"The Magic Flute"

Victoria Fagg
Professor Roundtree
Art 211-LN
25 September 2017
The Magic Flute
            The Magic Flute or Die Zauberflöte is an opera that was written in 1791 by Wolfgang Mozart (Schwarm).  On September 30th was the first showing of the opera (Schwarm). This was Mozart’s last piece that he created before passing away (Schwarm). I watched remade version of the opera, “The Magic Flute” is a beautiful story about love and personal development. Tamino, a price, is saved by the three ladies of the Queen of Night from a snake and is told he needs to save her daughter, Pamina, from Sarasto the Priest of the Sun. The Queen of the Night says if Tamino saves her daughter than he may have her hand in marriage. Papageno, the bird man, who works for the Queen of the Night goes with Tamino to find Pamina and love of his own. With the guide of the magic flute and the silver bells the two men go off to try to find love. Eventually, through many tests set up by Sarasto, Tamino shows that he gained the knowledge and wisdom to be with Pamina and they both live happily together. Through the mise en scene, technology, and socially challenging meaning, “The Magic Flute” is an important opera of the 18th century. I enjoyed watching this opera, just when you thought Tamino and Pamina would get their happy ending another obstacle got in their way.
            Throughout the remade production that I watched, the mise en scene well executed. The costumes were fantastic in the remade film. All the detail in every costume flowed together and were cohesive with the set pieces. The transition between scenes flowed seamlessly. While the performers were singing, people behind the scenes would move the backdrops and change the scene. Using this technique distracts the audience from the fact that pieces of the set are changing across the stage. I can only imagine what the set pieces must looked in the original opera preformed but I bet they were extravagant. Also, with the extravagance came the latest technology for stage production. The scenes with the 3 sprits must have had advanced technology. The remade version has much more advanced technology than back in 1791 but if in the first production they were able to lift then sprits in the air this would be incredible advancement in technology at the time. I picture the 3 spirts in “The Magic Flute” to be like the “Amedeus” video clip we watched in class where the queen of night is lifted above the stage and emphasized (Amedus-Class Website). The mise en scene is what brings the whole performance together to create a wonderful story. “The Magic Flute” was important opera which advanced new techniques to the mise en scene. This piece being the last opera Mozart composed makes this piece an important in the history of opera.
            Some of the meaning behind “The Magic Flute” I feel would make people in the 18th century have an unconformable feeling. The time that this opera was written was during the European enlightenment (Schwarm). The opera is full of masonic symbolism and enlightenment (Weinstock). People felt, they needed to grow and become smarter to fulfil the meaning of their lives. This concept to me connects to a recently modern thought, that people must love themselves before they can truly love another. Papageno is not sure if love is worth risking everything, but throughout the opera he finds what he truly wants and finds Papagena. During this enlighten period, societal views changed drastically (Knowles). “The political and social prerogatives of the church were also threatened by the Enlightenment.” (Knowles). Tamino’s journey and tests of Sarasto were to make him understand what it means to be a god, “When fortitude and righteousness anoint the shining path of fame then is the Earth a heavenly realm when gods and morals are the same.” (The Magic Flute (4/6)). Tamino had to become like a god to be able to earn the right to have Pamina. People on earth becoming a god would be strange concept to the viewers of the opera because god rules over all. Humans becoming a god could also go against ranking of power since many kings of the time were said to be appointed by god. The meaning of being a better person to be able to love one truly made this story deeper than other classic love stories. Instead of the prince saving the princess and falling in love right away, “The Magic Flute” showed the depth in the love.  This piece differently challenge the thinking of the people if the time. I feel that this opera was one that questions society and pushes it change for the better.
            The video game I would create would be called “The Journey of the Magic Flute and Sliver Bells”. The game would be a story mode where players fallow the story of “The Magic Flute” throughout the game. I get the inspiration from the game I have at home, Disney Infinity. Where you can purchase and collect different character to unlock their stories and fallow along. For example, in the video game there would be Tamino or Papageno character pieces. Every character from the opera world have a game piece and with each character would unlock a different scene. At the beginning of the game, players would be able to design their own magic flute and silver bells. This would give the players a sense is imagination and help relate themselves to the story. Throughout the game, you would have to battle the same obstacles that Tamino and Papageno faced in their journey to find love, using ether Tamino’s magical flute or Papageno’s silver bells. To get to the next levels, scenes, the players must fallow the musical notes in a certain amount of time just as Tamino and Papageno found each other during the opera. Once you have completed all the obstacles Tamino ends up saving Pamina and Papageno finds Papagena.
            “The Magic Flute” has help technology and society grow. Technology used in the stage production advances the misa en scene. Without advancing technology the world would not be able to grow and become better. Likewise, without the challenging what is wrong in society, people cannot grow and learn. Mozart brings in the topic of enlightenment into a place where it is not welcomed and causes the audiences to think about themselves and society’s views. Through a video game, “The Journey of the Magic Flute and Sliver Bells”, is a modern and interactive to know the opera “The Magic Flute”.

Sources:
The Magic Flute (4/6):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YK3JjXfLGc- Videos used to             watch The Magic Flute

Amedus-Class Website: http://art211.santiago.bz/?page_id=177#prettyPhoto- Amudes Video         under Links

Knowles, Michael David, and Michael Frassetto. “The Age of Reformation and Counter-    Reformation.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 19 July 2017,            https://www.britannica.com/topic/Roman-Catholicism/The-age-of-Reformation-and-Counter-Reformation#ref479525

Schwarm, Betsy, and Linda Cantoni. “The Magic Flute” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 4 January 2015, https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Magic-Flute


Weinstock, Herbet. “From the ‘Reform’ to Grand Opers.” Encyclopædia Britannica,           Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 21 April 2017, https://www.britannica.com/art/opera- music/From-the-reform-to-grand-opera#ref395664

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