary

The action of the previous scene flows smoothly into this one as Van Swieten sneaks in and watches a performance of The Magic Flute while Mozart, Katherina, and Salieri sit with "the common people." Salieri tells us that not only did Mozart include very specific references to the rituals of the Masons, he included a ghostly figure similar to the figure in gray, but one who gestured with welcome and love rather than beckoning. Salieri describes this figure as representing a newfound peace in Mozart, and calls Mozart himself the magic flute (which represents the ideal of brotherly love). At the conclusion of the opera, Van Swieten charges forward angrily. Mozart is surprised to see him, but Salieri tells us in an aside that he made sure he'd be there. Van Swieten accuses him of betraying the Masons by including portrayals...