Music by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Libretto by

Emanuel Schikaneder

2004/2005

Study Guide

This guide was written by Boston Lyric Opera/Opera New England’s

Education and Community Programs Department

© 2004 Boston Lyric Opera

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Table of Contents

Using this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-iv

Connecting to Massachusetts Learning Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v-xii

PART ONE: What Is Opera? What is The Magic Flute? The Story Behind the Opera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 Cast of Characters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Synopsis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5 Opera at a Glance: An Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Elements of Opera. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Different Styles of Opera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 What is Singspiel? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 The Creators of Opera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Mozart and Schikaneder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 The Great Opera Composers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-14 Freemasonry, the Founding Fathers, and The Magic Flute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-16 The Interpreters of Opera: Putting It On the Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-18 The Performers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-20 Libretto of The Magic Flute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-33 Theatre Etiquette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35-38

PART TWO: Activities and Worksheets The Age of Enlightenment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 The Art of Storytelling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Music: Birdcatcher’s Song. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Opera Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Magic Math . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-47 The Meaning of Storytelling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Mozart and the American Revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Opera Connoisseurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Quest for Pamina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Sevenfold Sun Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Travels With Mozart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53-54 The Magic Flute Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55-56, 58-

59, 62-63 Questions for Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Words as Imagery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Opera Soup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Project Ideas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64-65

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Drama: Walk Like A… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Sound Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67-68 Music and Art: Drawing Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Styles of Poetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70-72 Always a Critic! Write Your Own Opera Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74-76 Set Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77-79 More Sound Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80-81

PART THREE: Educator Resources Books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83-85 Video and DVD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Audio recordings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Answer Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87-88

Acknowledgments Special thanks to Kelly Perlick, Education Intern, who assisted with the formatting and organization of this study guide, and to Linda Cabot Black, Boston Lyric Opera board member, who created the original versions of several of the articles featured in this guide.

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Using This Guide

Welcome! This Boston Lyric Opera/Opera New England (ONE) study guide has been developed to help you and your students explore the subject of opera, The Magic Flute, and a wide variety of related subjects. The guide approaches these subjects via a wide range of disciplines, including language arts, reading, math, science, problem-solving, and social studies. Part One of the guide, “What Is Opera? What Is The Magic Flute?” will open students’

eyes to opera with basic, accessible introductions to the art of opera in general and to the story and themes of Mozart’s The Magic Flute in particular. The arrangement of pages in Part One is meant to inspire chronological usage; that is, moving through Part One from the beginning will provide you with an ever-widening overview of The Magic Flute and of opera in general.

Part Two, a series of informational pages and activity sheets, offers an

interdisciplinary approach to educating students about The Magic Flute and related subjects. Many of these pages can be used by the students themselves.

Part Three, Educator Resources, provide teachers with additional resources in print,

on CD or video, and on the web that can be used in addition to the materials found in the guide.

Massachusetts K-8 Curriculum Standards Each activity in this guide can be linked to the Massachusetts K-8 Learning Standards.

ONE for all! This study guide is designed for use in grades 2-8. Successful navigation of the informational sheets and activities found within requires varying levels of skill. Some activities appear more or less advanced than others. In using this guide, we hope you will feel free to adapt pages or activities to best meet the needs of your students. A simple activity may be a perfect launching pad for a higher-level lesson, and a complex lesson may contain key points onto which younger students can latch. Please make this guide your own!

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Prior to the day of performance students should, minimally: o Know the basic plot line of the opera o Be able to recognize all the major character names o Know the name of the composer

Thorough, creative use of this guide will help your students to know much more, enhancing their enjoyment of the opera even further.

CD Recordings of The Magic Flute Boston Lyric Opera/Opera New England is very pleased to provide teachers who have purchased tickets for Boston-area performances with a complimentary CD of The Magic Flute to help you prepare your students for the performance (limit one CD per school). INTRODUCE OPERA: When they hear the word “opera”, most children will not know what to expect. This CD will help. Play highlights of the opera from the compact disc recording we have provided: Die Zauberflöte (highlights). Karl Böhm, conductor; singers: Peters, Fischer-Dieskau, Lear, Wunderlich, Otto, Crass; Berliner Philharmoniker; Deutsche Grammophon 429825-2.

# 1: Overture Have students listen for the three chords that are played at the beginning of the overture. Ask them when they hear the three chords again.

# 2: Zu Hilfe! Zu Hilfe! (Oh help me! Protect me!) In Tamino’s aria, he sings: “Oh help me, protect me, my power forsake me! The treacherous serpent will soon overtake me. . . . Oh rescue me, protect me, save me, rescue me.”

# 3: Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja (I am a man of wide-spread fame) This is Papageno’s famous folk song where he sings: “I am a man of widespread fame, and Papageno is my name. To tell you all in simple words; I make my living catching birds. . . . . I’d like to fill my net with all the pretty girls I’ve met.” Music for this song appears on page 42 of the study guide. Teach your students the melody and English translation of this song – it’s easy to learn!

# 4: Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön (O image angel-like and fair!) In this aria by Tamino, he sings of his infatuation with Pamina: “O image angel like and fair! No mortal can with thee compare! I feel it, I feel it how this godly sight pervades my heart with new delight. I can not name this strange desire which burns my heart with glowing fire.”

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# 5: O zitre nicht, mein leider Sohn! (Oh tremble, not, my son arise) In this aria the Queen of the Night sings of her grief over her daughter Pamina’s capture by the evil Sarastro. “An evil fiend tore her from me. How helpless she cowered, her strength over-powered! What sad consternation! What vain desperation! . . . For all my efforts were too weak.”

# 6: Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen (The man who feels sweet love’s emotion) In this duet, Papageno and Pamina sing of their desire to find their true loves. “Each maid must share his deep devotion, and from this duty never part. The joys of love shall be our own. We live by love, by love alone.”

# 7: O Isis und Osiris (O Isis and Osiris) In this aria and chorus, Sarastro and chorus members sing of their desire that Tamino and Pamina discover the right path to seek The Truth. “O Isis and Osiris favor this noble pair with wisdom light! Grant them your aid in their endeavor. Lead them to find the path of right . Let them be strong against temptation. . . Take them to your abode on high.”

# 8: Alles fühlt der Liebe Freuden (All the world is full of lovers) In this aria, Monostatos laments of his loneliness in never having a girlfriend. “All the world is full of lovers, man and maiden, bird and bee. Why am I not like the others? No one ever looks at me!”

# 9: Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen (The wrath of hell within my breast I cherish) In this classic aria, the Queen of the Night sings of her anger that Tamino has failed and Sarastro still has her daughter. “The wrath of hell within my breast I cherish; death, desperation, death, desperation prompt, the oath I swore. If by your hand Sarastro does not perish . . . then as my child I know you nevermore.”

# 10: In deisen heilgen Hallen (Within these holy portals) In this aria, Sarastro sings of Tamino and Pamina’s journey. “Within these holy portals, revenge remains unknown, and to all erring mortals, their way by love is shown.”

# 11: Seid uns zum zweitenmal willkommen (Here in Sarastro’s hallowed border) In this trio, the three spirits (genii) welcome Tamino and Papageno into Sarastro’s temple.

# 12: Ach, ich fühl’s, es ist verschwunden (Ah, I feel, to grief and sadness) In this touching aria, Pamina sings of her pain from being rebuffed by Tamino during his vow of silence. “Ah, I feel, to grief and sadness, ever turned is love’s delight. Gone forever joy and gladness. In my heart reigns mournful night.”

# 13: O Isis und Osiris (O Isis and Osiris!) The chorus and Sarastro sing of what is to come for Tamino. “The noble youth through suffering recreated. Shall be to holy office consecrated.”

# 14: Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen (I’d give my finest feather) Papagena sings of his heart’s desire to find his “little Papagena.” “I’d give my finest feather to find a pretty wife. Two turtledoves together, we’d share a happy life!”

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# 15: Papagena! Papageno and Papagena sing of their life together and building a happy family. “Now I will be thine forever… come be my little starling . . . and their grace on us bestowing, will send us tiny children dear.”

# 16: Die Strahlen der Sonne (The sun’s radiant glory has vanquished the night) Sarastro and chorus sing of the triumphant of good over evil. Note: The English libretto translation used in the above musical examples is taken from the G. Shirmer Opera Score of The Magic Flute.

Calling All Teachers! Send us your ideas! How do you use the study guide with your students? Have you developed classroom activities or helpful tips to supplement the guide? Share your ideas with us. Email us at education@blo.org or mail your ideas to:

Calling All Teachers! c/o Education Department

Boston Lyric Opera 45 Franklin Street, 4th floor

Boston, MA 02110-1316

Be sure to include your name, school, contact information, and grade/subject taught.

Questions? If you have any questions about how to use this guide, contact:

Lucas Dennis Education and Community Programs Manager

(617) 542-4912 extension 239 ldennis@blo.org

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Connecting This Guide to Massachusetts Learning Standards Boston Lyric Opera is proud to create educational materials that connect opera to multiple disciplines and reinforce the learning standards summarized by the Commonwealth’s Department of Education. This study guide meets the following learning standards as outlined in the K-8 Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.

ARRANGED BY PAGE NUMBER

Page Number (s)

Title

Subject (s)

Standard (s)

Language Arts 8: Understanding a Text 15: Style and Language

1-2 The Story Behind the Opera

History 3: Research, Evidence, and Point of View 5: Interdisciplinary Learning

3 Cast of Characters Language Arts 8: Understanding a Text 17: Dramatic Literature

4-5 Synopsis Language Arts 8: Understanding a Text 15: Style and Language

Language Arts 8: Understanding a Text 9: Making Connections 13: Nonfiction

6 Opera at a Glance: An Introduction

Arts 21: Purposes of the Arts 22: Roles of Artists in Communities 23: Concepts of Style 27: Interdisciplinary Connections

Language Arts 8: Understanding a Text 13: Nonfiction

7 The Elements of Opera

Arts 10: Critical Response 24: Materials, Inventions, and Technologies

8 Different Styles of Opera Arts 23: Concepts of Style Language Arts 13: Nonfiction 9 What is Singspiel? Arts 23: Concepts of Style Language Arts 13: Nonfiction Foreign

Languages 5. Comparison

10 The Creators of Opera Language Arts 9: Making Connections 13: Nonfiction

History 3: Research, Evidence, and Point of View 5: Interdisciplinary Learning

Arts 10: Critical Response 21: Purposes of the Arts 22: Roles of Artists in Communities

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Page Number (s)

Title

Subject (s)

Standard (s)

11 Mozart and Schikaneder History 1: Chronology and Cause 3: Research, Evidence, and Point of View 5: Interdisciplinary Learning

Arts 22: Roles of Artists in Communities Language Arts 13: Nonfiction 12-14 The Great Opera

Composers Arts 22: Roles of Artists in Communities

Language Arts 8: Understanding a Text 9: Making Connections 13: Nonfiction

Arts 22: Roles of Artists in Communities 15-16 Freemasonry, the

Founding Fathers, and The Magic Flute

History 1: Chronology and Cause 2: Historical Understanding 3: Research, Evidence, and Point of View 5: Interdisciplinary Learning

Language Arts 9: Making Connections 13: Nonfiction

Arts 21: Purposes of the Arts 17-18 The Interpreters of Opera:

Putting It On the Stage Arts 22: Roles of Artists in Communities

24: Materials, Inventions, and Technologies

19-20 The Performers Language Arts 8: Understanding a Text 13: Nonfiction

Arts 24: Materials, Inventions, and Technologies 27: Interdisciplinary Connections

21-33 Libretto Language Arts 4: Vocabulary and Concept Development 8: Understanding a Text 12: Fiction 17: Dramatic Literature 18: Dramatic Reading and Performance

Arts 11: Acting 34 Theatre Etiquette Language Arts 8: Understanding a Text

Language Arts 4: Vocabulary and Concept Development 5: Structure and Origins of Modern English

35-38 Glossary of Terms

Foreign Languages

5: Comparison

History 2: Historical Understanding 5: Interdisciplinary Learning

40 The Age of Enlightenment

Language Arts 2: Questioning, Listening, Contributing 4: Vocabulary and Concept Development 13: Nonfiction

41 The Art of Storytelling Arts 23: Concepts of Style

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Page Number (s)

Title

Subject (s)

Standard (s)

Language Arts 2: Questioning, Listening, Contributing 4: Vocabulary and Concept Development 19: Writing

42 Music: Birdcatcher’s Song Arts 6: Singing 7: Reading and Notation

43 Opera Crossword Language Arts 4: Vocabulary and Concept Development

44-47 Magic Math Math 1: Understanding Numbers 2: Understanding Operations 4: Address Data in Charts

48 The Meaning of Storytelling

Language Arts 2: Questioning, Listening, Contributing 4: Vocabulary and Concept Development 9: Making Connections 15: Style and Language

History 1: Chronology and Cause 2: Historical Understanding 5: Interdisciplinary Learning

49 Mozart and the American Revolution

Language Arts 9: Making Connections 50 Opera Connoisseurs Arts 25: Research in the Arts Language Arts 2: Questioning, Listening,

Contributing 51 Quest for Pamina Arts 18: Observation, Abstraction, and

Invention 52 Sevenfold Sun Circle Arts 17: Elements and Principles of

Design 53-54 Travels

With Mozart Geography 8: Places and Regions of the World

55-56, 58-59, 62-63

The Magic Flute Vocabulary

Language Arts 4: Vocabulary and Concept Development

57 Questions for Discussion Language Arts 2: Questioning, Listening, Contributing

Arts 25: Research in the Arts 60 Words as Imagery Language Arts 15: Style and Language

19: Writing 61 Opera Soup Language Arts 4: Vocabulary and Concept

Development 19: Writing 23: Organizing Ideas in Writing

64-65 Project Ideas Arts 18: Observation, Abstraction, and Invention 19: Processes of Artistry 21: Purposes of the Arts 24: Materials, Inventions, and Technologies 25: Research in the Arts 27: Interdisciplinary Connections

66 Drama: Walk Like A… Arts 1: Movement Elements 11: Acting

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Page Number (s)

Title

Subject (s)

Standard (s)

67-68 Sound Science Science 4, 5: Forms of Energy 11: Sound Energy

69 Music and Drawing: Drawing Music

Arts 10: Critical Response 27: Interdisciplinary Connections

70-72 Styles of Poetry Language Arts 14: Poetry 15: Style and Language

Arts 19: Processes of Artistry 23: Concepts of Style 27: Interdisciplinary Connections

74-76 Always a Critic! Write Your Own Opera Review

Language Arts 19: Writing 20: Consideration of Audience and Purpose 21: Revising 22: Standard English Conventions 23: Organizing Ideas in Writing 24: Research

77-79 Set Design Arts 14: Technical Theatre 19: Processes of Artistry

80-81 More Sound Science Science 4, 5: Forms of Energy 11: Sound Energy

ARRANGED BY SUBJECT AREA

LANGUAGE ARTS Learning Standard (K-8) Description Page Number (s) Standard 2: Questioning, Listening, and Contributing

Students will pose questions, listen to the ideas of others, and contribute their own knowledge or ideas in order to acquire new knowledge.

40, 41, 48

Standard 4: Vocabulary and Concept Development

Students will understand and acquire new vocabulary and use it correctly in reading and writing.

35-38, 43, 48, 55-56, 58-59, 62-63

Standard 5: Structure and Origins of Modern English

Students will analyze standard English grammar and usage and recognize how its vocabulary has developed and been influenced by other languages.

35-38

Standard 8: Understanding a Text

Students will identify the basic facts and main ideas in a text and use them as the basis for interpretations.

1-7, 11, 19-20, 21-33

Standard 9: Making Connections

Students will deepen their understanding of a literary or non-literary work by relating it to its contemporary context or historical background.

4-6, 10-11, 48-49

Standard 12: Fiction

Students will identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.

1-2, 4-5, 21-33

Standard 13: Nonfiction

Students will identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of the purposes, structures, and elements of nonfiction or informational materials and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.

6-20, 40

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Standard 14: Poetry

Students will identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of the themes, structure, and elements of poetry and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.

70-72

Standard 15: Style and Language

Students will identify and analyze how an author’s words appeal to the senses, create imagery, suggest mood, and set tone, and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.

1-2, 4-5, 21-33, 60, 70-72

Standard 17: Dramatic Literature

Students will identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of the themes, structure, and elements of drama and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.

21-33

Standard 18: Dramatic Reading and Performance

Students will present dramatic readings, recitations, and performances that demonstrate appropriate consideration of audience and purpose.

21-33

Standard 19: Writing

Students will write with a clear focus, coherent organization, and sufficient detail.

60-61, 70-76

Standard 20: Consideration of Audience and Purpose

Students will write for different audiences and purposes.

74-76

Standard 21: Revising

Students will demonstrate improvement in organization, content, paragraph development, level of detail, style, tone, and word choice in their compositions after revising them.

60-61, 70-76

Standard 22: Standard English Conventions

Students will use knowledge of standard English conventions in their writing, revising, and editing.

60-61, 70-76

Standard 23: Organizing Ideas in Writing

Students will organize ideas in writing in a way that makes sense for their purpose.

60-61, 70-76

Standard 24: Research

Students will gather information from a variety of sources, analyze and evaluate the quality of information they obtain, and use it to answer their own questions.

74-76

Standard 25: Evaluating Writing and Presentations

Students will develop and use appropriate rhetorical, logical, and stylistic criteria for assessing final versions of their compositions or research projects before presenting them to varied audiences.

74-76

HISTORY Learning Standard (K-8) Description Page Numbers Standard 1: Chronology and Cause

Students will understand the chronological order of historical events and recognize the complexity of historical cause and effect, including the interaction of forces from different spheres of human activity, the importance of ideas, and of individual choice, actions, and character.

15-16, 40, 49

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Standard 2: Historical Understanding

Students will understand the meaning, implications, and import of historical events, while recognizing the contingency and unpredictability of history by studying past ideas as they were thought, and past events as they were lived, by people of the time.

15-16, 40, 49

Standard 3: Research, Evidence, and Point of View

Students will acquire the ability to frame questions that can be answered by historical study and research.

1-2, 10, 15-16

Standard 5: Interdisciplinary Learning

Students will describe and explain differing conceptions of human nature, the ideas of human nature in the arts, political and economic theories, education of the public, and the conduct of individual lives.

1-2, 10, 15-16, 40, 49

GEOGRAPHY Learning Standard (K-8) Description Page Numbers Standard 8: Places and Regions of the World

Students will describe the earth’s natural features and their physical and biological characteristics; they will be able to visualize and map oceans and continents; mountain chains and rivers; forest, plain and desert; resources both above and below ground; and conditions of climate and seasons.

53-54

SCIENCE Learning Standard (K-8) Description Page Numbers Standard 4: Forms of Energy

Identify the basic forms of energy (light, sounds, heat, electrical, and magnetic). Recognize that energy is the ability to cause motion or create change.

67-68, 80-81

Standard 5: Forms of Energy

Give examples of how energy can be transferred from one form to another.

67-68, 80-81

Standard 11: Sound Energy

Recognize that sound is produced by vibrating objects and requires a medium through which to travel. Relate the rate of vibration to the pitch of the sound.

67-68, 80-81

MATH Learning Standard (K-8) Description Page Numbers Standard 1: Understanding Numbers

Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems.

44-47

Standard 2: Understanding Operations

Understand meanings of operations and how they relate to one another

44-47

Standard 4: Address Data in Charts

Formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them. Develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that are based on data.

44-47

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FOREIGN LANGUAGE Learning Standard (K-8) Description Page Numbers Standard 5: Comparison

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the nature of language through comparison of the language studied and their own.

9, 35-38

ARTS Learning Standard (K-8) Description Page Numbers Standard 1: Movement Elements

Students will identify and demonstrate movement elements and dance skills.

66

Standard 6: Singing

Students will sing with others a varied repertoire of music.

42

Standard 7: Reading and Notation

Students will read music written in standard notation.

42

Standard 10: Critical Response

Students will describe and analyze the music of others.

7, 69

Standard 11: Acting Students will develop acting skills to portray characters who interact in improvised and scripted scenes.

21-33, 66

Standard 14: Technical Theatre

Students will demonstrate skills in using the basic tools, media, and techniques involved in theatrical production.

77-79

Standard 15: Critical Response

Students will describe and analyze the theatrical work of others.

74-76

Standard 17: Elements and Principles of Design

Students will demonstrate knowledge of the elements and principles of design.

52, 77-79

Standard 18: Observation, Abstraction, and Invention

Students will demonstrate their powers of observation, abstraction, and invention by using a variety of media and materials.

51, 64-65

Standard 19: Processes of Artistry

Students will demonstrate knowledge of the processes of creating their own artistic work.

64-65, 77-79

Standard 21: Purposes of the Arts

Students will describe the purpose for which works of dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and architecture were and are created.

6, 10, 15-16, 64-65,

Standard 22: Roles of Artists in Communities

Students will describe the roles of artists, patrons, cultural organizations, and arts institutions in societies of the past and present.

7, 11, 12-14

Standard 23: Concepts of Style

Students will demonstrate their understanding of styles, influence, and change by identifying when and where art works were created, and by analyzing characteristic features of the work.

6, 8, 9, 41, 50

Standard 24: Materials, Inventions, and Technologies

Students will describe and analyze how performing and visual artists use materials, inventions, and technologies.

10, 64-65

Standard 25: Research in the Arts

Students will conduct research on topics in the arts by framing open-ended questions.

50, 64-65

Standard 27: Interdisciplinary Connections

Students will apply their knowledge of the arts to the study of English language arts, foreign languages, history, social science, math, and technology.

64-65, 70-72

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The Story Behind The Opera…

The Sevenfold Sun & the magic flute

nce upon a time, there lived in the East a wise King, whose good deeds were prized far and wide. In his possession was the Sevenfold Sun Circle, which could reveal the secrets of Nature and thus give great power to its possessor. The King

knew that the Sun Circle’s power could be misused, but he guarded it carefully and used it only for the benefit of mankind. The Queen, his wife, was very beautiful. She was also hungry for more power. With great deliberation the King withstood her entreaties to create with the Sun Circle more power and splendor for themselves. Their only child was a daughter, named Pamina. She was very attached to her father. She often accompanied him on journeys through his kingdom, to see to the lot of his subjects, punish wrong, and reward the good. On one such journey, the King, traveling alone, lost his way in the high mountains, where a powerful storm overtook him. He found shelter under a mighty and ancient oak tree. The storm lasted three days. And while he waited he carved from the tree’s wood a flute. As he blew upon it, it led him home, for it was a magic flute. The King put it carefully away.

On the border of the kingdom, in the trackless Fire Mountains, lay the grounds of a sacred temple, the seat of an ancient Order of people who had set upon themselves the duty to learn wisdom, to free mankind from the darkness of superstition and hate, and to preach brotherly love. Only the wisest persons of each age could become full members of this order, after they had undergone hard tests, in which they must show constancy, courage, and discretion. The temple and its grounds became a shining example of human activity, and the members served mankind in many lands.

From time to time the forces of evil overran the temple grounds and tried to destroy the Order, but always it regrouped and rebuilt, and became stronger. During the reign of the wise king and the beautiful queen, the leader of this Order was named Sarastro,2 an exceptionally wise man. A deep friendship arose between the King and Sarastro. The two met often and Sarastro would counsel the King in his affairs of state. With the two men working closely together, the kingdom flourished. In a neighboring kingdom a prince had been born, who was now fast becoming a man – so skillful, brave, and prudent that even Sarastro and the wise King began to hear of him. It became the King’s innermost wish that this young prince Tamino might someday reign together with Pamina over his kingdom.

2 See Zoroaster and Zoroastrianism, the religion of Persia from ancient times until the coming of Islam in 636 A.D.

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Then it came to pass, that the wise King sickened and began to die. As he felt death approach, he called Sarastro to him. All his treasures, his crown, and his Magic Flute he left to his wife the Queen, but the Sevenfold Sun Circle he gave over to Sarastro for safe-keeping, for he feared the Queen would misuse it in her quest for power. Also, the King was afraid that Pamina would come to harm with the confusion that would spread throughout the country after his death. So he bade Sarastro to take his daughter, educate her in the precepts of the Order, and one day see her betrothed to

the young prince Tamino. As the king breathed his last, the Queen cursed him for taking away her daughter. Pamina grew into a beautiful maiden. She was well protected in Sarastro’s temple grounds, but was constantly pestered by the man Monostatos, whom Sarastro had appointed to watch over her. In her distress and loneliness, she became more and more homesick for her mother. But it had come to pass just as her father had foreseen: the land lay under the harsh and unjust rule of the selfish Queen. With great skill she spread the rumor that she had been betrayed by her husband and robbed by Sarastro. Her only goal was to possess the Sun Circle. To obtain this prized possession, she allied herself with the powers of evil and became known as the Queen of the Night. So reigned strife, confusion, and falsehood throughout the land, and even in the neighboring kingdom of Tamino’s father the Queen’s lies were believed.

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The magic Flute

THE CHARACTERS Tamino, a prince from a neighboring kingdom ....................................................................................Tenor

Three Ladies of the Queen of the Night ...................................................... 2 Sopranos, 1 mezzo-soprano

Papageno, bird catcher to the Queen............................................................................................................................................................Baritone

The Queen of the Night .....................................................................................................................Soprano

Pamina, her daughter ............................................................................................................................ Soprano

Monostatos, Pamina’s guard ....................................................................................................................Tenor

Sarastro, Leader of the Brotherhood of the Temple ..............................................................................Bass

Papagena, a bird-like young woman...................................................................................................Soprano

THE SETTING

A faraway land in the mountains between two kingdoms. Evocative of Ancient Egypt.

SYNOPSIS – THE STORY OF THE OPERA

Use this box to draw your

setting of the Magic Flute!

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A young prince named Tamino, out hunting in the forest, has strayed into the mountains and is being pursued by a dragon. He has no more arrows in his quiver, and, expecting to die, he faints. As he collapses, the Three Ladies of the Queen of the Night appear with huge spears and kill the dragon. The Ladies find the prince so handsome they are reluctant to leave, but finally go off to report to the Queen. In wanders Papageno, The Birdcatcher. Tamino awakens and Papageno introduces himself and explains that in exchange for food and wine he catches birds for the Queen of the Night. Tamino spies the dead dragon. “Did you save my life by killing that monster over there?” Papageno, seeing that the dragon is truly dead, replies, “Of course!” No sooner is the boast out of Papageno’s mouth than the Three Ladies reappear, scold him for lying, and place a padlock on his mouth. They then present Tamino with a miniature portrait of the Queen’s beautiful daughter, Pamina. They tell him that she has been kidnapped by the

evil Sarastro. The sky suddenly grows dark, and The Queen appears. She sorrowfully sings of her daughter’s abduction, and then turns to the prince, saying “I appoint you to rescue my daughter! If you succeed, you may have her hand in marriage.” Tamino, already smitten by the princess’s portrait, eagerly agrees to find and rescue her. Papageno is to accompany him. Before leaving on their quest, The Ladies and The Queen present them with a magic flute and a set of magic bells to keep them safe.

Meanwhile, Pamina is a prisoner in Sarastro’s Temple grounds, where she is tormented and threatened by her guard, the ugly Monostatos. The Queen enters Pamina’s quarters and orders Monostatos to leave Pamina alone. The Queen then demands that Pamina prove her love to her mother by killing Sarastro with a dagger. Pamina is horrified, but the Queen thrusts the dagger into her hand and leaves. Approaching Sarastro’s mountain retreat, Tamino and Papageno have become separated. Papageno comes upon Pamina, and recognizes her from her portrait. He tells her that she is to be rescued by Prince Tamino, who has fallen in love with her. Pamina, who is desperately lonely, is happy to hear that she is loved. Papageno tells her he too is lonely and wishes he could find a wife. Tamino now approaches the Temple grounds and is confronted by a priest (actually Sarastro himself), who confuses him by asserting that Sarastro is not evil but a wise and just leader. Pamina, he says, is not a prisoner; Tamino must wait until he learns the real story behind her separation from her mother. Furthermore, before Tamino can proceed, he must undergo certain trials to prove his courage and steadfastness. In lonely desperation, Tamino plays upon his magic flute, which has the power to make the beasts of the forest dance. In response, he hears the sounds of Papageno’s magic bells in another part of the Temple. Papageno and Pamina are still trying to find their way to join Tamino when they are accosted by

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Monostatos. As he threatens to tie them up, Papageno plays his magic bells, which put such a spell on Monostatos that he hops off dancing a jig. Finally, Tamino joins them, but Monostatos reenters with Sarastro and lays bare not only their attempt to escape, but also Pamina and her mother’s plot to assassinate Sarastro. Sarastro, however, sees through Monostatos’s scheming and banishes him from the Temple forever. Pamina begs Sarastro to believe that she could have never brought herself to kill him. She also begs forgiveness for her mother’s impulsive plotting, and not to seek revenge. Sarastro replies that revenge has no place in his realm. Before Tamino and Pamina can finally be together, Tamino (and Papageno) must undergo certain trials: of silence, then fire, then water. Pamina comes upon Tamino when he has been sworn to silence and does not answer her pleading. She sings of desperate sadness; devastated, she wanders off. Papageno has utterly failed his test of silence and fortitude, but in comes an old crone who persuades him that she could be his faithful wife. As Papageno contemplates life married to an old crone, she throws off her cloak and reveals that she is the lovely Papagena, the perfect wife for him. But Sarastro whisks her away. Tamino, having passed the test of silence, is reunited with Pamina, who now determines to accompany him through the two final tests of fire and water. Together they go through the terrifying initiations, Pamina leading the way and Tamino playing his faithful flute. Papageno is desperate to find his Papagena again. Just as he despairs, she appears, and together they plan their life together with lots of children. Monostatos, now siding with the Queen of the Night and her Ladies, leads the group into the Temple stronghold to destroy Sarastro, but the power of his Sevenfold Circle of the Sun sends them into the dark abyss.

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How did opera get started?

The concept of opera was developing many years before the first opera was written. Its beginnings can be traced to the ancient Greeks. They fused poetry and music, creating plays that incorporate song, spoken language and dance, accompanied by string or wind instruments. In the 1100s the early Christian church set religious stories to music, a style known as liturgical drama. The first true opera, Daphne, was composed by Jacopo Peri (1561-1633). It told the story of a Greek myth. The first great composer of opera was Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643). Some of his operas are still performed today.

Opera at a Glance: Introduction

What is opera? Opera is a dramatic story told through song. It is considered by many to be the most complete art form, combining all of the elements of art, words, music, art, drama, and dance. The earliest Italian operas were called several things, such as “favola in musica” (fable in music) and “dramma per musica” (drama by means of music). This last title is very close to the dictionary definition, and is the correct basis for any discussion about opera.

The unique thing in opera is the use of music to convey an entire story/plot. This is based on the feeling that music can communicate people’s reactions and emotions better than words (read or spoken) or pictures. Opera takes any type of dramatic story and tries to make it more exciting and more believable with the help of music. Many famous stories have been made into operas, including Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, and Romeo and Juliet.

How is Opera different around the world? Italy was the first country where opera became popular. It was the homeland of Jacopo Peri and Claudio Monteverdi. In time this exciting form of entertainment spread to the rest of Europe. France and Germany joined Italy as the principal opera producers. Eventually opera came to reflect the stories and musical styles of each of these countries. The Italians have always been famous for their love of singing, and so in Italian Opera there has always been great emphasis placed on the singer and the beautiful sounds of the human voice. It wasn’t until the late 19th century and

early 20th century with the later works of Verdi and the operas of Puccini was a balance achieved between the role of the orchestra and that of the singer, and the combining of these two forces, to give a more effective presentation of the story. The French have favored the pictorial side of drama, and this has led to a continuing emphasis on the visual spectacle, especially with dancing. An example of this: the Paris opera in the 19th century would not accept a work for performance if it did not contain a major ballet. Verdi, an Italian composer, had to add ballets to all of his works to get them performed in Paris. The Germans have always sought to extract from both the Italian and French traditions, and go beyond both in an attempt to present more than just a story. In fact, one of the greatest German opera composers, Richard Wagner, chose legends or myths for most of his opera plots so that he could communicate ideas as well as just tell a story.

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Intermission A break between

acts. This allows the audience to stretch and the performers to rest. Singing is

hard work!

Aria AR-ee-uh

A piece sung by one person. Arias allow

singers to “show off” while reflecting on their emotions.

Duet A musical piece

sung by 2 people.

Trio A musical piece sung by 3 people

Chorus A musical piece

sung by a group of people. The chorus may sing on stage

or off stage.

Recitative ress-it-uh-TEEV Speechlike singing that advances the

plot & fills the spaces between the arias & choruses.

Act A group of scenes with a common theme, such as a specific time or

place. Most operas consist of 1-5 acts.

Overture Musical

introduction played by the orchestra

that often consists of excerpts from

the opera.

The Elements of Opera _____________________________________________________________________________________ A score is the blueprint to an opera. It consists of the words, music, stage directions, and often performance notes for the entire show. An opera score is often divided into sections. It begins with the overture, followed by one to five acts, and one or more intermissions. Each act may be divided into scenes. The scenes are comprised of recitatives, arias, duets, larger ensemble,s and choruses.

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Grand opera Spectacular opera. It is performed with elaborate sets and costumes.

Many people are needed to make it happen. Grand opera involves

royalty, heroism, an elaborate ballet scene, and is often long. Composer Jules Massenet wrote opera in this

style.

Opera seria

Serious opera. These stories are often tragic, and typically involve

heroes and kings or ancient myths and gods. Some of

Handel’s operas are in this style.

Different Styles of Opera

Bel canto

This Italian phrase means “beautiful singing.” These operas grew from a

style of singing emphasizing long phrases, breath control and flexibility

in singing both loudly and softly. Because the voice is considered the most expressive element, the words

are often secondary. Gaetano Donizetti composed in this style.

Music drama A style of opera

that is created by a single artist who writes both the

text and the music to advance the

drama. This style fuses many art

forms, and makes each one as

important as the others. Composer Richard Wagner

(1813-1883) defined this style.

Opera buffa Comic opera, always sung in

Italian. The jokesters in these operas are always the

working class, such as maids, peasants, or servants, who keep busy getting the best of their employers.

Gioachino Rossini composed in this style.

Singspiel Singspiel evolved in German speaking countries out of the

comic opera tradition. It includes elements of comic opera, spoken dialogue interjected among the sung

phrases, and, often, an exotic or fanciful theme. Mozart’s The Magic Flute is an example of this style.

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Singspiel…A short Introduction Since the dawn of history, comic or popular theatre has existed alongside serious or tragic theatre. In primitive societies and in modern ones as well, comedy was commonly used as an invaluable way to get at truth. For example, in ancient Greece, satyr plays, those involving humor and improvisation, were as popular as the tragedies. Medieval morality plays featured a moral lesson and a goodly dose of clowning. In England, it was the genius of Shakespeare that managed to bring together these two elements in a single play—not once but again and again, in one masterpiece after another. Opera, too, was influenced by the audiences’ need for a good laugh. The first comedies took the form of entertainment during intermission (called intermezzi) between the acts of a serious opera. By the 18th century, intermezzi had evolved into opera buffa (comic opera) which was just as popular as its serious counterpart. Comedy requires jokes, and jokes require dialogue. Because it is difficult to fit the rhythms of dialogue into song forms, the Italians developed recitative, or sung dialogue (see Glossary). Recitative allowed composers to use music throughout an entire opera – not stopping for dialogue – yet tell dialogue-heavy jokes. The Germans, however, developed a different approach to musical comedy: singspiel (pronounced “zing-shpeel”), or, literally, “sing play.” In this form, spoken dialogue is interspersed among traditional arias. You will notice that this is the case in The Magic Flute. In all of these popular entertainments, Shakespeare’s plays and Mozart’s The Magic Flute stand virtually alone in their masterful integration of lowly comedy and high tragedy (or idealism).

Ladies & Gentlemen…

What type of Opera is The Magic Flute?

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The Creators _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Opera is created by a composer who writes the music, and a librettist who writes the words. Most operas are composed in European languages—mainly Italian, German, French, Russian, and English.

The Composer The composer has a historically important role in Western culture. Both the nobility and the Church respected musicians, and thus provided for the care and livelihood of artists throughout the latter part of the 18th century. Although artists benefited from the personal security of the patronage system, most did not have the freedom to choose the subject or style of their compositions. It was not until the end of the 1700s that the patronage system declined. The rise of the consumer class allowed composers to write music that could be published and sold to the public. The result was an explosion of creativity, in both style and subject, throughout Europe.

The Librettist The librettist creates or adapts a story so that it can be sung. The stories adapted for opera were usually taken from historical events, myths, poems or plays. Composers often had favorite librettists with whom they worked regularly. Perhaps the most well-known librettist is Lorenzo da Ponte (1749-1838) who collaborated with Mozart on three of his most popular operas: The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte.

Did you know? Today many opera companies in the United States project supertitles on screens above or beside the stage. They are English translations of the opera designed so that the audience can read what is being said or sung without taking their eyes off of the performer. This is distinct from subtitles where the text is displayed below the performance and often on a seat-back close to the spectator.

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Mozart and Schikaneder∗

Little Wolfgang Mozart, child prodigy pianist, violinist and composer, was the darling of most of the crowned heads of Europe before he was ten. At 35 when Mozart wrote The Magic Flute he was acknowledged by many educated people to be the greatest composer in Europe, but bad luck and boyish manners had made his career a constant struggle against ruin. It was Mozart’s fate to live in a century when musicians were, as often as not, treated like court tailors, or worse. But opera – this was the point at which the general public most often came in contact with the music of the great composer. Tunes from The Marriage of Figaro were being whistled everywhere. So, it was to opera he turned once again to recoup his finances. This time he chose as a collaborator Vienna’s most popular man of the

theatre, Emanuel Schikaneder. Schikaneder had a small wooden theatre on the outskirts of the city, in which he was producer, director, comedian,

tragedian, scriptwriter, and publicist all rolled into one. On alternating nights he might regale his audience with his comic turns, only to pack them in the next night as a histrionic Hamlet. He and Mozart had known each other for years, but now at last they would work together to create what would become Mozart’s final opera, The Magic Flute. Schikaneder had selected the story Lulu by Liebeskind, which had originally appeared in a volume of oriental tales. However, it turned out that the tale was being presented at another German theatre which prevented Schikaneder from proceeding as originally planned. Both Mozart and Schikaneder were Masons and during the late 1700’s the endorsement of Freemasonry was considered controversial (see page 15 on Freemasonry). Queen Maria Theresa indicted Freemasonry and she ordered her troops to break up the Masonic lodges. Schikaneder decided that this was his chance to make a political statement. For the next 150 years, most productions of The Magic Flute contained heavy Masonic symbolism. Mozart’s work on the opera was interrupted during the summer of 1791, first to start work on a Requiem, on commission from a mysterious stranger, then to write a completely different opera for the Emperor (which he finished in three weeks, La Clemenza di Tito, an opera also full of idealism and forgiveness). The Magic Flute opened on September 30th with Mozart conducting and Schikaneder in the role of Papageno the Birdcatcher, to great acclaim. It had many performances that autumn, but Mozart was unable to conduct them. He died on December 5th, leaving his Requiem incomplete. ∗ Linda Cabot Black created this article for the 1996 Opera New England Study Guide.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Emanuel Schikaneder

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The Great Opera Composers _____________________________________________________________________________________ More information about some of the composers who defined and re-defined the opera world!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro Mozart was a child prodigy who toured throughout Europe, performing and composing. When he was just 8 years old, his first compositions were published. Mozart served as performer and composer in a number of royal and papal courts, but insisted on freedom when composing. He was a prolific composer, completing more than 20 operas and countless chamber pieces, concertos, symphonies, and choral works.

Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) The Daughter of the Regiment, Don Pasquale

Donizetti was trained in music school as a singer and keyboardist, but some of his teachers did not think he could sing well enough. He was nearly kicked out of school, but the founder of the school believed in him and let him stay. Donizetti’s training paid off. He composed nearly 70 operas in his lifetime. Together with Italian composers Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, Donizetti is known for introducing a style of opera called bel canto, which means “beautiful singing.” Operas in the bel canto style focus on the singer’s voice.

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) The Barber of Seville, Otello Born to musician parents, Rossini was a natural musician himself. He was only 19 years old when he achieved success with one of his early operas. Rossini was a great lyric composer, always grateful for and attentive to the singer. Speed was one of Rossini’s most notable characteristics as a composer—in one year, he wrote five operas. In all, he composed 39 operas in 19 years, most meeting with great success. Rossini is also known as one of the three Italian composers who developed the bel canto style of opera (see Donizetti, above). He stopped writing operas in 1829, although he lived until 1868!

Gaetano Donizetti

Gioachino Rossini

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Georges Bizet

Giuseppe Verdi

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) La traviata, Don Carlos, Nabucco

Verdi was born into a lower middle class family of innkeepers and grocers. His education has been described as “self-taught,” the result of private study with various composers, as opposed to formal study at the conservatory. In 1839, his first opera premiered at the most famous theatre in Italy, La Scala. He was immediately commissioned to compose three more operas, and he began a rigorous schedule of composing an opera every nine months. His pace eventually slowed, though the importance of his work did not falter. In all, Verdi composed 27 operas; at the time of his death, he was regarded as a cultural icon.

Georges Bizet (1838-1875)Carmen Bizet was a child piano prodigy, admitted to the Paris Conservatory at the age of 10. Though his short career is marked by many incomplete works, his crowning achievement is Carmen, one of the best known operas of all time. Bizet is one of the best-known and best-loved proponents of a musical movement termed exoticism, that is, a fascination with Asian and Spanish music and themes. Carmen is a result of this movement. The opera was shunned by Paris audiences for its risqué themes, but was quickly revered when Bizet died of a heart attack, three months following the premiere.

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Turandot Puccini had an early music education and proceeded on to the Milan Conservatory. He fell in love with opera and decided to pursue a career in opera composition. He soon soared to success, playing with the musical movement of his time, verismo, or simply, realism. Elements of this style, which includes unrestrained emotion and drama, violence, and “everyday people,” are apparent in both La bohème and Tosca. Puccini is regarded as the greatest Italian composer of his time. Giacomo Puccini

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Richard Strauss

Richard Strauss (1864-1949) Salome, Elektra From his early years, the well-educated and financially stable Strauss absorbed the musical environment that surrounded him. He was deeply affected by Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde, and this influence is evident in Strauss’s own compositions. Strauss composed in both the raw, expressionist style of the early 20th century and the lighter, more Romantic style of his later operas. In all, he wrote 14 operas, and died peacefully in his home at the age of 85.

Richard Wagner (1813-1883) The Ring Cycle, Tristan and Isolde Wagner is responsible for revolutionizing opera in the 19th century. He was a scholar and composer with a strong literary background, and an appetite for political revolution. In fact, he fled to Switzerland in 1848, shunned by his native Germany. Wagner’s contribution to the opera world is dramatic—he was the first to describe his works as “music dramas,” focusing on drama through music. He wrote the words, he designed the set, he created musical idioms for characters, and he created an orchestra that could tell the story on its own. Wagner’s principal music drama is a cycle of four works called The Ring Cycle, which takes several days to perform.

Did you know? The composer Richard Wagner (VAHG-ner) revolutionized the idea of the libretto. His strong literary background prompted him to write all the texts to his music dramas. In addition, he took control of all aspects of the production, including set and costume design, music and stage direction. By unifying music and drama he demonstrated that drama, complemented by music and visual art, is among the greatest art forms.

Richard Wagner

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A little history…

Freemasonry, the founding fathers, & The Magic Flute

Freemasonry is an ancient secret order devoted to the moral development of individuals who enter it. Its roots are in the Judeo-Christian tradition: its symbols derive from the building, destruction, and rebuilding of the Temple of Jerusalem. There is debate over the actual date and location of the origins of modern Freemasonry, however. Some historians date it to back to the formation of fraternal organizations as an outgrowth of medieval stonemason guilds in the 1200s; others see the first significant event in modern Freemasonry as the formation of the first Grand Lodge in London in 1717. Freemasons insist that theirs is not a religion but a handmaiden to religion, which will make pious or serious persons better members of their churches. Nevertheless, at various times in the past, Freemasons have been persecuted by established religions. By the 18th century, particularly in Catholic countries such as Italy and Austria, Freemasonry and the church were on a collision course. During the course of the Enlightenment and the American and French Revolutions, certain concepts of Freemasonry were taken up by the political leaders. “Liberty – Equality – Fraternity," the rallying cry of the French Revolution, came from a triad of Masonic principles. Of particular interest to us is the role of Freemasonry in the founding of the United States of America. The great majority of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Masons, as were most of the generals in the Revolution. Except for the two Adamses, all of our Presidents through Andrew Jackson were Masons. Some of them, particularly deists like Jefferson, may have had philosophical conflicts, since Freemasons profess absolute allegiance to a supernatural deity, whereas Jefferson, like most of the philosophers of his time, was interested in natural law, the natural sciences, and the rule of reason. Both Mozart and Schikaneder were Masons, and had Masonic principles in mind while writing The Magic Flute. Among the key Masonic principles to consider include meeting “on the level” with other men: the men who gather in the “Lodge” as Freemasons are all equal and on the same level, regardless of social status or occupation. Mozart and Schikaneder drew from other sources as well: various exotic tales that were floating around at the time, and used in other, less distinguished extravaganzas. It was probably Mozart’s idealism, as much as Freemasonry itself, that took over as the moral principle of the opera; nevertheless, most productions of The Magic Flute between 1800 and 1950 were overwhelmingly Masonic in their décor, costumes, and symbolism. Mozart despised the patronage system (a system of servitude) under which he labored for most of his career. As a musician, he was treated very much as a servant: when the aristocratic rulers who hired him (the Archbishop of Salzburg, Emperor Joseph II, various counts and dukes) said “Jump,” Mozart could usually only ask “How high?” Prior to the early 19th century, the age of Beethoven and Rossini, musicians were craftsmen, or servants, much like a cook or a tailor. The Magic Flute was Mozart’s first opera to be written for a popular theatre and not under the patronage of the royalty or nobility. Sadly, it was his last opera, for he died a few months after its completion. It is fitting, therefore, that the themes in The Magic Flute reflect Mozart’s visions for a society in which all persons are created equal, and truth and goodness always triumph over deception and evil.

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The Role of Women

Like many organizations, Freemasonry has largely excluded women. However, controversy had already begun in Mozart’s time over whether or not women should be included as full members. There was already a subordinate membership called the Order of Mopsos: among its symbols was a golden padlock (women were obviously regarded as chatterers). The idea of man and woman fighting side by side had already become popular in the French revolution. Mozart, in any case, was far more enlightened on the subject of women than was orthodox Masonry. He has Sarastro set out to resolve the opera’s conflict by creating a “new pair,” Tamino and Pamina, who will synthesize the warring elements and herald a new golden age of peace and wisdom. Mozart has Pamina lead Tamino in their final tests, a young woman who is not afraid of night or death.

Some Masonic Symbols & Terms

The basic concept of “masonry” is to use the building of a temple, stone on stone, as an allegory of the building of moral character, step by step.

1. Masonic Symbols: Plumb (pointed piece of lead hanging on a string to give you true vertical- “the

symbol of absolute integrity); Level (carpenter’s tool to establish true horizontal- “the symbol of equality); Square (carpenter’s tool to find a right angle- “the symbol of morality and righteousness”); Pickax (the tool that loosens soil – “symbol of breaking bad habits”); and Blue (the predominant color of Masonry is blue – “representing the vault of heaven).”

2. Audi, Vide, Tace: Listen, observe, and be quiet. (In The Magic Flute we see how badly Papageno fails on this score.)

3. Number Three: The number three, which keeps recurring throughout the opera, is significant to the

teachings of the Masons. Look for the symbolism of three in the opera. There are many examples: three ladies, three geniis, the three temples, the three trials, etc. In the music, listen for the three heavy chords that open the overture and that are again repeated in the temple scene when Tamino begins his trials. The symbolism of three has been accredited to representing the three knocks on the door by the brotherhood to enter the Masonic lodge.

4. Egypt: The setting of the opera is in Egypt which is said to be where the rites of freemasonry

originated. 5. Did you know? U.S. President George Washington was a Mason. In Alexandria, Virginia there stands

today one of the most famous Masonic temples in this country - The George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. Open to visitors daily, it is an exceptionally beautiful structure that houses some of the artifacts from Washington’s life.

6. Cardinal Points of the Compass: First the building must be oriented. As with churches, Masonic

temples are oriented toward the East, which represents wisdom, enlightenment, and the rising of the sun. The South represents Beauty: the West is Strength, and the North is Darkness (obviously, Freemasonry was born in the northern hemisphere!).

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The Interpreters _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Once an opera is created, a team of artists begins the process of transforming the words and music into a visual spectacle. These artists are called directors and designers. Their role is essential in interpreting the intentions of the composer and librettist. The directors and designers develop an opera’s visual concept by first identifying the key themes. Then they engage in extensive research on the historical context for the work, including the clothing of the period and the culture of the society. Sometimes directors and designers choose to stay true to the history and setting of the work. Other times they elect to change the location or historical period of an opera. Either way, they are required to make countless decisions about everything from costumes to sets to the action on the stage.

Roles of the Artistic Team

The Stage Director is responsible for the action on the stage. This is accomplished by working with the singers for weeks before the performances, directing their movements and helping them develop their individual characters. The Music Director, also known as the conductor, interprets the music of the opera and rehearses it with the singers and the orchestra. During rehearsal the music is shaped to express different moods of the opera. For example, the conductor decides how fast or slow (tempo) and how loudly or softly (dynamics) the music is played. The Set Designer designs the scenery for the opera. The Lighting Designer manipulates the lights to create effects which help set the mood and complement the action on stage.

The Costume Designer creates the clothes that the singers will wear on stage. The choreographer is responsible for creating and directing any dancing that takes place in the opera.

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Behind the Scenes While all the action is happening on stage, some very important people are orchestrating all the action backstage. They are the production crew, and this is what they do:

The Stage Manager leads the crew and directs all the action that happens backstage. Stage Managers direct scene changes, artists’ entrances and exits, sound/light changes, curtain movement and all other activities that make the opera run smoothly. Their job requires great leadership and quick decision-making

The Makeup Artist assists singers with dramatic stage makeup that must be applied in order for their features to be seen from the back of the theatre.

Not all crew members work backstage. The Sound Engineer, working from a table in the rear of the theatre, operates the microphones and adjusts the sound. The Master Electrician, also working in a booth in the rear of the theatre, directs the positioning of the lights and then operates the lights during a show. Both need to be in the audience to hear and see what is happening onstage.

A crew of stage hands work in synchrony with the Stage Manager. They move scenery and set props (short for “properties”), which are objects used in the scene. The Props Supervisor makes sure that all props are placed appropriately and are available when the singers need them. The Wardrobe Supervisor oversees the costumes and attends to last minute fittings and repairs. The Wardrobe Supervisor may be assisted by dressers, who help with fast costume changes.

The rehearsal pianist accompanies the artists as they rehearse the opera. This job also entails serving as a coach, assisting the artists with language and musical preparation.

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TRY THIS! Find the singing muscle! Place

your hand on your belly and laugh. The muscle that is

moving is your diaphragm. This is the muscle used to support

the flow of air!

The Performers _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

On the stage Most likely, singers are the first people we imagine when we think of opera. In fact, in the Italian tradition, singers were held in the highest esteem. Remember the bel canto style discussed in the Opera at a Glance section? This style of opera was totally devoted to the vocalist.

Training Opera singers are specially trained, like athletes. They must acquire skill in controlling the flow of air, which means developing abdominal muscles and good lung capacity. Many singers attend a college music school or conservatory. There, they study their craft and practice technique—including breath control, vowel production, and diction. A singer must also develop artistry, the expressive interpretation of songs. This includes the study of multiple languages, literature, and history. In addition, singers must have knowledge about a song’s composer and lyricist, as well as an understanding of the reason for its creation. Then they can begin the process of practicing the piece.

Other People on the stage Supernumeraries Supernumeraries, or “supers,” as they are often called, are actors who perform a number of functions. They play crowds of people during large scenes, handle props, and sometimes dance. Supers do not sing but are essential to the “bigness” of opera. Down Below: The Orchestra The orchestra is a group of instrumentalists who accompany the singers. The orchestra performs in a pit, the sunken area in front of the stage. Keeping it Together: The Conductor The conductor has the task of unifying the singers and orchestra. Since the orchestra and the singers cannot see one another, the conductor is charged with directing all musicians. With the use of his or her hands she provides tempo, volume, and other expressive elements of the music.

Maria Callas

Maria Callas

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Different Types of singers

Coluratura Soprano- Female singer with a very, very high voice, who is capable of performing fast-moving notes with ease.

Soprano- Female singer with a high voice.

Mezzo-Soprano-Italian term meaning “middle soprano.” Woman with a voice slightly lower than a soprano.

Countertenor-Male singer who can sing in a woman’s voice range. Men are able to sing in falsetto, a style of singing that allows them to reach almost all the notes that women can reach.

Contralto-Rare female singer who can sing very low notes.

Tenor- Male singer with a high voice

Baritone- Mid-range male singer who sings some high notes and some low notes.

Bass- A male singer with a very low voice.

Bass-Baritone- Male singer who can sing high notes and low notes with ease.

Did you know? Women singers did not appear on stage until the late 1700s. Until that time, men played all the women’s roles, wearing dresses and wigs.

What type of singing voice

do you have???

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The Libretto

* The words in BOLD type are sung, and the words in plain type are spoken

SCENE ONE

(Tamino runs in, pursued by a dragon)

Tamino Oh help me, protect me!

The poisonous serpent will soon overtake me

I see it draw near!

O rescue me, protect me, save me! (Tamino faints) (The Three Ladies enter and kill the dragon)

The Three

Ladies Rejoice! The deed is done, we’ve won the fight! We’ve saved this prince from certain death. First Lady What beauty in this gentle face! Second Lady I never saw such lovely grace! Third Lady Yes indeed, for fingers to trace If I should fall in love again This prince indeed would be my choice. First Lady You both go on your way, and I would like to stay. Second Lady No, no, you go ahead, and let me stay instead Third Lady So, then we must go away O noble prince, and say farewell, Until we meet again. (The Three Ladies exit) Tamino Where am I? Am I dreaming? Am I still alive? Music!

(He catches sight of Papageno off in the woods.)

Is it a bird…..or is it? (Papageno enters)

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Papageno I am a man of wide-spread fame,

And Papageno is my name. To tell you all in simple words I make my living catching birds. The moment they attract my eye I spread my net and in they fly. I whistle on my pipe of Pan

In short I am a happy man. Although I am a happy man, I also have a future plan; I dearly love my feathered friends But that’s not where my interest ends.

To tell the truth I’d like to find A pretty girl of my own kind In fact I’d like to fill my net With all the pretty girls I’ve met. Once all the girls were in my net I’d keep the fairest for my pet My sweetheart and my bride-to-be To love and cherish tenderly. I’d bring her cake and sugar plums And be content to eat the crumbs. She’d share my little nest with me A happier pair could never be.

Tamino (Entering)

Hey there! Tell me, my fine feathered friend, who are you? Papageno Who am I? What a stupid question! I am Papageno, Chief Bird Catcher to the

magnificent Queen of the Night!

Tamino I am Prince Tamino. Are you royalty, too? Papageno What? No. I mean, of course! Tamino Now I get it! You must have saved my life! Papageno What!? Tamino The dragon—how did you do it? You have no weapons. Papageno Dragon? Where? (Papageno walks toward dragon, steps on tail forcing smoke from its nose)

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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! (Papageno runs toward Tamino and jumps into his arms) Are you sure it’s dead? How did I kill it? Oh well, for me a strong squeeze of the

hand is mightier than the sword! (Papageno demonstrates strangling and wrestling the dragon to the floor) Tamino You strangled it? Papageno I strangled it! (Enter the Three Ladies) Three Ladies Papageno! Tamino Who are they? Papageno Oh, these are the Ladies in Waiting to the Queen of the Night. Everyday I bring

them birds in exchange for wine, cake and sugarplums. Ladies, here are today’s birds for the Queen. Second Lady (Spilling water on Papageno’s face) Today, our Queen sends you water instead of wine. Papageno Water? Third Lady And, she ordered me, instead of cake, to give you this stone. (She throws a large stone to Papageno and he falls to the ground with it) Papageno A stone for lunch? Second Lady And, instead of sugarplum, she has instructed us to put this padlock on your

mouth, so that you can tell….. The Ladies ….NO MORE LIES! Third Lady Prince Tamino, it was we who saved you. (All three curtsey to the Prince and he bows) Our gracious Queen sends you this picture of her daughter Pamina. Tamino She is quite beautiful. Second Lady Until we meet again, dear prince.

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(They exit)

Tamino For here is like an angel fair No mortal image can with thee compare I feel it, I feel it This lovely sight Bring joy to my heart, my empty heart I cannot name this strange desire Which burns my heart with raging fire Can this emotion love be? Ah yes, it’s love alone I feel. Oh how to find my love burning I would then, what would I do? Upon this heart would I press her Within these loving arms I’d caress her Then evermore she would be mine. (Two Ladies reenter) Second Lady Dear Prince, the Queen has heard your every word, and has sent us to beg your

help in rescuing her daughter.

Tamino Is Pamina in danger?!

Third Lady She has been kidnapped!

Tamino Kidnapped!

Second Lady By the evil sorcerer….

Two Ladies …..Sarastro!

(The Two Ladies look at each other and emit frightened sounds)

Tamino Sarastro?

Third Lady He holds her captive in his palace just beyond these great mountains.

The Ladies The Queen! The Queen approaches!

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Queen Don’t be afraid, my dearest son For you are blameless, noble, strong So hear a mother’s plea, do not ignore me A wilderness of sorrow lies before me. Alone, abandoned, and forsaken, How I recall the dreadful day The day I saw my daughter taken A wicked man stole her away. By stealth near her creeping I still hear her weeping My poor heart was breaking I saw her sorrow all too plainly “Ah help!” I heard my daughter say All of my power had drained away You are chosen to defend her Soon you must hasten to her side And if success is granted You may take her for a bride. Tamino Can it be true? How will I save Pamina from evil Sarastro? Oh gods, give me

strength—give me courage! Papageno HMMM! HMMMMM! Tamino The poor lad must surely suffer, He tries to talk, but all in vain! Papageno HMMM! Tamino I can no help or comfort offer. I wish I could relieve your pain. Papageno HMMM! Three Ladies We now forgive you graciously; from punishment you are freed. Papageno Oh what a joy again to chatter! Second Lady Be truthful and you will fare better! Papageno No lie shall ever come from me! Ladies This padlock may your warning be. All If one could seal the lips of liars, With such a padlock fast and tight, Then hatred, slander’s poisoned briars Would yield to brotherhood and right. First Lady Oh Prince, upon our Queen’s command I lay this treasure in your hand This magic flute I give to you Its mystic music will defend you. (To Papageno) These precious bells are meant for you Papageno Well, may I see it too? Three Ladies Here are bells of silver swinging Papageno But shall I learn to set them ringing Three Ladies O yes indeed! All Flute and belltones,

Magic power shall be yours in danger’s hour. Fare you well, we’ll meet again.

Tamino Fairest ladies, tell us, pray!

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Papageno Who will as guide show us the way. Three Ladies Three spirits young and wise will guide you And on your journey stay beside you. Rely on them where they may lead Only their counsel shall you heed All Fare you well!

SCENE TWO

Pamina’s quarters, in Sarastro’s Temple grounds.

Monostatos My dearest treasure come to me

Pamina Oh will my tortures never cease! Monostatos Your life is at my mercy! Pamina But Death cannot dismay me. Yet for my mother’s sake, I mourn Her heart will break by sadness torn. Monostatos Bring chains, ye slaves, and fetter her! I’ll force you to obey me Pamina I beg you, rather slay me If naught can stir your evil heart Monostatos (To slaves) Get out, get out! Leave me alone with her. Papageno (Entering but not seeing Monostatos at first)

Where am I now? Where have I strayed? A-ha! There’s something moving But I am not afraid. Dear maiden, young and fair And purer than a snowflake Monostatos & Papageno Hoo, that is the devil certainly! Have pity! Be merciful! (Papageno runs away from the site of Monostatos)

Queen Do not touch that child! Monostatos The Queen of the Night! (He withdraws in terror)

Pamina Mother! Save me! Queen Save you? You must first prove yourself worthy of being my daughter and do as I

say. Pamina Yes mother, anything!

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Queen Do you see this dagger? I have sharpened it for Sarastro. I want you to take it and

kill him! Pamina No, Mother! I cannot kill Sarastro!

Queen The wrath of Hell within my breast I cherish

Death and defiance are in my heart If not by your hand Sarastro’s life be taken I shall disown my daughter evermore Abandoned forever, forsaken forever, and shattered forever All knots that nature tied, abandoned and broken Hear, hear! Gods of vengeance, hear a mother’s cry! (She exits) Papageno (Re-enters)

What a fool I was to let myself be scared. After all, there are ugly birds in the world, so why shouldn’t there by ugly people?

(Seeing Pamina)

There she is! She is the one, the daughter of the Queen of the Night.

Hair black, eyes blue, cheeks pink—she’s the one alright, except for the hands and

the feet. In this picture she has no hands and feet. Pamino Who are you? Papageno I’m Papageno, your mother’s bird catcher. I have come here with Prince Tamino

to rescue you. Pamina Prince? Is he handsome and brave? Papageno Oh yes! Pamina Is he coming to save me? I always knew there would be a happy ending! Papageno A happy ending for you, but not for me. Pamina What do you mean, Papageno? Papageno You may find true love, but I am afraid I never will. Pamina Oh Papageno! Of course you will!

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Pamina The man who feels sweet love’s emotion

Will always have a kindly heart. Papageno Each maid must share his deep devotion And from this duty never part. Both Its noble aim shows clear in life No greater good than man and wife Man and wife and wife and man Reach the heights of a godly life.

SCENE THREE

Another part of the Temple grounds. Tamino Can it be that I reached the grounds of Sarastro’s palace? Is this the place

where Pamina is held prisoner? I must find her. Speaker (Sarastro) Stand back! Why have you entered these holy grounds? Tamino Forgive me. I am searching for the palace of the evil sorcerer Sarastro. Speaker This is Sarastro’s palace, but he is not evil. He rules with wisdom,

compassion, and justice. Tamino Sarastro stole my future bride, Pamina, from her mother! Speaker Bride? I see! But you do not understand. You do not know why, you do not

know the whole truth. Tamino When will I know the whole truth? How can I find my Pamina? Speaker Before you can be considered worthy enough to marry Pamina, you must

first undergo our trials of wisdom and courage. Tamino What are these trials? Speaker I can tell you no more. For now, let the Magic Flute be your guide. Tamino How strong your tone with magic spell, dear flute, is binding By your tone, dear flute, each being new happiness and joy is finding! But Pamina does not hear! Pamina, hear me, I pray! In vain! Where shall I discover you? (He hears Papageno’s pipes) Ah! That is Papageno’s sound! Oh might he have Pamina found? Oh might she come with him to me! Oh might the tone bring her to come! (He goes off looking for the others)

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Pamina & Papageno Nothing ventured, nothing won! To escape them, let us run Let us to Tamino go, or they’ll catch us, They’ll catch us indeed. Pamina Oh, Tamino! Papageno Quiet, let me show you how to call him. Both Then no harm did yet befall him What a joy to hear his tone It was he, yes he alone Now no more we have to worry Let us hurry, scurry, hurry, scurry! (Tamino reenters) Pamina Tamino! Tamino Pamina! Papageno Pamina, this is Prince Tamino! This is the Princess Pamina! Oh quick,

quick. There is no time for this. We must get away before Monostatos finds us.

(Enter Monostatos and Sarastro) Monostatos A-ha! Not so fast! Just as I told you. They have come to steal Pamina away.

But she will not go until she has followed the wishes of her mother and kills you with this knife!

Pamina Sire, it’s not true! I didn’t promise! I couldn’t. (Pamina cries at Sarastro’s feet. He comforts her and helps her up) Monostatos Yes, it’s true, I saw her! Sarastro Enough Monostatos! You have lied to me for the last time. I banish you

from my kingdom forever! Monostatos But sire, I don’t understand. Pamina Sire, I could never harm you! I beg you to understand. My mother was so

terrified and distracted that she did not know what she was asking. Please do not seek revenge on her.

Sarastro Revenge? Sarastro Within these holy portals Revenge remains unknown And to all erring mortals, Their way by love is shown And guided forth by friendship’s hand

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They journey to a better land. Within this holy dwelling, In brother-love one lives Of hatred is no telling For man his foes forgives Who by this law is led a-right Will ever share the gods’ delight! Sarastro Pamina, the young Prince Tamino has come to claim you for his wife. But

before the two of you can be united, he must pass the sacred trials of our kingdom. Do you love him?

Pamina Yes, oh yes! Sarastro Then let the trials begin. (Pamina withdraws) Papageno Lights! I’m afraid of the dark. Tamino Papageno, are you still with me? Papageno Oh no! Tamino What’s wrong? Papageno I’m trying to muster up enough courage to faint! Tamino Be a man. Papageno I am a man. But I’m also chicken! Sarastro Your first trial—the trial of silence—is about to begin. Tamino, no matter

what happens, you must not speak. (Pamina enters) Pamina Tamino. Tamino, why do you not speak to me? Pamina Ah, I feel it, has it disappeared? Forever lost all my complete happiness Never to return, joy and gladness. In my heart reigns mournful night. See Tamino, see my tears, See my tears for you alone. If for love you do not languish Peace I find then in death alone. (She goes off in complete despair)

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Sarastro Hail, Prince! You have succeeded in the trial of silence. You will now enter the Temple, to pray for strength to guide you through the trials of fire and water.

Papageno This is where I came in and this is where I leave! Sarastro Human! You should be forced to spend your life here alone forever! But the

gods have mercy and forgive you. However you will never experience the joys of heavens.

Papageno Who cares? I’ll settle for the earthly joys. As a matter of fact, I’ll settle for a

glass of wine. Crone Here you are, deary! Papageno What luck! (He sees her stooped figure) AAHHHHHHHHHH! Crone If you promise to be true to me forever, you will see how dearly I love you! Papageno Well, it’s the best offer I’ve had all day! How old are you, sweet thing? Crone Eighteen years and two minutes. Papageno Well, better an old wife than no wife at all! Crone Do you swear to be always faithful? Papageno (Crossing his fingers behind his back) I swear it…. …..until someone prettier comes along! (The Crone transforms into a beautiful young girl) Papageno Pa, Pa, Pa!! Sarastro Off with you, young woman! He is not worthy of you yet! Papageno Pa, Pa, Papagena! Two armed men Man, wandering on his road, must bear the tribulation (sung by Monostatos Of fire and water, earth and air’s probation and Sarastro off stage) If he prevails against the lures of evil’s might He soon will know the joys of heaven’s light Enlightened, he will now himself prepare. Tamino By fear of death I am not shaken

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The path of virtue I have taken Unlock the fatal doors to me My course will firm and gallant be Pamina Tamino, mine! Oh happy fate! Tamino Pamina, mine! Joy fills my heart! Beyond the gates of Temple, Both death and menace hide. Pamina You’re every act upholding, I shall not leave your side. In me your trust confide, For love shall be my guide Our path with roses it adorns, For roses always grow with thorns Now take the magic flute and play Its golden tones protect our way Both The fire’s flames we have transcended The danger we have firm withstood And still by magic tones defended We penetrate the water’s flood Oh Gods, what visions make us see! Isis fills the sky with light. (They exit) Pagageno (Alone, by a small tree)

Papagena, Papagena Dearest, sweetest, Papagena Tis hopeless, ah, how she has failed me! Since I was born bad luck has trailed me! By chattering, chattering, I lost my maid And for this crime I am repaid Since I have tasted of that wine Well, I’ll wait a while, let’s see, Till I count from one to three, One, two, three No one came, my lot is cast So this moment is my last Not a hand will mine restrain Fare thee well, thou world of pain! Three Ladies Hold back, hold back! Oh, Papageno hear our plea! You live but once, and that enough should be. Papageno My little friends you are mistaken For if like me you were forsaken You too, your luck with girls would try. Three Ladies Then take your magic bells and play them Your little sweetheart will obey them! Papageno Hey very foolishly I acted I truly must have been distracted My magic bells, I’ll set you ringing And you will call my maiden here And bring my maiden to my side.

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Magic bells are ringing Call my maiden here Three Ladies Now Papageno, turn around! Papageno Pa, pa, pa, pa! Papagena Pa, pa, pa, pa! Papageno Now you will be mine forever Papagena Now I will be thine forever Papageno Come and be my little starling! Papagena I will be thy heart’s own darling! Both What a joy for us is near! When the gods, their bounty showing, And their grace on us bestowing Will send us tiny children, dear Such lovely, tiny children dear Papageno First we will have a Papageno Papagena Then we will have a Papagena Papageno Then comes another Papageno Papagena Then comes another Papagena It is the greatest joy of any! Papageno It is the greatest joy of any When many Papagenos upon Their parents blessing bring! (Change of scene Monostatos and the Queen enter) Monostatos We must be silent, silent, silent. As we approach the Temple door. Queen and Ladies We must be silent, silent, silent As we approach the Temple door. Monostatos & Thou great and might Queen of Night Ladies Their lives are thine by law and by right. (A great thunder and lightening storm approaches) Queen, Ladies & Demolished, extinguished, defeated our might Monostatos We plunge into destruction and infinite night! (They sink into the earth. Change of scene—Pamina and Tamino stand before the Temple of the Sun—

Curtain call)

The End

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Theatre Etiquette As you enter the theatre you are greeted by an usher who provides you with a program, checks your ticket and helps you find your seat. Most theatres where opera, plays, and musical theater are performed forbid food and drink in the auditorium. It is important to remember to arrive at the theater before the announced curtain time. When you enter, the curtain is down and the house lights are up. The dimming of the house lights is the signal that the show is about to begin. As the house darkens, the conductor enters the pit. Arriving at the podium, the conductor is outlined by a spotlight and he or she turns to greet the audience, which returns the greeting with applause. Many operas begin with an orchestral piece, known as an overture, a non-sung musical introduction to the opera, before the curtain rises. Most operas have intermissions that provide the audience a chance to use the restrooms, have a drink, get some fresh air and talk while the stagehands change the set. However, since the performance of The Magic Flute that you will be seeing is only one hour in length, there is no intermission. Therefore, it is very important that before the show begins you get your drink of water or make that trip to the restroom. It is very disruptive to other audience members, not to mention to the performers, when you leave your seat during a performance. Show your enthusiasm by applause. It is important that you enjoy the show – laugh and cry as you like, but please do not talk, because that disturbs others who are trying to hear the words and music. Remember also that the entire company is trying to give you their best performance. Unnecessary noise from the audience makes it difficult for them to concentrate and it is absolutely forbidden to take pictures or try to record what is going on. At the end of the show the performers, conductor and director come back out for curtain calls, giving an opportunity for the audience to show their appreciation through applause. People who are particularly enthusiastic shout “Bravo.” When the house lights come up, it is a signal for the audience to leave and let the tired performers go home.

Etiquette in A Nutshell

Show your enthusiasm by applause, but only at the appropriate times – at the end of arias or songs or at the end of the show.

BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHERS AND REFRAIN FROM TAKING ANY PICTURES DURING THE PERFORMANCE.

Talking during a performance interferes with other students hearing the words and the music of the opera.

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Glossary of Terms Act A group of scenes, usually related by a passage of time or unified by location.

Allegory (ex. The Magic Flute) A story that often contains a hidden symbolic meaning.

An allegory uses its characters to depict moral qualities. It is closely related to a parable or fable (fictional stories that use animals as characters to describe a moral truth). The art of allegory reached its greatest popularity during the Middle Ages (5th c.-15th c.) in the works of Dante and Chaucer.

Aria

A musical piece sung by one character. It usually describes the emotion(s) they are feeling.

Artistry Expressive interpretation; the way a singer performs a role onstage.

Baritone The middle male voice.

Bass The lowest male voice.

Bel canto An Italian style of opera that emphasizes the voice and beautiful singing as the most expressive element in opera.

Choreographer

Directs and designs dance scenes.

Chorus A musical piece sung by a group of people of all voice types.

Coach Assists artists with musical and language preparation.

Coloratura soprano Female singer with a high voice and the ability to perform fast moving notes in the extreme high range.

Composer The artist who writes the music of the opera.

Conductor Interprets the music of the opera; keeps the singers and the orchestra together during the performance.

Contralto The lowest female voice. Sometimes referred to as “alto.” A female singer who can sing very low notes.

Costume Designer Designs the clothes for the opera.

Countertenor A male singer with a highly developed falsetto; able to produce and sustain notes in a woman’s range (see “falsetto”).

Diction The process of proper enunciation and communication of text.

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Dresser Production crew member who assists with quick costume changes.

Duet A musical piece sung by two characters. Dynamics

How loudly or softly a piece is performed.

The Enlightenment This was the age of the great French and English philosophers who set out to deal with the nature of man not vis-à-vis God but vis-à-vis his fellow man. It was an age of the philosopher-kings who took note of these developments, and who tried to put some of these ideas into practice, but who in the end had to step down from their thrones to allow the transformation of society and government to take place. The culmination of that transformation, which took place only two years before The Magic Flute, was the United States Constitution, and its Bill of Rights, which still stand today. A period characterized by a loss of faith in traditional religious sources of authority and a turn toward human rights, science, and rational thought.

Ensemble

A musical piece sung by five to nine people.

Exoticism A fascination with Asian and Spanish music and themes; historically, in art and literature, a Western way of constructing the East (as exotic, as feminized, as static, as weak) that is built on false, imperialist, racist assumptions

Falsetto The term given to a male voice singing in the female voice range.

Freemasonry In its most idealistic form: a brotherhood devoted to wisdom, truth, and reason. In The Magic Flute, we see Mozart celebrating the notion of an ideal society built on these principles. One of the themes the opera explores is the difference between imposed authority based on inequality and free choice based on moral education.

Glockenspiel

A percussion instrument consisting of metal bars of varying lengths. When Papageno plays his bells, you’re hearing a glockenspiel.

Grand opera

A lengthy style of opera favored by the French featuring royalty and acts of heroism, and containing a ballet.

Intermission A break between acts that allows the audience and the singers to rest.

Librettist The artist who writes the words of the opera.

Libretto The words of an opera. The word literally means “little book.”

Lighting Designer Develops the lighting scheme for the opera.

Makeup Artist Production crew member who applies the stage makeup to singers and actors.

Master Electrician Production crew member who directs positions of lights and operates lights during the performance.

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Mezzo-soprano Middle female voice.

Music Director Oversees all musical aspects of an opera company, from providing input on

the selection of an opera season to the casting of singers; helps to ensure the quality of the orchestra and the chorus; and often conducts one or more operas per season (see Conductor).

Music drama Music and text created by a single artist and developed into an onstage production. Combines all art forms, with each one as important as the others.

Opera A story that is told through singing, acting, and sometimes dance.

Opera buffa Comic opera that often involves the working class—maids, peasants, and servants— triumphing over their stupid masters.

Opera seria Tragic opera that involves a hero, a villain, and usually ends sadly.

Orchestra Instrumentalists who perform with the singers.

Orchestra Pit The sunken area in front of the stage where the orchestra plays during the performance.

Overture

Musical introduction played by the orchestra before the singers appear onstage that sometimes includes excerpts from the major musical moments of the opera.

Production Crew The team behind the scenes that handles sets, props, lights, costumes, and makeup.

Props (short for “properties”)

Objects used by characters onstage; they may be hand-held or part of the scenery, such as furniture.

Props Supervisor

Production crew member who secures and maintains all props.

Recitative Fast, speech-like musical phrases that advance the action of the plot.

Rehearsal pianist Accompanies artists during rehearsal period.

Score Collection of music, words, stage directions and performance notes—the blueprint for opera.

Set (Scenery) The background for the opera that helps create a setting or location.

Set Designer Designs the scenery for the opera.

Singspiel Opera originating in Germany and Austria that includes spoken dialogue and simpler songs.

38

Soprano A high female voice.

Sound Engineer Production crew member who operates the microphones and adjusts sound

in the theatre.

Stage Director Responsible for directing the action on the stage.

Stage Hands Production crew members who assist with changing scenery and props.

Stage Manager Production crew member who coordinates all the action backstage including scene changes, exits and entrances, and curtain movement.

Supernumeraries Actors who do not sing, but portray characters onstage.

Supertitles (or surtitles) English translations of the opera text, usually projected over or next to the stage.

Technique The physical functions that a singer utilizes while singing, including breath control, vowel production, and diction.

Tempo How fast or slow a piece is performed.

Tenor A high male voice.

Trio

A musical piece sung by three people.

Vibrato From the Latin word for “to shake,” this is quite literally the vibrating sound of an opera singer’s voice. String players use it as well – it is the undulating fluctuation of pitch and intensity they make with the finger of the left hand that is depressing a string. It also creates a richer, multi-textured, and more pleasing sound than a “straight,” or unornamented, tone.

39

ACTIVITIES and worksheets

40

The Age of Enlightenment

Also known as the Age of Reason, the 18th century was a time when ideas had the power to direct the course of history. Define the following concepts associated with the Enlightenment and discuss their impact on life in the United States today. Consider the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the United States Constitution. LIBERTY

EQUALITY

FRATERNITY

REASON

NATURAL LAW Answer the following: 1. Although Freemasonry predates Enlightenment philosophy they share the same political and social

ideals. Discuss one way in which their ideologies differ. ______

2. How does “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” reflect Enlightenment philosophy?

3. List five United States presidents who were Masons.

4. What Masonic principles did Mozart glorify in The Magic Flute? Do you think his vision was too

idealistic?

______

5. What would your ideal society be like?

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The Art of Storytelling

For centuries storytelling has been a way for people to entertain, to teach, and to explain their history, culture, and beliefs. Many stories that we read today come from this tradition of storytelling, including The Lion and the Mouse, Jason and the Argonauts, and Hansel and Gretel. Review the story of Mozart’s The Magic Flute and the following story types. Discuss the questions below. 1. Storytelling is an art form. A good story must have certain elements in order to be successful in

conveying its message. What do you think some of these elements are? Discuss opera as a form of storytelling.

2. Research and summarize a myth. Then summarize a fable and a fairy tale you have read or know.

What do the stories you summarized have in common? What elements does The Magic Flute have in common with these stories?

3. An allegory is a story that symbolically represents moral qualities, principals, and ideals through its

characters and events. Is a fable an allegory? How is The Magic Flute an allegory? 4. Now write your own myth, fable, or fairy tale. What elements will you use to best convey your

message? Will you set your story to music?

Story Types

myth historical stories created to explain customs or natural occurrences.

fable short stories that give animals a

human voice to teach a moral lesson.

fairy tale cultural stories of folklore and fantasy, told to teach and amuse.

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Birdcatcher’s Song Papageno enters with birdcage and panpipe

In the opera, Papageno is a baritone and sings in the bass clef. This is

written for a boy soprano – who would sing in the treble clef.

Reprinted with permission of the publishers, the Young Patronesses of the Opera and the Greater Miami Opera Association.

43

Grade 3 1. Papageno and Tamino needed rope to get across a stream. Tamino had 3.5 meters of rope, and

Papageno had 1.7 meters of rope. How much rope did they have together? 2. The realm of the Queen of the Night has 14 districts, and in each district there are four spirits. How

many spirits are there in the entire realm? 3. Ten students were enrolled at the Magic Academy. Seven of these students took alchemy, and five of

them took flute-playing. How many students took both classes? 4. The Queen of the Night hosted an elegant dinner and ball for her citizens. Fifty of her subjects

attended, but seventeen left before the dancing began. How many guests were present for the dancing?

5. Papageno and Papagena were having dinner. Papageno began with eight potatoes on his plate, and ate

three-fourths of these. Papagena began with five potatoes, and ate all of them. Who had more potatoes during dinner?

6. During his initiation, Tamino had to undergo six tasks. Each task had seven steps, and each step took

ten minutes. How many minutes did it take Tamino to complete his initiation? 7. Princess Pamina needs to buy pencils for her studies. If a pencil costs three cents, how many pencils

can Pamina buy if she has $1.53? 8. Two attendants to the Queen of the Night were having a contest. They wanted to see who could help

the Queen with the most tasks. The first attendant helped the Queen with three tasks each day for a week. The second attendant helped the Queen with one task the first day, two tasks the second day, three tasks the third day, and so on. Which attendant helped the Queen with more tasks during the week?

9. Tamino has twenty-eight flutes. If he wants to play each flute each week, how many different flutes

must he play each day? 10. Sarastro spends a lot of time in his garden. He spends one hour each day after breakfast. After lunch,

he spends twice as long in his garden as after breakfast. After dinner, he spends three times as long in his garden as after lunch. How long does he spend in the garden after dinner? How many hours does he spend in the garden each day?

44

Grade 4 1. The Queen of the Night was giving her annual presents to her attendants. She had three boxes, each with

eight gifts inside. If there were twenty attendants, how many gifts were left over? 2. In the course of his initiation, Tamino had to perform eighteen tasks. Each of these tasks took 17

minutes to complete. How long, in hours and minutes, did it take Tamino to complete all of the tasks in the initiation?

3. Exam scores at the Magic Academy just came in. The four students taking alchemy received scores of

90, 85, 88, and 93. What was the average score on the alchemy exam? 4. Papageno and Papagena were having a pie for dessert. If Papageno had 3/8 of the pie, and Papagena

had 2/8 of the pie, how much of the pie was left over for dessert the next day? 5. Papageno likes to play music with his bells while he travels. He has five bells, each sounding a

different note. If he wants to take two bells with him on a particular journey, how many different combinations of bells can he bring?

6. Papageno and Tamino each had a garden in their backyard. Each garden had the same perimeter, 24

feet, but Papageno’s garden was square, while Tamino’s was a rectangle, 2 feet wide. How long was Tamino’s garden? Who had the most area in their garden?

7. The subjects of the Queen of the Night were electing a prime minister. One hundred citizens voted

for four candidates: Pilastro, Alana, Nostramo, and Wilhelmina. If one fifth of the votes were for Pilastro, ten of the votes were for Alana, and one tenth of those who didn’t vote for Pilastro or Alana voted for Nostramo, how many votes did Wilhelmina receive?

8. There are four hundred and seventy-three spirits in the castle of the Queen of the Night, and each has

72 stories to tell. If one listened to each story from each spirit, how many stories would one hear in all?

9. Six students, Alexander, Beatrice, Claire, Dulcinea, Ernest, and Franklin, are learning to tame six

animals, a dragon, a werewolf, an emu, a lemur, a tiger, and a snake. Determine which animal each student is learning to tame from the following clues:

• Dulcinea and Beatrice can’t tame birds, and Dulcinea can’t tame werewolves.

• Alexander’s creature ends in an ‘r.’ • Snakes and lemurs can only be tamed by a boy,

while werewolves and tigers are best tamed by girls (but not by Claire).

• Ernest’s animal ends in a consonant.

Dra

gon

Wer

ewol

f

Em

u

Lem

ur

Tige

r

Snak

e

Alexander Beatrice Claire Dulcinea Ernest Franklin

45

Grade 5 1. Students’ alchemy scores on the last exam at Magic Academy were 93, 79, 82, 61, 93, 84, and 78. What

was the average alchemy exam score, to the nearest tenth of a point? 2. Three attendants to the Queen of the Night are making a healing salve. If the first attendant adds 3/5

of a gallon of sea foam, the second adds 1/3 of a gallon of lilac water, and a third adds 5/6 of a gallon of liquified magic, what is the total volume of the salve?

3. Ten thieves steal some gold pieces from a dragon’s horde. They divide the loot evenly. That evening,

six of them conspire and take all the gold pieces, again dividing the loot evenly. The next day, the other four catch up with the double-crossers, take all of the gold back, and divide it evenly. What is the minimal number of gold pieces the band could have originally stolen?

4. In the realm of the Queen of the Night, the citizens are electing a prime minister. There are 360 votes

in all, divided among Pilastro, Nostramo, and Wilhelmina. If Pilastro receives 17.5% of the vote, and Nostramo receives 112 votes, how many votes does Wilhelmina receive?

5. As part of his initiation, Tamino must determine the combination on a magic lock. He knows the

combination’s numbers follow a pattern, and has found the first five numbers to be 1, 5, 10, 16, and 23. What is the sixth and last number in the combination?

6. There are four hundred and ninety-eight districts in Papageno’s homeland. In each district there are

twenty-seven neighborhoods and in each neighborhood 144 residents. How many residents would be in each neighborhood if the land were divided into 32 districts, each with 27 neighborhoods?

7. As another part of Tamino’s initiation, he had to determine the length of a rectangle which had width

33.18 cm, knowing that its area was the same as that of a rectangle measuring 13.86 cm by 41.08 cm. Did he have enough information? If so, what was the height?

8. Six students, Alexander, Beatrice, Claire, Dulcinea, Ernest, and Franklin, are learning to tame six

animals, a dragon, a werewolf, an emu, a lemur, a tiger, and a snake. Determine which animal each student is learning to tame from the following clues:

• Dulcinea and Beatrice can’t tame birds, and

Dulcinea can’t tame werewolves. • Alexander’s creature ends in an ‘r.’ • Snakes and lemurs can only be tamed by a boy,

while werewolves and tigers are best tamed by girls (but not by Claire).

• Ernest’s animal ends in a consonant. Magic Math

Dra

gon

Wer

ewol

f

Em

u

Lem

ur

Tige

r

Snak

e

Alexander Beatrice Claire Dulcinea Ernest Franklin

46

Grade 6 1. Tamino and Papageno required that their gardens be of exactly equal area. Papageno’s garden was

10.03 feet long and 17.496 feet wide. If Tamino’s garden had to be only 4.131 feet wide, how long must it have been?

2. Sarastro is a great fan of reading. He spends sixty florins on books for each 100 florins he spends on

other interests. If Sarastro spends 255 florins on books in one month, how much money must he have spent on all of his interests combined?

3. One of Tamino’s initiation rituals is to find the combination of a magic lock. He knows that the

numbers of the combination form a pattern, and that the first four numbers are 5, 14, 30, and 55. What are the next two numbers of the combination?

4. There is stiff competition to become an attendant to the Queen of the Night. There are three days of

tryouts. On the first day, 45% of the 400 applicants are accepted. On the second, 15% of the 300 applicants are taken, and on the final day, 22% of 600 applicants are chosen. What is the overall acceptance rate over the three days, to the nearest percentage point?

5. Fifteen thieves steal some gold pieces from a dragon’s horde. They divide the loot evenly. That evening,

six of them conspire and take all the gold pieces, again dividing the loot evenly. The next day, the other nine catch up with the double-crossers, take all of the gold back, and divide it evenly. What is the minimal number of gold pieces the band could have originally stolen?

6. Six students, Alexander, Beatrice, Claire, Dulcinea, Ernest, and Franklin, are learning to tame animals. Each is learning to play one instrument to tame one animal. Determine which animal each student is taming, and with which instrument:

• The bell player has a knack for taming birds. • Ernest’s animal’s name has an ‘r’ at the end. • Werewolves are usually tamed by a drum. • Dulcinea plays harmonica. • Franklin plays an ‘H’ instrument. • Alexander needs his lungs to play his

instrument. • Ernest doesn’t care much for lemurs. • Flutes and harps don’t work on dragons, and

flutes don’t work on lemurs. • Lemurs like neither harps nor harmonicas.

They don’t like Frank, either. • Neither Claire nor Dulcinea has much luck with werewolves.

Dra

gon

Wer

ewol

f

Em

u

Lem

ur

Tig

er

Snak

e

Bel

ls

Har

p

Har

mon

ica

Flut

e

D

rum

O

boe

Alexander Beatrice Claire Dulcinea Ernest Franklin Harp Harmonica Flute Drum Oboe

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Grade 7 1. A band of seven thieves robs a dragon’s horde of gold pieces, and divides the loot evenly. That

evening, a gang of twenty-five rascals steals the gold, and also divides the loot evenly. The next day, a society of forty-five crooks robs the rascals. They, too, divide the loot evenly. What is the smallest number of gold pieces that could have been thrice stolen?

2. One of Tamino’s initiation rituals is to find the combination of a magic lock. He knows that the

numbers of the combination form a pattern, and that the first four numbers are 5, 14, 30, and 55. What are the last two numbers of the seven-number combination?

3. Spirits are required to take classes in haunting, helping, and hiding. Thirty-four spirits are taking

classes presently, with 23 taking more than one class. If the sum of the three classes’ enrollments is 64, 16 students take hiding, and 9 students take both helping and haunting, how many students take only hiding?

4. There is stiff competition to become an attendant to the Queen of the Night. There are three days of

tryouts. On the first day, 45% of the 400 applicants are accepted. On the second, 15% of the 300 applicants are taken, and on the final day, 22% of 600 applicants are chosen. What is the overall acceptance rate over the three days, to the nearest percentage point?

5. The Magic Music Shop repairs broken bells. The cost is 72 florins, plus 4.5 florins per bell fixed. How

much does it cost Papageno to have all 329 of his bells repaired? 6. Six students, Alexander, Beatrice, Claire, Dulcinea, Ernest, and Franklin, are learning to tame animals.

Each is learning to play one instrument to tame one animal. Determine which animal each student is taming, and with which instrument:

• The bell player has a knack for taming birds.

• Lemurs like neither harps nor harmonicas. They don’t like Frank, either.

• Ernest’s animal’s name has an ‘r’ at the end.

• Werewolves are usually tamed by a drum.

• Alexander needs his lungs to play his instrument.

• Ernest doesn’t care much for lemurs. • Neither Claire nor Dulcinea has much

luck with werewolves. • Franklin plays an ‘H’ instrument. • Flutes and harps don’t work on dragons, and flutes don’t work on lemurs. • Dulcinea plays harmonica.

Dra

gon

Wer

ewol

f

Em

u

Lem

ur

Tig

er

Snak

e

Bel

ls

Har

p

Har

mon

ica

Flut

e

D

rum

O

boe

Alexander Beatrice Claire Dulcinea Ernest Franklin Bells Harp Harmonica Flute Drum Oboe

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The Meaning Of Storytelling

Fact or Fiction? Literature derived from the oral tradition can be entirely fictional or a combination of both fact and fiction. Myths are historical stories representative of a culture’s beliefs regarding its customs and natural phenomenon. Legends are historical stories based on truth usually about famous individuals. Many legends may contain mythological elements. Fables are fictional short stories that describe a moral truth or lesson using animals as characters. Folktales and fairy tales are often representative of the beliefs, customs, and traditions of a people. Like fables, these stories often convey a moral or lesson regarding human behavior. Common among this group of literature is the use of heroes, villains, adventure, romance, wonder and enchantment to communicate fundamental human values. Allegory An allegory is a literary work that uses symbolism to disguise its true meaning. In order to fully understand an allegory the reader must decipher what moral, spiritual or political meaning the characters and events within the story represent. Myths and fables are allegories and some folktales and fairy tales can also be viewed as allegories. Mozart’s The Magic Flute is an allegory. Discussion Questions (1) How is Mozart’s The Magic Flute an allegory? What moral and philosophical values are represented? (2) Who is the hero of The Magic Flute? Who is the heroine? What tests do these characters go through

and why? (3) What elements of myth, legend, fables, and folktales does The Magic Flute use? (4) What are the hidden moral or political messages in the story? (5) Discuss some other examples of allegories and their meanings.

Every culture in the world has stories that have been passed down through the generations. These stories, repeated over and over within homes, neighborhoods, and towns, were not only a form of

entertainment, but also a way to communicate fundamental truths about society and the natural environment. Eventually, many of these oral traditions were compiled and recorded.

In literature these stories are categorized as myths, legends, fables, folktales, and fairy tales.

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1. At this event, angry merchants, disguised as Indians, threw British tea into Boston harbor.

2. This act imposed a tax on every printed document in the colonies including deeds, wills, and mortgages.

3. During this event, British troops killed five citizens, including Crispus Attucks, and wounded others in Boston.

4. He was king of Great Britain when the Revolution broke out. When did he become king?

5. These acts were passed by Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party.

6. Ratified at the Philadelphia Convention this document firmly established the new government.

7. General of the Continental Army becomes the first

President of the United States. When and where was he born and when did he die?

8. Treaty between Britain, France, Spain and the U.S. that officially ended the Revolutionary War.

9. This man made his famous midnight ride to warn colonists that the British troops were approaching.

10. The Revolution began here with “the shot heard round

the world.” 11. Author of the Declaration of Independence and future

president born in Virginia.

Mozart and the American Revolution

While Mozart was performing and composing his musical masterpieces, American colonials were transforming their government. Research the statements below regarding the American Revolution and then place the name of the event the statement refers to in the appropriate order on the timeline to the

left.

Timeline

1732 1743 1756

Mozart Born in Salzburg

1760 1761 1763 1765 1766

Mozart learns his first musical piece at age 5 Mozart begins tour of Europe

1770 1773 1775 1776

1783 1786 1787 1788 1789

Mozart completes: The Marriage of Figaro Mozart completes: Don Giovanni Mozart’s father Leopold dies

1790 1791 1799

Mozart completes: Così Fan Tutte

Mozart completes The Magic Flute

Mozart dies in Vienna

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Opera Connoisseurs

Test your knowledge of opera and The Magic Flute by answering the following questions. 1. What is opera? What is the difference between opera and singspiel? 2. What ingredients go into making an opera? Be sure to use your opera vocabulary words. 3. Who are the major characters in the opera, The Magic Flute? How does Mozart use music to

portray the personality of each of those characters? 4. There is much symbolism in The Magic Flute, including using the number three. How many references

to the number three can you list? 5. Some scholars have cited similarities between The Magic Flute and the movie Star Wars. What do you

think those similarities are? 6. Mozart completed The Magic Flute just before his death at the age of

35. How has this opera influenced other operas that were written afterwards? Why do you think he was considered such a musical genius?

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Quest For Pamina

Tamino must pass through the four trials of water, fire, air and earth in order to win his true love Pamina. Help Tamino find his way through the trials.

52

Sevenfold Sun Circle

Use the circle patterns below to create your own replica of The Magic Flute Sevenfold Sun Circle. Next, design your own version of the Sun Circle.

Directions: • Copy these patterns onto different color

construction paper. • Cut out along the solid lines. • Glue or tape the patterns together to form the

Sevenfold Sun Circle as pictured below. • Experiment with color and textures. Discussion Questions: 1. What is the significance of the Sevenfold Sun Circle in Mozart’s The

Magic Flute? 2. Why did the Queen of the Night wish to possess it?

3. What was the nature of its power? Sevenfold Sun Circle

53

Travels with Mozart

The young Mozart began touring Europe and performing for royalty at the age of six! Locate the countries and cities Mozart performed in during his lifetime (found in the suitcases) on the map of

Europe below. Write the number of the city on the appropriate place on the map. You can also cut out the suitcases and pin them on a larger map in your classroom.

15.

DIJON

14.

ZURICH 12.

PRAGUE

INNSBRUCK

13.

11.

VENICE

10.

FLORENCE

AMSTERDAM

9.

8.

BRUSSELS

7.

PARIS

SALZBURG

1.

5.

FRANKFURT

4.

LINZ

6.

LONDON

3.

MUNICH

2.

VIENNA

· ··· ·

· · ····· ···

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On the map, identify the home nation of each composer, then draw an arrow from the composer’s name to the different countries in which he

set his operas.

55

The Magic Flute

Use this list of words from The Magic Flute to answer the questions which follow. 1. Papageno has a multicolored suit of . 2. In the beginning of the opera, the birdcatcher is of

Tamino. 3. Papageno is punished for lying and the women attach a golden ______________ to Papageno’s

mouth. 4. If Tamino shows great ______________, the Queen promises Pamina’s hand in marriage. 5. Papageno is given a silver glockenspiel to ___________ his enemies.

6. What does the Queen of the Night give her daughter? __________

7. Tamino has to a series of trials to marry Pamina. 8. What does the Queen give Tamino to keep him out of danger? ____ 9. Tamino and Papageno set out in of the Princess

Pamina.

10. Papageno goes to embrace Papagena but he is told that he is still not . 11. Tamino remains in his determination to keep silent. 12. The members of the temple order have to determine if Tamino is brave enough to pass the

difficult tests of the .

captive courage dagger enchant

feathers initiates

magic flute padlock

search Sevenfold Circle of the Sun

sorcerer steadfast

suspiciousundergo wisdom worthy

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13. Sarastro wears a golden medallion around his neck. It is called the _________________________________________________ __. 14. By the end of the opera, both Tamino and Pagageno have gained much ___________________________________________________.

Bonus question: What three things does Papageno wish for? 1. __________________________________ 2. __________________________________ 3. __________________________________

57

Questions For Discussion

The following questions ask for your opinion. Explain your answer.

1. Who are the key characters in the opera?

2. What challenges did the main characters have to face?

3. Why did Mozart write this opera?

4. What are the most memorable events in the opera?

5. How does Papageno earn his living?

6. What is opera?

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59

60

Writing Exercise: Write a paragraph on the following theme: Describe one character in the story who you thought was good but who turned out to be bad, or vice versa. What

imagery was used to lead you to your opinion?

Words as Imagery

This worksheet is based on the Massachusetts Department of Education language arts standards 15 and 19.

An author’s choice of words can paint a visual picture for the reader. Words appeal to the sense; they

create imagery and can suggest a mood. How do these words appeal to the reader’s senses? How do these words create imagery and set the tone for the story? Select at least five examples. Be sure to explain how

each word or phrase of words conveys a particular mood.

Word or Phrase Mood (Frame of Mind) Explanation Example #1: thundering drums and majestic violins Example #2: clenching and flexing his muscles. #1: #2: #3: #4 #5

tension Boasting

• introduces the character of The Queen of the Night; thundering indicates nervousness, possible danger, fear of the unknown; majestic represents regal and someone important. • introduces the character of Papageno, pretending he’s strong, is ready to fight.

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Opera Soup

To make soup you need a recipe that lists the right combination of ingredients. Some ingredients are necessary and others add flavor. Begin your recipe by making a list of the ingredients you need to have in your opera soup. Add flavor to your soup by adding ingredients that make your opera soup unique. What percentage or number of each ingredient do you need to make your soup work?

Country: Setting: Time Period: Ingredients:

____________

________________________________________________________________________

OPERA SOUP INGREDIENTS

Acting Baritone

Tragedy

Lights Orchestra

Comedy

Foreign language

Mezzo Soprano

Piano

Costumes

Heroes

Moral

Plot

Dancing

Jazz

Music

Props

Rock and Roll Romance Scary Music

Sets

Singing

Soprano

Symphony

Tenor

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ACROSS

2. It is absolutely forbidden to do this during an opera performance. (2 words)

8. The person who stands with his/her back to the audience in front of the pit.

9. An instrument consisting of pipes of graduating lengths joined together.

11. People who move about the stage and help fill crowd scenes.

12. A term used to discuss how loud or soft the music is.

13. The setting of the opera The Magic Flute takes place in this country.

14. The orchestral music that begins an opera. 16. The voice type of the person who sings the role of

the Queen of the Night. 17. A story that often contains a hidden symbolic

meaning.

DOWN

1. The voice type of the person who sings the role of Papageno.

3. The person who figures out the plan of action on the stage. (2 words)

4. A percussion instrument with tuned metal bars. 5. The person who compiles the “production book.” (2

words) 6. Important secondary characters in an opera. 7. The person who wrote the libretto of The Magic Flute. 8. Something a conductor does to let the singers know it

is time to sing. 10. The person who wrote the first play where all the

words were sung was Jacopo . 11. A German art form that has singing and spoken

dialogue. 15. The original language of The Magic Flute.

Opera Crossword

Test your opera vocabulary by solving the puzzle below. The answers are found throughout Part One of

this study guide.

1. 2. 3. 4.

5.

6. 7. 8.

9. 10.

11.

12.

13. 14.

15.

16.

17.

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Project Ideas

These projects can be developed into something as simple or as comprehensive as you like. Consider simply cutting these pages into strips and having kids draw projects from a hat.

POSTCARDS Postcards are a quick way to present a snapshot and a brief bit of information. Design a postcard of an outdoor scene from The Magic Flute. Pretend to be one of the members of the cast, writing to a friend or family member about the events of the day. Make sure one of the events is from the actual story, but other realistic details can be creatively added.

SCRAPBOOKS Scrapbooks are collections of pictures, writing, and other items that people put together to remember events and special times in their lives. Create a scrapbook for one of the characters in The Magic Flute. Draw old “photographs” and create newspaper articles, letters, or other items that might be found in this character’s scrapbook.

CHARACTER PROFILE A character profile is a piece of writing that tells about a person’s life. A profile may include information about the person’s family, activities she likes to do, and important events in her life. It might also include personal facts such as her age, height, weight, birthdate, and so on. Create a profile for one of the characters in The Magic Flute.

JOKE COLLECTIONS Create a class joke book about The Magic Flute. Each student can contribute his or her own. Adding illustrations can make the collection even more fun.

REBUS STORIES Rebus stories are short stories with a unique detail. In some places in the story, a word is replaced with a . The reader has to “read” the pictures to make sense of the story. Create a rebus story for a portion of The Magic Flute.

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INTERVIEWS In an interview, one person asks questions and another person answers. The person asking questions may ask about the other person’s life, likes and dislikes, and other information, and then writes down the answers. Pretend you are conducting an interview of a character from The Magic Flute. What will you ask him or her? Next, invent the answers you think your

character would give. Write interview questions and the character’s answers as if you really conducted the interview.

INFORMATIONAL ARTICLES Informational articles give readers new ideas or facts about a subject. These articles are nonfiction, which means that they contain true information. The information is presented in an organized format. Sometimes an informational article presents the author’s opinion about

the subject, and the article contains facts that support that opinion. Choose any subject that relates to opera or The Magic Flute and write an informational article about that subject. Here are some ideas:

Costume design Operatic singing

Instruments in an orchestra

BROCHURES Brochures are written to give information about a subject. They often tell about a certain place. Usually they are made from a sheet of paper folded into two or three sections. In addition to written descriptions, brochures often include pictures, diagrams, maps, or other images. Write a brochure about the kingdom The Magic Flute takes place in, encouraging the reader to visit.

ADVICE COLUMNS In advice columns, readers write to the author of the column explaining their problems. The author writes back with ideas to help the readers solve their problems. Choose a character from The Magic Flute and, based on the story, create a problem for that character. Have each character write to the author of the column. Now you be the advice columnist and respond

with advice for each character.

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DRAMA: Walk like a…

Opera singers are also actors. They must convincingly play their roles to the audience. The following exercise encourages students to physically respond as you suggest different emotions,

environments, and situations.

Procedure

1. Have students walk slowly around the space. Call this the Self Walk. Students will periodically return to the Self Walk throughout this exercise.

As they walk, students should “ignore” the other members of the class. Part of the challenge of this activity is to pretend that you are alone. Be careful not to bump into others. Students must remain

silent—another challenging aspect of this activity. 2. Tell students that you will be calling out instructions, and they are to respond to the instruction in

movement only. 3. Once students find their Self Walk, call out one of the suggestions on the list below. Allow students a

few moments to respond physically to your suggestion. Some suggestions elicit more active, excited movements than others. Return to the Self Walk as a neutral action when needed. Continue calling out suggestions.

Suggestions: You are 90 years old You are sneaking up on someone You are late for school You are waiting impatiently for the bus

…It is raining out …It is cold …You forgot your umbrella

You are in a new city and using a map to get around …You see the site you’ve been looking for all day

…You take a picture You just got off a ride that spins around and around Actions relating to The Magic Flute

You are a birdcatcher

Your options with this activity are nearly endless. Make up additional suggestions of your own.

4. Once you finish the exercise, discuss. Was it difficult to ignore your neighbors or to stay silent? Were some suggestions easier to act out than others?

Materials Large space for moving

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SOUND SCIENCE: Make your own musical instruments

Courtesy of the Museum of Science, Boston

Background: Introducing High and Low

What we hear as the pitch or frequency of a sound is determined by how rapidly the sound source is vibrating. Faster vibrations produce highest sounds. The ability to hear one sound as higher or lower takes practice. Younger students may need more time to learn to hear the distinction. Be aware that students may confuse “high” with “loud” and “low” with “soft.” Have student imagine a musical staircase. As you go up, sounds get higher. As you go down, sounds get lower.

Try the following activities to demonstrate how sound works.

Sound Science Activity 1: Bottle Sounds

Procedure

1. Set up stations where groups of student can work with 3 or more bottles containing different amounts of water.

2. Have the students tap the bottles with pencils below the water line and listen carefully to the sounds produced. Which bottles sound higher and which sound lower?

3. Have students arrange the bottles from high to low. When they have done this, ask them to describe what happens to the water level from high to low. Write down the “rule” relating water level to pitch that they discover. Try having the students play simple songs on the bottle “xylophone.”

Materials Clear glass bottles of the same size and shape

Water Paper towels (for spills)

Pencils or other objects for tapping bottles

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Sound Science Activity 2: Straw Oboes Oboes are part of the woodwind family of instruments. This means sound is created by a vibrating column of air.

Procedure

1. Flatten about ¾ of an inch at one end of a straw by pulling it between your closed teeth. With scissors snip off the two sides of the flattened portion to create a point at the tip of the straw. (See Figure 1)

2. Use scissors to cut off the very tip of the point. (See Figure 2) 3. Gently squeeze the sides of the flattened portion of the straw so that the two flaps do not stick

together. Tuck your lips inside your teeth and put the flattened end of the straw into your mouth. 4. Blow moderately hard. You may have to adjust the pressure of your lips and the way you are flowing

to produce a good steady sound. 5. Distribute the straws and scissors and assist students in making straw oboes. 6. Vary the pitch by

a) altering the position and pressure of your lips and b) shortening the length of the straw by cutting a way part of the round end.

7. Ask your students: What is vibrating? What part of the instrument resonates or makes the sound louder? How can you make a higher or lower sound with your instrument?

Step 1 Step 2

Figure 1 Figure 2

Materials Drinking straws

Scissors

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MUSIC AND ART: Drawing music

Students will demonstrate tempo, mood, and style through drawing.

Procedure 1. Have students place the white paper on top of a sheet newspaper in order to protect the surface

beneath. 2. Discuss the ways in which a piece of music might change as it goes (fast/slow, loud/soft, etc.) Explain

to students that with their pencils they are to respond to the changes in the music they are about to hear. For example, they may draw slowly during slow sections or quickly during fast sections. Encourage students to use the entire sheet of paper. They may draw with their eyes either open or closed.

3. Play the piece for a few minutes. Discuss the drawings. 4. Replay the piece and have students use crayons, markers, or paint to add color to the drawing.

Remind them that the music is the inspiration for their color choices. If you are using a long piece of music, you may want to play the entire piece at this point, giving students several minutes to complete their work of art. If the piece is shorter, play it several times.

5. Use the discussion questions below to encourage students to think about and share the reasons behind their choices.

6. Have students title their pieces. Create a gallery of their work.

Discussion Questions What do certain colors signify? How are different emotions brought out in music? Why do you think composers use different tempos and styles in their music? Do tempo or style changes in a piece of music change the feelings of the music?

Materials White paper (12 x 18 is best)

Newspaper (to protect surfaces) Crayons, markers, and/or or paints for each student

Pencils Recording of a musical piece that has lots of variances (Try: Dukas’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” Grieg’s “Hall of the Mountain King” from the Peer Gynt Suite, or Liszt’s “Les

Preludes”)

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Styles of Poetry

Courtesy of the Opera Company of Philadelphia

Write your own poems based on an aspect of The Magic Flute. Your poems could be about one of the characters in the opera or any subject in the opera that interests you. Use the samples on the next page to help you.

Haiku Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry that has three unrhymed lines containing 17 syllables: Line 1 = 5 syllables Line 2 = 7 syllables Line 3 = 5 syllables

Cinquain A cinquain is a five-line poem with the following form: Line 1 = Noun or subject Line 2 = Two adjectives Line 3 = Three verbs Line 4 = Four or five words to describe subject Line 5 = Synonym for the noun in Line 1

Diamante A diamante is a diamond-shaped poem which tells about a chosen subject with the following form: Line 1 = Noun or subject Line 2 = Two adjectives Line 3 = Three verbs ending in –ing Line 4 = Four words about the subject Line 5 = Three verbs ending in –ing Line 6 = Two adjectives Line 7 = Synonym for the subject in line 1

Tanka A tanka is a poem with a total of five lines with the following patterns: Line 1 = 5 syllables Line 2 = 7 syllables Line 3 = 5 syllables Line 4 = 7 syllables Line 5 = 7 syllables

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Haiku _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Cinquain _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Diamante _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Tanka _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

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Examples of Poetry Styles

Haiku Spring goes, summer comes,

With the warm heat from the sun Swimming, picnics, fun!

--Meghan, age 10

Cinquain

tree tall, green

growing, reaching, standing a witness to the past

future --Girl Scouts of America

Diamante Penguins big, small

sliding, regurgitating, sleeping black white flippers waddling

feeding, sliding, huddling cool, fascinating

Emperor --Joey, 3rd grade

Tanka

The slow rising sun Gleaming light through my window

Causes me to wake I cannot quite remember Is it Sunday or Monday

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Think About It! Some people say that any review is a good review. What does this mean? Do you think even a negative review might make people want to see a performance? Is it better to get a poor review, or no review at all? Why or why not?

Always a critic!

Write your own opera review

What is an opera critic? An opera critic attends an opera and writes his or her opinions about the performance. Those opinions, also known as reviews, are often printed in newspapers or magazines. Critics write reviews about all sorts of things—books, movies, dance, music, plays, and more. Because a critic’s job is to share his or her honest opinion, a review can be positive or negative. Whether a critic enjoys a performance or dislikes it, she says what she feels. People sometimes read reviews to help them decide if they should see a performance or not.

What does it take to be an opera critic? Language- An opera critic must have fine speaking

and writing skills. Some critics even write reviews in other languages. Interest- It is important that an opera critic be interested

in opera. Knowing a lot about a subject helps a critic write an interesting review. Since a critic can spend a lot of time writing about one subject, it helps if it is something he or she enjoys! Confidence- A critic should be confident in her opinion. Some

critics say that to be a good critic, you must think your opinion is always right. Exposure- Go to as many performances as you can, and listen to lots of opera. Learn as much as you

can about how productions are created (the “behind the scenes” stuff). The more a critic knows in advance, the better!

Now…you be the critic! You can follow the steps below to create a review about a song, book, CD, TV show, or performance. Once your class has seen The Magic Flute, use the next page to create a review about the performance. Your teacher can mail it to us. We want to hear your critical opinion!

Turn the page for tips on how to write your own review!

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four tips for writing a review 1) Create a catchy first sentence.

You want to get the readers’ attention, so the opening, or “lead” sentence, is very important. This can be a difficult part of writing a review. Ask yourself: How can I sum up my opinion in one sentence? What would catch my attention if I were reading this review?

2) Clearly state what performance you saw.

Tell who gave the performance, the name of the opera, where the performance took place, and the date of the performances. Ask yourself: What if people want to come see this performance? What details do the readers need?

3) Tell why the performance was wonderful, all right, or bad.

Be sure to say WHY you feel the performance was good. It is easy to say what you think. It is more difficult to say why you think it. For most beginning reviewers, the “why step” is the most difficult. Ask yourself: What did I like/not like about the performance? How was the singing? Were the costumes nice? Was it too loud? Too soft? How did the orchestra sound? Readers like to know the reasons for your opinions. Don’t forget to tell them how you developed your opinions about the performance.

4) Talk about individual performances. Toward the end of the review, you may write about the details of singers’ performances. Ask yourself: Did Kiko sing well? Did Manuel play his character convincingly? Whose performances stood out?

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expanding sentences

A critic needs to write sentences that really describe how she or he feels about a performance. Practice writing descriptive, interesting sentences on this page. *********************************************************************************** All English sentences have two basic parts: a subject and a predicate. The subject is the noun that is the “do-er” in the sentence. The predicate is the verb that tells what the subject is doing. Take this sentence: The orchestra played.

Orchestra is the subject of the sentence. Played is the predicate because it tells what the orchestra did. This sentence gives some information but it could give more details. Ask yourself: What did the orchestra play?

How did the orchestra play? What other details can I give?

Then change the sentence to answer the questions: The overture to the opera was skillfully played by the 17-member orchestra, complete with regal-sounding french horns and soaring violins. Adding details and descriptions gives the reader more information. It also creates a more interesting sentence. YOU TRY IT! Change the following sentences so they give more information. Use details and descriptions to make them more interesting. The costume glittered.

______________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________. She sang a song.

______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ The main character danced.

______________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________. The audience cheered.

______________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________.

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The Lyric Review As a writer for The Lyric Review your assignment is to critique the opera’s performance. Let the Review’s

readers know what you think. What did you like about the opera and why? Did Boston Lyric Opera/Opera New England give a good performance? Should your readers attend this opera? Remember that it is the critic’s job to report both the positive and the negative accurately. Have your teacher send us your review. Make sure that your name, grade and school are on your review. Your opinion really counts!

The Opera Critic

By

______________________

____________________________________________________

_____________________________________ __________

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Have your teacher send this student evaluation to the Education Department, Boston Lyric Opera/Opera New England

45 Franklin Street 4th Floor; Boston, MA 02110-1300

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Set Design

Opera brings stories to life! A set helps it happen. A set, or scenery, is what you see on a stage behind and around the characters. Sets can tell us the time and place of an opera. If an opera takes place in the forest, the set might include trees and flowers. Set designers are the people who decide what the set will look like. They play an important part in creating the mood for the story. Creating a Design Set designers work with the stage director to come up with ideas about how the set will look. Together, they answer important questions to come up with a design. Here are a few examples:

Where does the opera take place? What year is it? What does the landscape look like? What are the characters like? Is it in the city or country? Is it indoors or outdoors? What time of day does the opera take place? Is it fall, winter, spring or summer?

Using the answers to these questions, the set designer creates sketches, or drawings of her ideas. After many changes, a set is chosen. The result is a visual image of the story! Research is the answer! A designer must learn a lot about the time and place of an opera. For example, Donizetti’s opera The Daughter of the Regiment takes place in the Alps Mountains in Europe. To make realistic scenery, designers of a set for a production of The Daughter of the Regiment must study buildings and landscapes from the Alps.

This is a sketch of an original design for The Daughter of the Regiment set:

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Look at the following pictures. Do you notice any similarities between these images and the sketch of The Daughter of the Regiment set? Do you think the set designer used any ideas from these pictures in the sketch?

Hard Work Becoming a set designer takes hard work. Designers must go through four years of training in college. They take classes in art, theatre, mechanics, and architecture, or building design.

Turn the page to practice designing your own set!

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DESIGN YOUR OWN MINI-SET Set designers follow careful steps to make decisions about what the set will look like. Many questions must be answered before designing ever begins. Try using the following steps to create your own set. 1. Choose a story. You may write one yourself or choose your favorite.

Ask yourself What are the characters like? What is the mood of the story? Is it happy or sad?

2. Determine where the story takes place. Ask yourself What is the year? What is the season? What does the environment look like? Is it hot or cold there? Is it mountainous or flat? Is there a body of water nearby?

3. Describe the scenes of the story.

Ask yourself How many scenes are there? Are the scenes indoors or outdoors? What time of day do they take place?

Now you are ready to begin creating. Using all the information you have gathered, make decisions about how your set will look. Gather objects and decorating supplies and go to work! You might want to use a shoebox, a crate, an old shoe, empty cans, or other household items to create your set. Decorate with beads, buttons, cut outs, fabric, yarn, ribbon, or anything you wish. You can add characters and costumes using leftover materials.

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Your Sense of Sound: Energy and Equipment

Sound is important to human beings because it helps us to communicate with each other. Your sense of sound also helps you to enjoy music like opera. Musicians use sounds to communicate thoughts or feelings. But what is sound exactly? How do we hear it? THE ENERGY: How sound is made

Sound is vibrating air. Sounds can vibrate in many different patterns. These patterns are called sound waves. The different patterns change the sound we hear. Listen to traffic on a busy street. Noise like this is disorganized sound. Now listen to a piece of music. Music is sound that is organized into patterns.

Sound waves can vibrate many times in one second. The number of times a sound wave vibrates in one second is called its frequency. The frequency tells how high or low the sound will be. This is called pitch. High-pitched notes vibrate at a fast rate, so they have a fast frequency. Low-pitched notes have a slow frequency. In opera, the highest pitches are usually sung by women. Very low pitches are sung by men. Just as the speed of the sound wave determines pitch, the shape of the wave determines how loud or soft the sound will be. This is called volume.

This is what sound waves look like!

THINK ABOUT IT! How are the sounds of traffic and music different? How does each sound make you feel? Can traffic sound like music?

Can music sound like traffic?

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TRY THIS! Stretch a rubber band between your thumb and forefinger on one hand. Pluck it a few times. Can you see and feel the vibrations? What happens if you pluck the rubber band harder? Softer? Change the shape of the rubber band by making it longer and thinner. What do you hear?

THE EQUIPMENT: How sound is heard Now that we understand how sounds are created, you want to know how you hear those sounds, right? Your ear has an important job. It collects sounds, interprets sounds, and sends the sound signals to your brain. Human beings, like most mammals, have two ears to do all this work.

Your ear has three different sections:

1) outer ear 2) middle ear 3) inner ear

Each of these sections has a different role to play in collecting and interpreting sound.

The Outer Ear

This is the only part of your ear that you can see. Your outer ear has two jobs: to collect sound and protect the rest of the ear. Invisible sound waves travel through the air and enter the outer ear through the canal. The canal is the opening in your ear. The outer ear also makes earwax.

The Middle Ear

After the sound waves travel through the canal, they reach your middle ear. The middle ear turns the sound waves into vibrations before it sends them to the inner ear. Sound passes through your eardrum and three tiny bones called ossicles (OSS-ih-kulz). Each ossicle has a name. They are the hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup. The eardrum is a thin piece of skin attached to the hammer. The hammer is attached to the anvil and the anvil is attached to the stirrup. When these three tiny bones vibrate, sound is passed on to the inner ear.

Diagram of the ear

DID YOU KNOW?Earwax (the yellowish stuff that forms in your ears) is your friend! It protects the rest of the parts of your ear from

getting dirt in them.

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The Inner Ear Once vibrations enter your inner ear, they travel to the cochlea (COK-lee-uh). The cochlea is a small, curled tube. It is shaped like a snail’s shell. It is filled with liquid and lined with millions of tiny hairs. Vibrations cause the liquid and the hairs to move. Then the hairs change the sound into nerve signals for your brain. The brain interprets the nerve signals and tells you what sound you are hearing. The Balancing Act Your ears do more than just hear…they also help keep you standing upright! Three small loops are located directly above the cochlea. The loops are called the semi-circular canals. They help us maintain our balance. The semi-circular canals “talk” to your brain just like the cochlea, using liquid and tiny hairs. The semi-circular canals tell your brain the position of your head—is it looking up? Turned to the left? Your brain determines where your head is and then keeps the rest of your body in line.

TRY THIS! Fill a cup halfway with water. Move the cup around a bit, then stop. Notice how the water keeps swishing

around even after the cup is still. Sometimes this happens in your semi-circular canals when you spin around very fast. The fluid that continues to move around in your ear is what makes you feel dizzy!

What are the 3 smallest bones in your body???

Give up? The ossicles! The stirrup is the tiniest

of all!

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Educator Resources Books

Opera Reference Books Opera 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Opera

by Fred Plotkin Published by Hyperion Books, 1994

Getting Opera: A Guide for the Cultured but Confused by Matt Dobkin Published by Pocket Books, 2000

100 Hundred Great Operas and Their Stories by Henry W. Simon Published by Random House, 1989

Opera by Alessandra Taverna and Thomas Trojer

Published by Barron’s Educational Series, 1999

Note: Great book for older children to learn about major episodes in music history. It tells stories of important composers and performers and explains details of instrument construction. For ages 11 and older.

The Definitive Kobbé’s Opera Book by The Earl of Harewood Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons New York, 1987

The Splendid Art of Opera by Ethan Mordden

Published by Methuen, 1980

The Oxford Illustrated History of Opera edited by Roger Parker Published by Oxford University Press, 1994

The NPR Curious Listener’s Guide to Opera by William Berger Published by Berkeley Publishing Group, 2002

Bravo! A Guide to Opera for the Perplexed By Barrymore Laurence Scherer Published by Dutton, 1996

The Definitive Kobbé’s Opera Book by The Earl of Harewood Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons New York, 1987

The Viking Opera Guide, edited by Amanda Holden.

London: Viking, The Penguin Book, 1993

The Young Person’s Guide to the Opera By Ariane Csonka Comstock, Mark Roberts, illustrator Published by Monarch Media, Inc., 1997

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Opera for Grades 3-7

Opera Cat by Tess Weaver, illustrated by Andrea Wesson Madame SoSo is an opera star who practices every afternoon with the maestro. What the two don't realize is that behind the curtain, Madame's cat is singing along sotto voce. (School Library Journal) Clarion Books, 2002.

The Magic Flute by Anne Gatti, illustrated by Peter Malone

Enter a magical world of monster serpents, mysterious ladies, and flying machines where giant flowers and butterflies abound. Readers will thrill as Prince Tamino strives to save Princess Pamina from the wicked Queen of the Night. Accompanied by a CD. Chronicle Books, 1997.

The Barefoot Book of Stories from the Opera by Shahrukh Husain, illustrated by James Mayhew A beautifully illustrated retelling of seven popular operas. Barefoot Books, 1999.

Aïda, A Picture Book for All Ages by Leontyne Price Opera diva Leontyne Price tells the compelling, romantic story of Aida, the captive Ethiopian princess who falls in love with her country’s greatest enemy. Harcourt, Brace and Vox, 1990.

Pet of the Met by Lydia and Don Freeman

Maestro Petrini is the only mouse at the Metropolitan Opera House, the perfect place for a music loving mouse and his family. The only danger is Mefisto, the opera house cat, who hates music (and mice!) until one day when he listens to The Magic Flute and becomes enchanted. Viking Press, 1989.

Opera for Young Adults The Random House Book of Opera Stories, illustrated by Adele Geras and Ian Beck

Originally published in Great Britain as The Orchard Book of Opera Stories, this large-format book presents the stories of popular eight operas. Each selection begins with an introduction to the composer and the opera, followed by a simplified retelling, complete with pictures and conversation. Each story is illustrated. Random House Library, 1998.

Sing Me A Story: The Metropolitan Opera’s Book of Opera Stories for Children by Jane Rosenberg, with introduction by Luciano Pavarotti In this vibrantly illustrated collection, 15 thrilling opera stories are brought to children in a most enjoyable way. These all-time favorites will stimulate a child’s interest in the magic of opera. Thames and Hudson, 1989.

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The Young Person’s Guide to the Opera: Book and CD Set by Anita Ganeri and Nicola Barber This book features bright color photos and a dynamic layout that is ideal for readers who are after a more informal, friendly approach to the subject. Ganeri and Barber cover many aspects of opera, from the origins of the form to the stories behind the great works to the most famous opera singers and the venues in which they perform. (School Library Journal) Harcourt, 2001.

The Young Person’s Guide to the Opera by Ariane C. Comstock

Provides kid-friendly synopses to 30 popular operas. Monarch Media Publishing, 1997.

The Catropolitan Opera by Susan Herbert After amusing the world with her feline versions of famous paintings and plays of Shakespeare, Susan Herbert now turns her witty paintbrush to the great operas. With a captivating variety of operatic scenes and set pieces, Herbert’s latest will delight all who enjoyed the artist’s previous books. Bulfinch Press Book, 1997

Video and DVD The Magic Flute

The film version of The Magic Flute to which all others will forever be compared. A delightful, magical film that captures opera in a way that most films do not or cannot. Directed by Ingmar Bergman and first released in 1975, it is available on video and DVD from the Criterion Collection. In Swedish with English subtitles.

Who’s Afraid of Opera? Volume 2

Directed by Ted Kotcheff. Conducted by Sir Richard Bonynge. Joan Sutherland and three puppets introduce the uninitiated to the magnificent world of opera.

Willie the Operatic Whale

Walt Disney Mini-Classics, distributed by Buena Vista Home Video The charming story of a melodious mammal who is destined to be the biggest thing yet to hit the Met.

Audio RecordingS The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Conducted by Karl Böhm. With one of the best all-around casts, including Fritz Wunderlich, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Evelyn Lear, et al. The complete score, with English libretto. Re-released on CD by Deutsche Gramophone in 1997.

World’s Very Best Opera for Kids…in English!

Contains familiar selections from well-known operas such as Carmen by Bizet, The Barber of Seville by Rossini, The Magic Flute by Mozart, and more. Children’s Group, 2003. Sung in English.

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websites

Arts in Education www.teachopera.net

A comprehensive website that includes innovative lesson plans for bringing opera into your classroom.

www.nycopera.com/learning/ The education website of the New York City Opera. Offers information for everyone, from the adult first-timer to elementary school lesson plans.

www.metguild.org/education/ The education website of the Metropolitan Opera. Well-organized and well-written, this website is worth checking out.

Music and Opera www.blo.org

Boston Lyric Opera’s official website. Provides complete information about BLO’s season operas, including mainstage productions, synopses, events, and Opera New England school and family performances.

www.operaworld.com

A public access opera education program and information resource center whose mission is to encourage greater enjoyment of opera by audiences at all levels of experience. This site is a good resource for information about opera broadcasts and video and DVD recordings of operas. There are also links to dozens of opera-related websites.

www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/aidas/

Information on many great African-American opera singers

www.quia.com/shared/music/ Music games and quizzes for kids and adults

www.theoperacritic.com Great reviews, articles, and photos from opera around the world

www.operaamerica.org

A service organization for North American opera companies, OPERA America offers a comprehensive website, including an excellent section on opera education.

www.aria-database.com Interesting and useful information about over a thousand opera arias, including decent translations and synopses

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Worksheet Answer Guide

Page 59

The Magic Flute Word Search

M A S I L E N C E E F G K E G N O I I L Y O U C D P G R A N T M A T L U A L L E G O R Y R S P T D I E P I P N A P A E R E G G A D L B I R D C A T C H E R S

Bonus: 1. Water 3. Fire 2. Silence

Page 55 The Magic Flute Vocabulary

1. feathers 2. suspicious 3. padlock 4. courage 5. enchant 6. dagger 7. undergo 8. magic flute 9. search Bonus: 1. Food

2. drink 3. girlfriend

S C O R E P R O P S D U E T N O A B A S S P A G E R R E M V A I D B I N D Y N A M I C S L I B R E T T O R E R E A C C T B C O S T U M E O P E R A M O I R P R E H E A R S A L I O N T S O O E N R E

10. worthy 11. steadfast 12. initiates 13. Sevenfold Circle of the Sun 14. wisdom

Page 53 Travels with Mozart

Page 43 Opera Crossword

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1. 4 2. 5 hours, 6 minutes 3. 89 4. 3/8 5. 10 6. 10 feet long, Papageno had the bigger garden 7. 63 8. 34,056 9. Alexander tames Lemurs Beatrice Werewolves

Claire Emus Dulcinea Tigers Ernest Dragons Franklin Snakes

Page 45 Magic Math Grade 5

1. 81.4 2. 1 23/30 gallon 3. 60 gold pieces 4. 185 5. 93 6. 31 7. 2241 8. 17.16 cm 9. Alexander tames Lemurs

Beatrice Werewolves Claire Emus Dulcinea Tigers Ernest Dragons Franklin Snakes

Page 46 Magic Math Grade 6

1. 42.48 feet 2. 680 florins 3. 91,140 4. 27% 5. 199 6. 90 7. 41% 8. Alexander tames Lemurs with an Oboe

Beatrice Werewolves Drum Claire Emus Bell Dulcinea Dragons Harmonica Ernest Tigers Flute Franklin Snake Harp

Page 47 Magic Math Grade 7 1. 1575 2. 140, 204 3. 2 4. 27% 5. 1552.5 florins 6. Alexander tames Lemurs with an Oboe

Beatrice Werewolves Drum Claire Emus Bell Dulcinea Dragons Harmonica Ernest Tigers Flute Franklin Snakes Harp

Page 44 Magic Math Grade 4

Page 51 Quest for Pamina