Happy birthday Mozart! Q: Have a favorite Papageno type? Favorite Singer?

Papageno is often called "jolly Papageno" but the character is interpreted different ways. He's the only complex character in The Magic Flute.

My nominees for

Best melancholy Papageno - Simon Keenlyside

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-Qq-DeEXhw

Best feisty Papageno - Christian Gerhaher

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J28YyBeAfg

Best jolly Papageno - William Workman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcZu9PsBEDg

259 AND GOIN' STRONG WOLFY!...Show more

Trivia: If the dialog in the Keenlyside clip seems a bit strange, it's because German has a pronoun that can't be translated.

"[pronoun] are you?" (translated "who")

"What a question! I'm a man, like you!"...Show more