Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age resulted in more than 800 works representing virtually every Western classical genre of his time. Many of these compositions are acknowledged as pinnacles of the symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral repertoire. Mozart is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music, with his music admired for its "melodic beauty, its formal elegance and its richness of harmony and texture". Born in Salzburg, Mozart showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood. At age five, he was already competent on keyboard and violin, had begun to compose, and performed before European royalty.

The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form during the time it was written that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The work premiered on 30 September 1791 at Schikaneder's theatre, the Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna, just two months before the composer's death. It was the last opera that Mozart composed. The opera was an outstanding success from its first performances, and remains a staple of the opera repertory to this day.

"Wie? Wie? Wie? Ihr an diesem Schreckensort?" (Why? Why? Why? You in this terrible place?) is a quintet in Act II of the opera and features Tamino, the prince, who is harsh and critical, and expresses inferior introverted thinking. In the “Wie? Wie? Wie?” quintet, Tamino is harsh and critical, and insists that his group's beliefs are the objective truth. He uses his introverted thinking for good, such as embracing Enlightenment reason and learning to think before he acts.

Source: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magic_Flute).

Although originally composed for Chorus & Orchestra, I created this arrangement of the Quintet: "Wie? Wie? Wie? Ihr an diesem Schreckensort?" (K.620 Act II No. 12) for Winds (Flute, Oboe, Bb Clarinet, French Horn & Bassoon) & Strings (2 Violins, Viola, Cello & Bass).