Movie Reviews/The Magic Flute

This film can be viewed at no cost on the following YouTube site:

Two traditional ways to experience an opera in the modern world

This review is about film based on an opera composed by Mozart known to the English-speaking world as The Magic Flute. The film was created by the director Ingmar Bergman in 1977. The film is revolutionary because it represents a third way to view Mozart's (and Schikaneder's) creation. We begin by reviewing the two obvious ways to experience an opera:

The best way to experience any opera is to view it live, sharing the experience with a real audience. You will see and hear real people sharing their emotions as they strive for perfection, and perhaps make mistake or two. The opera is a shared experience with fellow audience members as you sit quietly, perhaps trying not to cough, and occasionally expressing approval by clapping or standing up with a shout of "bravo". Real life opera is an immersive experience that you paid for and probably dressed for. You decided with whom to go, and likely had to travel out of town to see. All of that makes the opera magic in a way that cannot be fully explained or understood.

Another way to experience opera is to observe a pre-recorded performance. You will probably see more and you might even have better acoustics. But something is missing. Perhaps it is the suspense of not knowing how well the performance will turn out. Or it might be the absence of sharing joy and other emotions with those you know, as well as with those you don't know. Or maybe it comes from human weakness: By not investing time and money on the experience, we are unable to appreciate it. What distinguishes Bergman's film from traditional efforts to depict opera is the way he compensates for that fact that it is not a live performance. Ironically, he seems to do this by reminding you that you are watching a movie.

Bergman's third way

Bergman compensates for absence of "real life" performers with a series of distractions: He shows you the audience and even introduces a major character in the form of young child, a girl whose face you can watch as she sees the opera, obviously for the first time. Other distractions include the offstage behavior of the performers, including a rather odd member of the cast, an extra who doesn't seem to know how to properly play a terrifying dragon (sometimes it's difficult to find quality extras in a production with a tight budget.)

Another diversion is the quality of the set. Especially in the modern era, we expect to see a reality made possible by special effects. The strings used to make the magic flute float are clearly visible to the audience when the film was released in 1977 (though perhaps not on your computer screen in the YouTube rendition of the film.) The amateurish performance of the dragon raises questions about the quality of cast members who are playing the bit parts. While Bergman was unable to recreate the suspense of seeing an opera live, he makes it clear that there is more to an opera than can be recorded simply by filming the performers while they are onstage.

Not only does Bergman go behind the opera's storyline, he goes behind the movie's script to remind you that this is a movie directed by Bergman. Bergman's films are noted for long silent shots of an actor's face. In his 1966 film, Persona, one of the two major costars is mute throughout most of the film. Perhaps Bergman was gifted at instructing actors on what expressions to exhibit. More likely, he was gifted at selecting actors who could display such expressions, as well as gifted in how to use those expressions.

A peculiar use of facial expression occurs flashes through audience members as they listen to the overture: A child looks directly into the camera and sheepishly smiles. Audience members in an opera never acknowledge the existence of a camera pointed at them because there is no such camera. Why did Bergman chose not to cut that smile into the camera? Or did he instruct to look at the camera? With a Bergman film we never know if the director's brilliance or the actor's talent is at play. The true source of excitement in opera is not storyline or the set; in fact they all seem contrived. With that brief stare into the camera, Bergman reminds you that even the audience is not real. Only the singing, the acting, and the music are real. The suspense and human connection is with the orchestra and the singers. Everything else seems like a distraction.

The ancient Greek theatre and moral relativism

The Magic Flute takes you into different worlds, of Mozart, of Bergman, and of the ancient Greeks. Bergman's decision to show children seeing an opera might be based on the fact that he first saw the Magic Flute when he was a child. The experience inspired him to attempt a version of the story in a puppet theater that he created when he was 11 years old. ^[1]. Bergman was also inspired by Greek theatre, where is common for the chorus to face the audience, giving commentary, expressing emotions, or even giving aide to characters in the play. In Bergman's movie the chorus plays several key roles, and different characters take on the role, often giving moral and ethical advice directly to the audience. There are good and bad players on both sides of the battle: There is a traitor among the brotherhood, and allies of the "evil" side are nearby when magical gifts are presented to the hero and his friend.

An entirely different set of moral and ethical issues arise between the world of Mozart and the modern world. It has been suggested that Mozart was inspired by Freemasonry, which his Catholic church opposed. Another conundrum is the blatant racist and sexist themes that permeate the storyline in a way that Bergman chose not to hide. The sexual predator, and evil Moore had a relatively light complexion made darker by body-paint applied in a pathetically poor fashion. Keep in mind, that in 1977 cultured society was not as sensitive to such antics as they would be today. Finally, another theme not suitable for all audiences is the fact that a major character is preparing to commit suicide when he is interrupted by some good news. All of this makes Bergman's film more suitable for contemplating childhood than actually showing to a child.

Acquiring a taste for classical music

This section is inspired by that fact most moviegoers are not aficionados of classical music, and prefer to listen to "popular" music. Bot genres seem to have one thing in common: Appreciation is a song is often enhanced by listening to it more than once. Ferenc Fricsay conducted this RIAS Symphonie-Orchester in this 1951 performance of The Magic Flute^[2] There are two ways you might listen to this taped performance in preparation for seeing any form of the actual opera: One is to listen to the bold faced arias; they are the ones that are the most well known. Another idea is to listen to the overture perhaps the first few in chronological order. That's the order Mozart wanted you to hear.

Classical and modern popular music might have one thing in common: When you like a song, you are likely to want to hear is several times over the period of a month or two. Classical music has complex rhythms, and much of Mozart is played at a fast pace. The untrained ear will have trouble following it.

01. Overture
02. Help!
03. Bird catcher
04. Beautiful portrait
05. Tremble not, my son
06. Hm, hm, hm
07. Come little pigeon
08. Men inspired to love
09. Take this
10. Magic sounds
11. Quick courage
12. Long live Sarastro!
13. March of the Priests1:03
14. Oh Isis and Osiris1:07
15. Women's tricks
16. Like like like1:12
17. The joys of love1:15
18. Hell's vengeance1:17
19. In these holy halls1:21
20. Welcome us again
21. I feel it1:31
22. Isis and Osiris- bliss!1:49
23. Will I see you again?
24. A girl or little wife1:25
25. The sun will shine1:36
26. Path of troubles
27. My Tamino!
28. Papagena! 1:41
29. Only silence2:04
30. Drive the night away2:06

Other works by Mozart

Magic flute's Köchel number is K620. It was first performed in 1791 (the same year Mozart died.) Shown below are the Köchel number and year of composition of some of best known works from that period in his life:

Piano Concerto No 20 D-Minor
K466 (1785)

I. Allegro (13:09)

II. Romanze (7:59)

III. Rondo, Allegro assai (6:29)

wikipedia:Piano Concerto No. 20 (Mozart)

Symphony No 40 G-Minor
K550 (1785)

I. Molto allegro (8:13)

II. Andante (10:15)

III. Menuetto. Allegretto – Trio (4:32)

IV. Finale. Allegro assai (7:11)

wikipedia:Symphony No. 40 (Mozart)

Eine kleine Nachtmusik
K525 (1787)

I. I. Allegro (5:55)

II. Romanze: Andante (4:26)

IV. Finale: Allegro (5:55)

wikipedia:Eine kleine Nachtmusik