FIRST BASS SATURDAY IN MAY - Portrait of Osmin from Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio

This is a drawing I doctored up a bit with Photoshop to make this Turkish Jannissary look like the character Osmin as I imagine him in Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio. Osmin is another Orientalist stereotype of the European imagination. He is the ruthless and sadistic "Terrible Turk" which one finds in many European dramas and operas.

Mozart must have been exposed to Turkish music at some time in his life. The Janissaries that marched around the walls of Vienna blaring their martial music a hundred years ago must have left enough traces in the city. The Austrians did share a border with the Ottoman Empire. Listen to some very Middle-Eastern sounding notes in Osmin's aria:

Lyrics to:

SOLCHE HERGELAUFNE LAFFEN

Osmin's Air from Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio 

OSMIN:
Solche hergelaufne Laffen...............These immoral puppies
Die nur nach ...................................Who do nothing 
den Weibern gaffen,........................But ogle women.
Mag ich vor den Teufel nicht;..........I'd rather have the devil;
Ist uns auf den Dienst zu passen:.....For all they ever do
Denn ihr ganzesTun und Lassen......Is watch us at our work
Doch mich trügt kein solch Gesicht..But a face like that.
Eure tücken, ,....................................Doesn't deceive me
Eure Ränke........................................Your tricks, your wiles,
Eure Finten, eure Schwänke.............Your schemes. your guiles,
Sind mir ganz bekannt.......................All are known to me,
Mich zu hintergehen,.........................You'll have to get up early.
MüBt ihr früh aufstefen,...................To get the better of me
Ich hab' auch Verstand......................For I know what's what!
Drum, beim Barte des Propheten!.....By the beard of the Prophet
Ich studiere Tag und Nacht,...............I'll not rest day and night
Ruh' nicht, bis ich seh'dich töten,.......Till I find a way to kill you
Nimm dich, wie du willst, in acht........Watch out, if you can!


PEDRILLO:
Aber was habe ichbrannt,..............But what have I,
dir denn getan?...............................Ever done to you?


OSMIN:
Erst  geköpft,.......................First beheaded
Dann gehangen,...................Then hanged
Dann gespielt.......................Then impaled
Auf heiße Strangen,.............On red-hot spikes
Dann verbrannt....................Then burned,
Dann gehunden....................Then bound,
Und getaucht;.......................Then drown
Zuletzt geschunden...............Finally flayed


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Here is Osmin singing in Hungarian! I think he sounds rather good in Magyar - I would love to see a Turkish version of Mozart. Why not?

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Bass Cage Match: Osmin's Low D!

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BASEMENT

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