Mummenschanz (original title: Masquerade ) is the eighteenth Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett from 1995. The location of the action is largely the Ankh-Morpork Opera House . Mummenschanz is one of the witch stories, which is why Esme Wetterwax and Nanny Ogg are the protagonists. Agnes Nitt, who made her debut in Lords and Ladies , is given a leading role for the first time. In the future, after Magrat Knobloch's departure, it will complement the Lancresche witch trio. The plot is closely based on the musical The Phantom of the Opera by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber .
Because of Magrat Knoblauch's marriage to King Verence, the former Lancre witches' circle fell apart. Without Magrat, the part that Grandma Weatherwax can verbally beat is missing and she falls into a deep crisis of meaning. Her friend Nanny Ogg is worried and hopes to win Agnes Nitt as a new member of the witch circle. However, she moved to Ankh-Morpork to pursue a career as an opera singer. Nanny sees an ominous future for Agnes in the tea grounds.
Meanwhile, Grandma Weatherwax discovers that Nanny Ogg has sent her collection of aphrodisiac recipes to a publisher and published it under the pseudonym “A Witch from Lancre” . A look at the number of editions reveals that the publisher earns thousands of dollars with the book "Froide for the palate and not only for it", while he paid Nanny a fee of just 2.87 Ankh Morpork dollars. In order to claim an appropriate fee, the witch duo travels to the big city. Besides, the two hope to be able to keep an eye on Agnes.
Agnes began her career as a singer in the opera house under the stage name "Perdita". A vocal range of three octaves and the ability to duet with yourself make them the music director's favorite. The opera house owner, however, prefers the vocal completely untalented but much more attractive Christine, whose father supports the opera house with a generous donation. Perdita has to project her voice onto Christine from the second row, and Christine gets the applause. In addition, the operatic spirit drives its mischief at night and strange murders occur.
Using the entire author's fee that has just been collected and with the help of the star tenor Enrico Basilica, the witches succeed in conquering the operatic spirit. Then the two older witches start the journey back to Lancre. Agnes realizes her true destiny and also returns home to the Kingdom of Lancre to join the witches' coven.
expenditure
Paperback. In Dt. transfer by Andreas Brandhorst. Goldmann, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-442-41593-4 (German first publication).
Radio version in five episodes. Edited by Renate Greinacher. Südwestrundfunk 2004
Abridged audio book. Read by Katharina Thalbach. Schall & Wahn, Bergisch Gladbach 2008, ISBN 3-86604-941-2
The Scholars of the Disc World (1999, German 2004) • The Philosophers of the Round World. More from the scholars of the Discworld (2002, German 2004) • Darwin and the Gods of the Discworld (2005, German 2006) • The Last Judgment. The Science of Discworld 4 (2013, German 2013)
Other books
The Disc World from A – Z (with Stephen Briggs ; 1994, German 1996) • The Disc World Album (1996, German 2001) • GURPS Disc World (with Phil Masters ; 1998, German 1999) • Nanny Oggs Cookbook (1999, German 2001) . 2001) • GURPS Discworld Also (with Phil Masters ; 2001) • The Art of Discworld (2004, German 2006) • Where's my Cow (2005) • Wit and Wisdom of Discworld (2007, German 2010) • Myths and legends the Discworld (with Jacqueline Simpson ; 2008, German 2009) • The World of Poo (2012) • Fools, Thieves and Vampires - The best of ten years of Discworld calendars (with Stephen Briggs ; 2012, German 2012)
Discworld maps
The Streets of Ankh-Morpork - A Discworld Map (1993; Ger. 1996) • The Discworld Mapp (1995) • A Tourist Guide to Lancre - A Discworld Mapp (1998) • Death's Domain - A Discworld Mapp (1999) • More complete and indispensable Ankh-Morpork city guide (2012, German 2013) • Mrs. Bradshaw's most useful handbook for all routes of the Hygienic Railway Ankh-Morpork and Sto Plain (2014, German 2015)
The whole madness (2004, German 2007) • Big words (2012, German 2018) • Twisted dragon (2014, German 2015) • The vacuum-sucking fright screw (2016, German 2018)
