the magic flute study guide

Study Guide and Pre- and Post-Performance Lesson Plans

For Reading & Writing Common Core Standards

Grades 9 – 12

September 18, 2013

Dear Educator,

Boston Lyric Opera is pleased to invite high school students to Final Dress Rehearsals at the Shubert Theatre throughout our season. We look forward to seeing you and your students at the theatre for this world premiere, new English adaptation of The Magic Flute!

The experience of seeing live, professional opera is second to none. However, we encourage you to explore the world of the opera in your classroom as well. We are proud to now offer a study guide to support your discussions and preparations for The Magic Flute that includes special insights into the production, the opera’s history, and ready-to-use pre- and post-performance lesson plans for grades 9–12.

We are also pleased to include a copy of the libretto for BLO’s new English adaptation.

Boston Lyric Opera’s mission is to build curiosity, enthusiasm, and support for opera. This new study-guide is one way in which we hope to serve this goal, and support the incredible work of educators like you, who bring this beautiful art form into your students’ lives. As we continue to develop these study guides this season, we want your feedback. Please tell us about how you use this guide and how it can serve your needs by emailing [email protected].

If you’re interested in other opera education opportunities with Boston Lyric Opera, please visit blo.org/learn to discover more about our programs.

• Music! Words! Opera! • Workshops offered in partnership with Wheelock Family Theatre• Residencies and Workshops available through Young Audiences of Massachusetts• Free Concerts and Community Programs including our annual Open House

We look forward to seeing you at the theatre!

Sincerely,

Megan CooperDirector of Community Engagement

CONTENTS

Introductory Letter .............................................................................................................................................2

Table of Contents ...............................................................................................................................................3

History of Opera ................................................................................................................................................4

Science of Sound ................................................................................................................................................8

The Magic Flute: Artistic Statement ...............................................................................................................10

The Magic Flute: Principle Characters .............................................................................................................11

The Magic Flute: Synopsis by John Conklin ...................................................................................................12

Brief History of Mozart .....................................................................................................................................13

Brief History of The Magic Flute ......................................................................................................................14

Brief History of Enlightenment ........................................................................................................................15

Brief History of Mayan Culture ........................................................................................................................16

Pre-performance Lesson Plans Grade 9-10 ....................................................................................................17

Pre-performance Lesson Plans Grade 11–12 ..................................................................................................19

Supplemental Material: Interpreting Music ...................................................................................................21

Supplemental Material: Dramatic Writing for an Oper Aria .......................................................................21

Post-performance Lesson Plans Grade 9-10 ................................................................................................22

Post-performance Lesson Plans Grade 11-12 ...............................................................................................24

Supplemental Material: The Magic Flute Critiques ......................................................................................26

Bibliography/Works Referenced .........................................................................................................................31

4 | THE MAGIC FLUTE

Opera was a creation of the Renaissance and its efforts to revive Classical antiquity. A group of Florentine intellectuals called the Camerata wanted to revive the tradition of Ancient Greek theater, particularly its practice of singing the text and using music to heighten the drama. In 1598, Jacopo Peri, one of the members of the Camerata, composed the world’s first opera — Dafne, a fitting Renaissance revival of a Classic mythological tale.

Opera quickly became a very popular art form and swiftly spread to other cities in Europe. The French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully adopted the new art form and produced distinctly French operas in Paris, while George Frideric Handel turned opera into London’s most popular and sensational entertainment. The principal genre of opera during the Baroque era was opera seria or serious opera, which portrayed epic, dramatic stories using a highly embellished style of singing and spectacular staging.

MAJOR COMPOSERS:

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567-1643)Monteverdi was the first great opera composer, and his operas were incredibly popular in Italy during his lifetime. Monteverdi took opera to the next level by expanding its scope and scale, escalating its drama with more sophisticated characterization, and writing far more complex, ornate music. His opera Orfeo, written in 1607, is often considered the first “great opera,” and remains a part of the opera canon today.

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685-1759) Handel, the great German-born British composer, was one of the most successful and sought-after composers in 18th century England. Though Handel is best known for his ever-popular oratorio Messiah (1742), he was also a prolific and influential opera composer — producing more than forty operas and fostering a love for opera among the English audience. Handel’s operas display mature character development and dazzling vocal ornamentation, which are exemplified in his most famous operas Rinaldo (1711) and Giulio Cesare (1724).

MID - LATE 18TH CENTURY: THE CLASSICAL PERIOD

Towards the mid-18th century, composers began to tire of the highly ornamented opera seria and its far-from-real-life stories and characters. Instead, they opted for a simpler, clearer style of music, opening a new chapter in music history known to us as the Classical Period. It is important to note that the term “Classical Period” is different from “Classical Music” — “Classical Period” or “Classical Era” refers to a particular style and time period within the big umbrella genre of “Classical Music.” MAJOR COMPOSERS:

CHRISTOPH WILLIBALD GLUCK (1714-1787)Gluck was the leader of a major opera reform movement in mid-18th century Europe. He rejected the former superfluously ornamental style of opera, in which music and drama only existed as a vessel for star singers to show off their vocal power and technical agility. Instead, Gluck wrote operas in a non-virtuosic, simple manner, believing that words and music should work together to convey the story. His most famous opera, Orfeo ed Euridice (1762), illustrates Gluck’s dedication to simplicity and natural beauty.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791)Even to this day, the name Mozart is synonymous with musical genius. Mozart excelled in any musical genre he touched whether it was a piano sonata, concerto, symphony or chamber music. Mozart also had a special gift for opera and was commissioned to write his first operatic work at the age of 14. Yet Mozart’s brilliant gift was not just in his musical versatility, but also in his deep understanding of the dramatic nature of music. Mozart intuitively knew how to portray moods, situations and personalities through music, and could transport the audience into depths of emotion, moving easily from incredible sadness to overwhelming joy. Mozart’s best operatic works include The Marriage of Figaro (1786), The Magic Flute (1791) and Don Giovanni (1787), which are still frequently performed staples of the repetoire.

MONTEVERDI

HANDEL

LATE 16TH - EARLY 18TH CENTURY: LATE RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE

GLUCK

MOZART

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA | 5

Bel Canto literally means beautiful singing in Italian. Like Baroque operas, Bel Canto operas put greater emphasis on the power of the human voice. Amidst stories of passion and romance, Bel Canto composers wrote incredibly ornate passages that truly showcased a singer’s range, power, tone and technical mastery.

MAJOR COMPOSERS:

GIOACCHINO ROSSINI (1792-1868)Rossini was a precocious musical prodigy and became the leading composer in Italy by age 20. He is considered to be one of the most influential figures in opera history as he pioneered the Bel Canto style, which revolutionized and dictated the Italian operatic scene for the first half of the 19th century. Rossini wrote operas with extraordinary ease and speed, composing 39 operas within twenty years using his signature style — intricate vocal ornamentation with sparkling embellishments. While Rossini wrote everything from tragic to witty operas, he is best known to present-day audiences for his comic operas such as The Barber of Seville (1816), and La Cenerentola (1817), which is Rossini’s version of the classic fairy tale.

GAETANO DONIZETTI (1797-1848)Donizetti was another leading composer during the Bel Canto Era. Unlike his peers, Donizetti was not born into a musical or an affluent family. Yet his evident musical talents did not go unrecognized. The German conductor and composer Simon Mayr took the young Donizetti under his sponsorship and provided the protegé a full scholarship for his musical training. Donizetti received training with the same teacher as Rossini, and became one of the most prolific composers in opera history, producing a total of 75 operas. His most famous works include Lucia di Lammermoor (1835) and L’Elisir d’Amore (1832).

VINCENZO BELLINI (1801-1835)Bellini followed the Bel Canto tradition of Rossini but also improved the art of beautiful singing by cutting down on some of the excessive ornaments and focusing on simpler but incredibly expressive and emotive singing lines. Many of Bellini’s operas such as I Capuleti e i Montecchi (1830) — the Bel Canto version of Romeo and Juliet, La Sonnambula (1831) and Norma (1831) are some of his most popular operatic works.

LATE 18TH - MID 19TH CENTURY: THE BEL CANTO ERA

ROSSINI

DONIZETTI

BELLINI

2012 production of The Barber of Seville.

Photo by Eric Antoniou for Boston Lyric Opera.

6 | THE MAGIC FLUTE

MID - LATE 19TH CENTURY: LATE ROMANTICISM

The dominant art movement in 19th century was Romanticism, which emphasized the artist’s imagination, expression and emotion over structure and convention. Romantic music typically embodies passionate, flowing melodies with complex harmonies, creating a stirring emotional experience for the listeners.

The 19th century was also the golden age for opera. More popular than ever, opera was now the primary form of entertainment among not only the aristocracy, but also the growing middle class. Responding to the surging public demand, more opera houses opened up with bigger spaces to accommodate a vast number of operagoers. Orchestras also became larger as the musical idiom became more dense, rich and “romantic.” The change in orchestral texture also resulted in a new kind of opera singer — instead of the light, agile voices that were sought-after in earlier eras, the opera stage now required singers with powerful voices who could project over the thick sound of the orchestra. The plots in operas also became more diverse as composers conveyed contemporary real-life stories, exotic tales from the East or local folklore.

MAJOR COMPOSERS:

GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813-1901)Verdi was one of most successful composers in the history of opera. Not only are Verdi’s operas some of the most performed works today, he was also incredibly popular in his own time — thousands of Italians flooded the streets of Milan at his memorial singing the famous chorus from his opera Nabuco. Verdi is known for his grand operas with huge casts, stunning sets, elaborate costumes, large orchestras, lush music, and intense drama. Many of Verdi’s works also have a strong political undertone, but overall, they explore the timeless themes of passion, betrayal, love, power and death. Some of Verdi’s most treasured operas are La Traviata (1853) and Rigoletto (1851).

GIACOMO PUCCINI (1858-1924)Puccini is undoubtedly one of the most beloved opera composers, producing operas such as La Bohème (1896), Tosca (1900), Madama Butterfly (1904) and Turandot (1926). Puccini’s universal appeal lies in his beautiful, lyric melodies with lush, romantic orchestral accompaniment. Puccini is also known for writing in the style of verismo or realism — depicting real-life characters with their everyday struggles. Many of his operas capture the lives of beautiful contemporary heroines who often face tragic deaths in the end. The great theatricality and melodrama of Puccini’s operas infused with poignant music emanate incredible emotional power, often bringing the audience members to tears.

RICHARD WAGNER (1813-1883)Wagner is one of the most influential and controversial composers in music history. His music is deeply associated with German nationalism for his use of Nordic and German mythology. Wagner also had a new vision for opera, which he called gesamtkunstwerk or “total work of art,” one in which music, theater, poetry, and visuals came together with a single purpose of serving the drama of the story. Wagnerian operas are known for being incredibly lengthy (usually 4-5 hours long) and having large, thick, colorful orchestration that only the most powerful voices can cut through. Wagner’s most famous operatic work is his epic Ring cycle (1876), which comprises four long and grand operas.

VERDI

PUCCINI

WAGNER


Richard Wagner’s opera Tristan und Isolde (1865) is generally considered the first step towards modernism. In its famous opening, music seems to drift away from tonality — the musical idiom that had dominated the language of music for centuries; tonality imposes a hierarchical structure on all notes in music with the tonic or the “home note” being the most important, central base. Inspired by Wagner’s deviation from the tonal center, the Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg decided to abandon tonality completely, emancipating all notes from their tonal hierarchy and creating a new genre called atonal music.

Alban Berg, one of Schoenberg’s pupils, brought the new language of atonality into the world of opera, using a haunting, expressionist sound to depict the deeply disturbed Freudean psyches of his characters. His operatic works Wozzeck (1925) and Lulu (1935) are the most famous of the genre.

After World War II, the Western Classical music world no longer had a prominent leading musical idiom. Instead, composers sought to further explore the boundaries of music and sound in their own unique ways resulting in numerous avant-garde movements such as serialism, minimalism, electronic music, and chance music.

In America, while certain composers such as John Cage, Phillip Glass and John Adams continued to experiment with European modernism, other composers sought a more unique American sound. George Gershwin achieved this by incorporating African-American music into his famous opera Porgy and Bess (1935), which is perhaps best known to us for its popular aria Summertime. Other composers such as Leonard Bernstein continued to blur the line between opera and popular entertainment, writing the highly entertaining operetta Candide (1956) as well as one of America’s most cherished musical dramas West Side Story.

20TH CENTURY: MODERNISM

The culture of opera and its place in society has significantly changed over the past 50 years. Opera is viewed by some as a genre of the past, but it remains a vibrant and evolving art-form. Present-day composers, musicians, singers, directors, operagoers, and devotees endeavor to keep opera alive and fresh by producing not only masterworks from the past but also new contemporary operas that grapple with various political and social issues from modern-day society. Opera houses also now play a central role in determining the trajectory of opera’s future by being the prime commissioner of new operas. Many opera companies also make bold artistic choices in their productions of traditional operas, making them not only more interesting but also more relevant and relatable for the modern audience.

OPERA TODAY

Scenes from the 2013 production of The Flying Dutchman. Photos by Eric Antoniou for Boston Lyric Opera.

8 | THE MAGIC FLUTE

Sound is a form of energy. It can be generated, moved, do work, dissipate over time and distance, and carry tremendous amounts of energy. Sound will continue only as long as there is energy in the system to keep it going.

Sound is defined as something that can be heard. It is a wave and is a series of vibrations traveling through a medium, especially those within the range of frequencies that can be perceived by the human ear. Sound can travel through many types of mediums, for example: air, liquids and solids. The compressions and rarefactions that move through the atmosphere are compressing and stretching the molecules of nitrogen and oxygen all around us. Sound cannot be heard in a vacuum, like outer space.

WHAT IS HEARING?

Unlike the senses of smell or taste, which rely on chemical interactions, hearing is a mechanical process in which the ear converts sound waves entering the ear into electrical signals the brain can understand. The process of hearing begins with sound. An object produces sound when it vibrates in matter. This could be through something solid, liquid, or gaseous. Humans mostly hear sound that travels through the air.

For example, when a bell is struck, it vibrates. This vibration is actually the metal flexing in and out. This physically moves the air particles next to the metal. Those particles, in turn, move the particles next to them and so on. In this way, the vibration moves through the air.

To hear the sound traveling through the air, three things have to happen.

1. The sound has to be directed into the hearing part of the ear. 2. The ear has to sense the fluctuations in air pressure. 3. The fluctuations have to be translated into electrical signals that the

brain can understand.

The pinna, or outer/visible part of the ear, catches the sound waves. In humans, the pinna is pointed forward. It helps to determine where the sound is coming from. The direction of the sound is determined by the way the sound wave bounces off the pinna. The brain can distinguish the subtleties in the sound reflection and tell where the sound came from. The horizontal position of the sound is determined by comparing the information from both ears. If a sound is coming from your right, it will enter your right ear slightly sooner than your left and will be slightly louder. Humans cannot really focus in on a sound because the pinnae do not move. Some mammals, such as dogs, have large movable pinnae and so can focus in on a sound.

Singing is actually a simple mechanical process. Here’s what’s happening in your body that allows you to produce sound to talk and sing:

BREATH — Breathe in through your nose to take air into your lungs. You’d be surprised at just how much air you can take in. Place your hands at the bottom of your rib cage — your lungs extend all the way from the top of your rib cage near the collar bones to the very bottom.

EXERCISE: Singing uses your whole body, and so it’s really important for singers to be fit and have good posture. Try this: while slouching with bad posture, take in a long, slow and steady breath, and then hold your breath. See how long you can hold it. Now, standing up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, your spine stretched, and your hands by your side, do the same thing. Did your posture affect the way you breathe?

WHAT IS SOUND?

HOW YOU HEAR

HOW THE VOICE WORKS


Voices come in all shapes and sizes. To make it easier for singers and casting directors, voices are placed into different categories. There are several main categories for men’s and women’s voices. Determining whether someone is a soprano or a mezzo-soprano, or a tenor or baritone depends on the range, which is called the tessitura, and the timbre of the singer’s voice; Timbre (tam-ber) refers to the tone of the voice, and tessitura (tess-eh-Too-rah) refers to the distance from the highest note to the lowest note a singer can produce. Tenors and sopranos will be able to sing high notes more comfortably than baritones and mezzo-sopranos, while baritones and mezzo-sopranos will be more comfortable on lower notes.

SOPRANO (suh-PRAN-oh): The soprano is the highest female voice. Sopranos typically play leading ladies. At the end of the opera, you can often expect the soprano character to get married or die, depending on whether the opera is a comedy or a tragedy.

Range: C4-C6. Famous roles: Cio-Cio San, Madama Butterfly, Puccini, and Fiordiligi, Così Fan Tutte, Mozart. Try listening to… “Der Hoelle Rache” from The Magic Flute.

MEZZO-SOPRANO (MET-soh-suh-PRAN-oh): middle-low range female voice. Mezzo-sopranos are usually cast as sultry women, evil witches, or sometimes even young men. They play characters that suit their earthy voices and are often the supporting roles in operas, though not always. Carmen is a famous opera with a mezzo-soprano main character.

Range: A3-A5. Famous roles: Cherubino, The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart, and Dorabella, Così Fan Tutte, Mozart. Try listening to… “Habanera”, from Carmen.

TENOR (TEN-er): A high male voice. Tenors typically sing leading male roles. They are usually the heroes of the story. Tenor characters are often the love interest of the soprano characters.

Range: C3-C5. Famous roles: Tamino, The Magic Flute, Mozart and The Duke, Rigoletto, Verdi. Try listening to… “La Donna e Mobile”, from Rigoletto.

BARITONE (BAIR-ih-tohn): A middle-range male voice. Baritones are known for their rich tone in the middle of their range. In comic operas they often play humorous characters, but in serious, dramatic operas, they are often cast as the villain.

Range: F2-F4. Famous roles for baritones: Figaro, The Barber of Seville, Rossini and Papageno, The Magic Flute, Mozart. Try listening to… “Largo al Factotum”, from The Barber of Seville.

With contributions from the Museum of Science, Boston.

HOW THE VOICE WORKS

VIBRATION — As you breathe out, the air passes through your voice box called a larynx (Lair-inks) where pitches are made. You can see this bump best on grown men known as the Adam’s apple. You can feel your own larynx by lifting your chin and gently feeling along the front of your neck. Around the middle, you should feel a slight bump. Keeping your hand there, try swallowing and feel the larynx move. The larynx is home to tiny muscles known as the vocal folds. The air rushing over the muscles creates a “buzz” that travels up into the mouth.

ARTICULATION — As the air comes out, it passes by three articulators – tongue, lips, and the soft palate. If you slide your tongue along the roof of your mouth, about halfway back, it gets softer. This soft palate can be raised and lowered. Can you raise your soft palate? Here’s a tip — think about yawning. The secret to good operatic singing is keeping your soft palate up!

DIFFERENT VOICE TYPES

10 | THE MAGIC FLUTE

PREMISE OF OUR STORY

Four contemporary university students are on an archeological visit to the Mayan ruins. One of them, Tommy (Tamino) is bitten by a snake and as the transforming venom enters his veins, he begins to hallucinate - the magnificent power of his altered state draws his companions into his dream and they are suddenly and violently swept up into the midst of a mythological battle between Day (Sarastro) and Night (the Queen) - an unending struggle between the rational forces of order and control on the one hand and the dark creative powers of chaos and the unconscious on the other.

AN EPIC JOURNEY

On this hallucinatory journey of self-discovery our four young people struggle their way through a mysterious labyrinth that constantly chal-lenges them. Theirs is an epic struggle of dangerous confrontations. They encounter strange and confounding metamorphoses, bizarre trials, comic encounters, monstrous serpents and magical musical instruments.

THE HERO QUEST

A young man, poised uneasily between childhood and maturity, wanders through an ever-changing landscape, searching, questioning - meet-ing figures along the way who give him advice both bad and good, or try to distract him away from his goals – he is being forced to think and to choose. In this journey he also discovers the balance between men and women – the weaknesses and strengths of each of these two equal forces can be combined is a complete world that allows each the freedom to create. Together, and only together, can they thus find their way.

SPIRIT GUIDES

All this is watched over by mysterious spirits, forces of stillness and ultimate balance - who reveal through the power and understanding of music that strength and harmony does lay within us all.

THE MAYAN WORLD

Mozart and Schikaneder set their 18th century Flute in Egypt - a land of hidden secrets, ancient truths, pyramids and temples, vast and empty landscapes. This, definitely and deliberately not a Western or European civilization, is a mysterious “new world “ where a renewed journey of self-discovery could be initiated. Our world is largely that of the expansive and evocative cosmos of the Mayan civilization. Like Egypt, the Mayan world is also rich in visual iconography - objects and architecture that remain both boldly beautiful and tantalizingly mysterious to our contemporary sensibilities - dark temples and colossal pyramids, golden masks, onyx vessels, crystal skulls, plumed serpents of turquoise and coral.

THE BALANCED CYCLE OF LIFE

Day is followed by Night and Night by Day and so on through all of time. Day is eventually swallowed up in the darkness of Night just as the light of Day eventually conquers the power of darkness. We need both - order can control the deadly violence of chaos but too much order can suppress the creative and vital instincts of the unconscious. Clarity is desirable but so is mystery. In balance and harmony the journey may be completed.

ARTISTIC STATEMENT

“A dangerous course is this journey to fulfillment...the narrow passage that lies between the perils of desire and fear and the lust for power - a path like the edge of a razor.”


PRINCIPLE CHARACTERS

TAMINO (TOMMY): (tenor) the protagonist of the opera. Originally sent by the Queen of the Night to free her daughter Pamina, Tamino embarks on a journey and emerges from this journey enlightened.

PAPAGENO (PATRICK): (baritone) a bird catcher and Tamino’s comic companion through his journey. Papageno is slapstick and simplistic.

PAMINA (PAMELA): (soprano) a young woman who falls in love with Tamino and eventually helps him achieve Enlightenment.

QUEEN OF THE NIGHT: (soprano) Pamina’s vengeful mother who sets Tamino on his quest and gives him the magic flute.

SARASTRO: (bass) Pamina’s wise and powerful captor. Sarastro puts Tamino on the path towards Enlightenment.

MONOSTATOS (MONTY): (tenor) Sarastro’s head guard who longs for Pamina. After his attempts to seduce her, he is banished by Sarastro and joins the Queen of the Night and her three ladies.

PAPAGENA: (soprano) Papageno’s bird-catching mate who first appears to him in the form of an old woman.

Sarastro

PapagenaCostume design by Nancy Leary


BLO presents this season a new English adaptation of The Magic Flute by Leon Major, Kelley Rourke, and John Conklin. Quotations are from the sung text by Kelley Rourke.

“… we have not to risk the adventure alone for heroes of all time have gone before us. The labyrinth is thoroughly known […] We have only to follow the thread of the hero path, […] and where we had thought to travel outward, we shall come to the center of our own existence, and where we had though to be alone, we will be with all the world.”

- Joseph Campbell

SYNOPSIS BY JOHN CONKLIN

Tom, Pamela, Patrick, and Monty, four contemporary university students are on an archeological visit to the Mayan ruins. Tom (Tamino) is bitten by a snake and as the venom enters his veins, he begins to hallucinate—the power of his altered state draws his companions into his dream, and they are suddenly and violently swept up into the pyramid they have come to visit.

The time has come to walk the pathTo seek the answer to the questionThe night is wild, the way is steep.

They are caught up in a cosmic world where an epic battle between Day (Sarastro) and Night (the Queen) is being waged. The battle between Sarastro and the Queen is an unending struggle between the rational forces of order and control on the one hand, and the dark powers of chaos and the unconscious on the other.

Celestial combatantsRevolve in the heavens.Can daylight contend with the night’s darkest questions?

This epic war compels our protagonists to deal with their own conflicts and desires. As they struggle their way through the mysterious labyrinth, they are constantly being confronted by dangerous temptations, strange and confounding metamorphoses, bizarre trials, ribald suggestions, droll encounters, monstrous serpents, and magical musical instruments. Their world is our world where we so often ignore that which disturbs us. But in dreams confrontations cannot be ignored.

Tom (Tamino) and his companions meet figures that give them advice both good and bad. These forces try to dissuade them from reaching their goals. Tom is being forced to think, to consider, to question. He, as the others, are being invited, not always kindly, and sometimes wrenchingly, to examine their lives.

Each man must make his way aloneAs contradictions streak the skies.The cosmic battle rages onLook within to find your light.

These events are being watched over by mysterious spirits, forces of stillness and wisdom. They demand our protagonists question their behavior and push all of them to examine their preconceptions. Our four visitors discover that faithful obedience can lead to tyranny, that dreams can become realities, that immoral behavior can never be justified and, of crucial importance, that men and women are equal and that the weaknesses and strengths of each when combined is a complete world that allows both the freedom to create. Only to be uniting can they find a principled path. Slowly the spirit world reveals, through the power and understanding of music, that strength and harmony does lay within us all—that ours can be a world of balance and selflessness.

Do not be fooled by mere illusionExamine reason and desire.Both light and dark can cause confusion.There danger in both fog and fire.

Our setting is also a mysterious “new world” where a new journey of self-discovery can be initiated. The Mayan world is rich in visual iconography—objects and architecture that remain both boldly beautiful and tantalizingly mysterious to our contemporary sensibilities.

The sun peeks over the horizon,The silver moon recedes,Continuing the endless cycle—each one the next precedes.

Day is followed by Night and Night by Day and so on through all of time. Day eventually swallowed up in the darkness of the Night just as the light of Day eventually conquers the power of darkness. We need both—order can control the deadly violence of chaos but too much order can suppress the creative and vital instincts of the unconscious. Clarity is desirable, but so is mystery.

The play of elements is never ending – Eternally dividing, merging, blendingThe man who seeks that path that threads between extremesWill thus achieve a life of harmony.


BRIEF HISTORY OF MOZART

FROM CHILD PRODIGY TO MUSICAL LEGEND: A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was one of the most influential and prolific composers of his time, and remains one of the most important composers in the history of Western music. Along with his friend and fellow composer Joseph Haydn, Mozart “conceived and perfected the grand forms of symphony, opera, string ensemble, and concerto that marked the classical period” (Wolfgang 6). His composition of operas was particularly skillful, displaying a mastery of the vocal mechanism and innovation for his time in story and interpretation.

W. A. Mozart’s father, Leopold, was a successful composer, violinist, and assistant concert master with the Salzburg court. He began teaching Wolfgang to play the keyboard at a very young age, and the boy soon started composing by himself. Leopold became fully aware of his son’s genius through a composition Wolfgang wrote at age 5, noting that he may have surpassed his own father’s training at such a young age. At age 6, Leopold began taking Wolfgang and his sister Anna Maria, also an accomplished young musician, on tours of Europe to play for royalty. After many years of touring and performing his own compositions, W.A. Mozart became a court musician for the ruler of Salzburg, Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo, at age 17. He quickly grew bored with this position, and began looking for more intellectually challenging work elsewhere at the age of 21. From then on, Mozart supported the lavish lifestyle he and his wife, Constanze Weber (a trained soprano), preferred by composing commissioned pieces and giving widely-attended self-produced and performed concerts of his own music. In 1784, Mozart became a Freemason, or a member of a “fraternal order focused on charitable work, moral uprightness, and the development of fraternal friendship” (Wolfgang 4). He was well-regarded and very involved in the Freemason community. For the last 7 years of his life, Freemason ideology had a strong influence on Mozart’s compositions. (For more information on Mozart and the Freemasons, see The Enlightenment, Free Masonry, and Mozart.) Mozart is probably best known for his collaboration with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, together producing Mozart’s three most celebrated operas that remain Italian standards to this day: Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), Don Giovanni, and Così Fan Tutte.

Toward the end of his tragically short life, Mozart’s lavish lifestyle caught up with him, leaving him in a state of debt and depression. It was in this period that Mozart wrote The Magic Flute for his dear friend Emmanuel Schikaneder’s fairly amateur theatre troupe, premiering in Vienna on September 30, 1791. This was the last opera W.A. Mozart ever wrote, as only slightly over two months later, the great composer fell ill and passed away at the age of 35.

Although he died at such a young age, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart succeeded in perfecting and revolutionizing music of his time. In his 35 years, Mozart wrote over 60 symphonies, over 50 concertos, hundreds of pieces for piano and chamber orchestra, over 30 masses and pieces of sacred music, and 23 operas, along with countless pieces for other genres. Mozart’s music and influence lives on, as many of his compositions are still performed all over the world to this day.


BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MAGIC FLUTE

A FAIRY-TALE OF SYMBOLS: BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON MOZART’S THE MAGIC FLUTE

The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte), composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with libretto by Emmanuel Schikaneder, premiered in Vienna on September 30, 1791. Although the plot of The Magic Flute is often interpreted for stage in a fairy-tale setting, in truth it is filled with symbolism and meaning.

The Magic Flute was written in the style of a Singspiel, a popular form of German musical theater and opera. Singspiels are defined by their inclusion of spoken dialogue, folk-like songs, a comedic or romantic plot, and the frequent inclusion of magic, fantasy creatures, and a blunt separation of good and bad characters. The Magic Flute is one of four singspiels written by Mozart, and is widely considered to be the most sophisticated of the set. He wrote the music for The Magic Flute to accompany a libretto already written by his dear friend Emmanuel Schikaneder, who owned, operated, and acted in his own theater company. Mozart composed the opera based on the abilities of the actors in Schikaneder’s company, resulting in a large variation of difficulty between the different roles. Schikaneder himself premiered the role of Papageno. This role, along with the role of Monostatos which was also played by an amateur singer, was written quite simply both vocally and melodically. The orchestra usually plays the melody either of these characters are about to sing before they must sing, so that they have something to listen to and imitate in performance. In contrast, the role of the Queen of the Night is notoriously difficult. This role was premiered by Josepha Hofer, Mozart’s sister-in-law and accomplished German soprano. Because of her ability, Mozart was able to make her role much more difficult, sitting unusually high in the voice and reaching all the way to the pitch of F above high C, a pitch rarely used in opera. It is said that Mozart originally wrote parts of the opera as much more difficult than what we are left with today, but had to edit them once he heard his cast attempt to sing it.

The complexity of The Magic Flute is hidden in its Masonic symbolism. Many things in the opera come in threes, which was a very important number to the Freemasons. There are three distinct opening chords to the opera before the overture begins, and almost all of the minor supporting characters come in threes: the three ladies, three spirits, three priests, three boys, and three slaves. Furthermore, the entire plot of the second act is driven by Tamino’s quest for enlightenment, which, in essence, is the purpose of the Freemasons. Tamino’s quest displays and idolizes the quest all Freemasons were on, glorifying their values and ideals for the audience. Lastly, the one dimensional good and bad characteristics of Sarastro and the Queen of the Night seem to be only a trope of singspiels on the surface, but could also be interpreted as an allusion to the Masonic theme of good versus evil, glorified as good does eventually triumph over evil. In Boston Lyric Opera’s production, there is an emphasis on another Masonic theme of attaining balance. The sun, representing goodness, triumphs over the moon, representing darkness, only temporarily. This is because both good and evil, light and darkness, and order and chaos are necessary to one another to achieve balance and harmony. For more about Masonic symbols, see The Enlightenment, Free Masonry, and Mozart.

The Magic Flute is a fun, yet surprisingly complex opera that people of all ages have enjoyed since its premiere. Because the Masonic symbolism may not be as relevant to present day audiences, the opera is constantly being reimagined to connect to current audiences and keep the magic of The Magic Flute alive.

Emmanuel Schikaneder as Papageno

Alice Verlet as the Queen of the Night, 1912


BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ENLIGHTMENT

THE ENLIGHTENMENT, FREE MASONRY, AND MOZART

Before attempting to analyze or critique a work, it is important to understand the social circumstances in which it was written. Mozart’s The Magic Flute premiered in 1791, well into the Enlightenment movement. The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement prevalent from the mid 17th to 18th century. The ideals of the Enlightenment focused on questioning the surrounding world and using reason and logic to answer these questions. During the preceding Scientific Revolution, massive strides were made in science, such as Copernicus’ heliocentric theory, which cultivated the questioning minds and empirical thinking of the Enlightenment. The importance of observation and proof made the Enlightenment very scientific and mathematical, but Enlightened ideals found their way into literature and philosophy as well. Authors and philosophers focused on ideas of “the self” and free thinking, which paralleled the philosophy of the longstanding organization, The Freemasons.

Freemasonry has been one of the most influential organizations in spreading the ideals of the Enlightenment. Freemasonry has been a relatively enigmatic fraternity whose focus is on self-improvement and fellowship. Their origins have never been fully explained and mystery has surrounded the rituals of Freemasonry for centuries, but their beliefs focused on charity, brotherhood, morality, and liberty. Many great leaders of the past (including the majority of America’s founding fathers) were known Freemasons.

Although the Masons and Enlightened thinkers promoted ideas of liberty and equality, things do not change overnight. Women continued to be rejected from such societies as the Freemasons, but nonetheless, gained some respect in what was still very much a patriarchal society. One of the paradoxes of the Enlightenment is the continued prevalence of sexism and racism, but ideas, particularly about women, were beginning to change. The idea that men and women had different strengths and virtues that complimented each other perfectly implied that men alone were incomplete and began to expand the horizon for women.

Some of the most prominent Masonic symbols are tools, such as the square, the compass, and the pickax. These tools represent the Masonic ideals of deconstructing, reorienting and rebuilding one’s self. The eye of Providence (which can be see on the back of the one dollar bill) is also a recognized Masonic symbol. Although the society itself was not religious, many Masons were and the eye represented a higher power that oversaw their deeds and, in essence, kept them on a moral path.

Both Mozart and his librettist for The Magic Flute, Emanuel Schikaneder were avid Masons. Reference to the ideals of the Freemasons can be detected in many of Mozart’s operas, but Mozart’s The Magic Flute, in its traditional interpretation, is abounding with overt references to Masonic symbols, rituals, and beliefs like no other Mozart opera.

The protagonist of The Magic Flute, Tamino, embarks on the journey towards enlightenment and ultimately achieves it. At the beginning of his journey he accepts the decrees and demands of authorities (such as The Queen of the Night and Sarastro) but, as he continues, learns to question these figures and his own emotions. In his aria “Dies Bildnis” he questions his new found emotions and their consequences: “Dies etwas kann ich zwar nicht nennen….Soll die Empfindung Liebe sein? …Was wuerde ich?” (This feeling I cannot name…Can it be love?... What would I do?) Tamino not only questions these new emotions, but reflects and provides an answer to each. Unlike the blunt arias of the Queen of the Night, Tamino’s arias are introspective and pensive, much like a soliloquy.

Despite the fact that many Masons were religious, the calculated, and very scientific way of thinking the Enlightenment and Freemasonry provoked, caused a riff between them and the Church. The new findings of science were at complete odds with the basis of religion, which put many people in a paradoxical position. Unlike the religions of Western Europe, the Maya based their religion entirely off of scientific observations, which is one reason why Mayan culture fits quite comfortably into the framework of The Magic Flute.

The square, compass, and the pickax

The eye of Providence


BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MAYAN CULTURE

THE WORLD OF THE MAYA

The inspiration for this production stems from director Leon Major’s visit to the Yucatan and his recollections of the vast and mysterious Mayan ruins. Set at the site of an archeological dig in Mexico, the opera’s protagonist (in BLO’s adaption, a young college student named Tommy) is bitten by a snake and becomes enveloped in a hallucinogenic labyrinth of Mayan ruins and mythology.

The ancient Mayan civilization spanned across Mesoamerica, which ran from the southern end of Mexico through the Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, Belize, and the western edges of El Salvador and Honduras. Mayan texts dating back to 1300 BC have been discovered, though the civilization is thought to be more than 6,000 years old.

CULTURE OF THE MAYA

Though there is much about Mayan culture that remains a mystery, they are known for their sophistication. The Mayans excelled in mathematics and made great strides in science. They followed three calendars which were based on astronomical observations of the sun, moon, and planets (Venus and Mars particularly). They kept diligent logs of the motions of Venus and Mars and were able to accurately predict eclipses. Because the Mayan gods were thought to be spirits of nature the Mayans distinguished little between science and religion. They believed in a rain god, a maize god, a reptile god, among others, to whom they made human and blood sacrifices. All of the religious rituals of the Maya were dictated by these cyclic astronomical calendars.

ROYALTY AND BURIAL RITUALS

The kings of Mayan society were believed to be semi-divine and, like Egyptian rulers, were given elaborate burials in pyramids. The Mayans are known to have built some of the world’s highest pyramids (the tallest reaching almost 70 yards high in Tikal, Guatemala) and temples under which important rulers were buried. The ceremony behind the burials of Mayan leaders is, again, reminiscent of those in ancient Egypt. The leaders were painted, wrapped in cotton cloths, and laid to rest in an ornate burial chamber. Before closing the sarcophagus, they were adorned with symbolic accessories, such as a jade mask and red paint, symbolic of life-giving blood.

MAYAN WRITING AND RECORDS

Many details of the ancient Maya have been preserved thanks to their elaborate system of writing and avid documentation. The Maya wrote using a complex series of hieroglyphics that were not simply pictorial representations of words, but a language that correlated to spoken word. The Maya were the only ancient indigenous civilization with a complex form of writing. Mayan writing persists because, not only were hieroglyphics used on the less permanent mediums of pottery and murals (which are still, though rarely, uncovered), but also on oblong stone slabs, called stelae, where the chronology of kings and their victories were carved for public viewing.

THE MYSTERIOUS FALL OF THE MAYA

Toward the end of the Classical Period (near C.E. 830) many of the Mayan centers had been mysteriously abandoned. It is thought that increased warfare between the Maya elite and problems in the political systems lead to this decline; but even as late as the early 1500s, when the Spanish landed in Central America, the ancient Mayan traditions were still largely practiced. The introduction of European disease ravaged the Mayan society, and brought about drastic change. Spanish missionaries were able to translate some of the Mayan texts and these documents greatly aided in unlocking the method behind the Mayan language.


GRADE 9-10

LESSON TOPIC: UNDERSTANDING AND DEVELOPING IDEAS IN ART IN THE CONTEXT OF ITS TIME. LENGTH OF LESSON: VARIABLE

STAGE 1 – DESIRED RESULTS

Content Standard(s):

Reading 1. Analyze a theme and its development throughout an entire text.

Reading 3. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.

Reading 8. Relate a work of fiction, poetry, or drama to the seminal ideas of its time.

Writing 3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

Understanding (s)/goalsStudents will understand:• The values and accepted mindset of the era in which the

work was written.

• how to draw conclusions about characters and plot and expand upon them in creative writing.

• how to justify/defend conclusions based on understanding of the era and literature.

Essential Question(s):• How do Enlightenment and Masonic ideals manifest

themselves in Mozart’s The Magic Flute?

• What kinds of literary and musical devices does Mozart use to develop concepts and characters in The Magic Flute?

• How does Mozart keep the audience engaged (or not)? What devices were effective and which were not?

Student objectives (outcomes):Students will be able to:

• Make an historically informed analysis of characters and drama.

• Identifyhistoricalinfluences,philosophies,andsymbolswithinawork.

• Writeanengagingandlogicalnarrative.

• Createlogicalargumentsindefenseoftheiropinions.


GRADE 9-10

STAGE 3 – LEARNING PLAN

Learning Activities:Total time: Up to 6 class periods (depending on film viewing time). Variable.

Suggested Materials and Resources:• DVD Recording of The Magic Flute with the Hamburg Philharmonic conducted by Horst Stein.• Translation of The Magic Flute, (please note, BLO is using a new adaptation, that libretto is available to educators by request to

BLO): http://www.aria-database.com/translations/magic_flute.txt

Introductory Activity:Discussion activity: (One class period)• Background materials on the Enlightenment, Freemasons, and Mozart should be discussed in class for a general understanding of

the era. Observe and discuss the differences in social values during the Enlightenment (treatment of women, minorities, and the “unenlightened”).(Materials provided and other recommended sources).

Developmental Activity:Creative Writing on The Magic Flute: (Variable. At least 2 class periods to watch the production and 2 to write and share Act 2 projections. Creative writing could also be done as an at-home assignment).• Watch a traditional production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute with English subtitles in class. Watch Act I of The Magic Flute, take

notes, and discuss in class. Have students write their own Act 2 in class based on the action and foreshadows of Act 1, as well as the background information on the Enlightenment and Freemasonry. Watch Act 2. (see suggested materials)

• Have students perform their Act 2 in class in groups or read their Act 2 to the class.

Discussing The Magic Flute: (One class period)

STAGE 2 – ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Performance Task(s): • Compare the themes in The Magic Flute with Enlightenment ideals and

Freemasonry.

• Identify and expand upon at least 3 of these ideals/symbols in writing.

• Based on the discussion of Act 1 and of the Enlightenment, write Act 2 to The Magic Flute. Write a report at home justifying choices made in the Act 2 projection.

• Present Act 2 projections for the class.

• Using evidence from The Magic Flute, analyze Stephen Rumph’s assertion that “The Enlightenment promised to free humanity from instinctual desire by subjecting nature to rational analysis and judgment.”

Other Evidence:

• Gauge students’ prior knowledge of the Enlightenment and Mozart, musical knowledge, and creative writing backgrounds.

http://www.aria-database.com/translations/magic_flute.txt


GRADE 11-12

LESSON TOPIC: UNDERSTANDING AND DEVELOPING IDEAS IN MUSICLENGTH OF LESSON: VARIABLE



Reading 2. Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (how the characters are introduced and developed). Reading 3. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.

Writing 3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

Writing 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

Understanding (s)/goalsStudents will understand:• The values and accepted mindset of the time.

• Be able to draw conclusions about characters and plot and expand upon them in creative writing.

• Be able to justify/defend conclusions based on understanding of the era and literature.

• How to evaluate music for its literary qualities.

Essential Question(s):• How do Enlightenment and Masonic ideals manifest

themselves in Mozart’s The Magic Flute?

• What kinds of literary and musical devices does Mozart use to develop concepts and characters in The Magic Flute?

• How does Mozart keep the audience engaged (or not)? What devices were effective and which were not?

• What kind of literary techniques does Mozart transfer into musical theater in The Magic Flute (in music, text, staging)?


• Makeanhistoricallyinformedanalysisofcharactersanddrama.

• Identifyhistoricalinfluences,philosophies,andsymbolswithinawork.

• Writeinaninformed,yetcreativestyle.

• Createlogicalargumentsindefenseofone’sopinion.

• Listentomusiccriticallyandhearcharacterandmooddevelopmentsinthemusictosupplementtextualclues.


GRADE 11-12


Learning Activities:Total time: Up to 6 class periods (depending on film viewing time). Variable.

Suggested Materials and Resources:• DVD Recording of The Magic Flute with the Hamburg Philharmonic conducted by Horst Stein.• Translation of The Magic Flute, (please note, BLO is using a new adaptation, that libretto is available to educators by request to

BLO): http://www.aria-database.com/translations/magic_flute.txt

Introductory Activity:Discussion activity: (One class period)• Background materials on the Enlightenment, Freemasons, and Mozart should be discussed in class for a general understanding of

the era. Observe and discuss the differences in social values during the Enlightenment (treatment of women, minorities, and the “unenlightened”). (Materials provided and other recommended sources).

Listening to and understanding Mozart’s style in The Magic Flute: (One class period).• Listen to the aria “Ach, ich fühl’s” and have students list their initial impressions from the music alone, without any context. Discuss

initial reactions. Read the text and discuss further. Guide students through some of the musical devices Mozart uses to create a certain effect. Listen to the aria a second time and ask students to listen for the points discussed.

• Remind the students of a few guiding questions on what to listen for and listen to the aria “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen” and again record initial reactions. Discuss the students’ observations as a class. Listen to it a second time and bring up any new observations as a class.

• Finally do the activity once more with the aria “Der Hölle Rache.” Allow the students to read into the music on their own without guiding questions and follow up again with group discussion.

Developmental Activity:Watching The Magic Flute and creative writing: (2 class periods watching The Magic Flute. Aria writing at home assignment. Aria reading one class period)• Watch Act I of a traditional production of The Magic Flute, take notes, and discuss in class. Have students pick a character and

write an Act 2 aria based on the character development of Act 1 and Enlightenment ideals. Have students read their aria for the class. (See suggested materials)

Discussing the Enlightenment and The Magic Flute: (One class period)• After watching the whole opera, discuss how The Magic Flute is a prime example of Enlightenment philosophy. Discuss any

Enlightenment ideals present in the production or Masonic symbols. Discuss what aspects of The Magic Flute enhanced the drama or detracted from it. (Materials included)

Closing Activity:Writing activity on The Magic Flute: (at home assignment)• Have students write about what they thought the most effective and ineffective musical aspects of The Magic Flute were.

Have students look at the opera as a whole as well as individual characters.


Performance Task(s): • Compare the themes in “The Magic Flute” with Enlightenment ideals and Freemasonry.

• Listen to 3 different arias in class and listen for the ways in which Mozart expresses literary aspects (imagery, character development, setting, etc.) via music.

• Based on Act 1 and discussion of the Enlightenment, write an Act 2 aria for a character of The Magic Flute.

• Present Act 2 arias to the class.

• Write an analysis of the effectiveness of Mozart’s musical style and choices in The Magic Flute.

Other Evidence:

• Gauge students’ prior knowledge of the Enlightenment and Mozart, musical knowledge, and creative writing backgrounds.

http://www.aria-database.com/translations/magic_flute.txt


MUSICAL DEVICES AND HOW TO LISTEN• Tempo and rhythm: is the music fast, slow, steady? Are the rhythms stately, playful, grave?• Key: is it in major or minor? (does it sound bright and happy or sad?)• Contour of a line: does the voice move smoothly or does it make frequent or erratic jumps? Do the vocal lines move noticeably

downward or upward? Does the type of voice singing (baritone, soprano, etc.) have an affect on the listener? • Dynamics/volume : is the music loud or soft? Are there sudden changes in volume (either in the voice or orchestra)?• Predictability: do the melodies end as you would expect or do they surprise you?

SECOND LISTENING AND FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS• What is the orchestra doing in contrast to the voice? / How do they interact?• What sorts of images or atmospheres come to mind when listening to the music? Does it remind you of something? • Do particularly emphatic notes ( low , high , held) correspond to dramatic moments in the text?• Does this sound like music for a serious or comic character?

ACH ICH FÜHL’S (PAMINA, SOPRANO)• Minor key, slow tempo, almost dragging feel to the orchestral part• Mostly downward moving vocal line (almost sounds like sighing) lends to the tragic mood.• Particularly low, sustained note on the word death (Tode) towards the end of the aria adds drama.• Generally soft, fluid quality to the music. The soft volume of the song makes the few dynamic swells sound anguished. • Lots of chromatic changes in music, creating some unexpected melodies and harmonies. The unpredictable melodies are perhaps

reflective of her confused mental state.

EIN MÄDCHEN ODER WEIBCHEN (PAPAGENO, BARITONE)• Major key, sounds bright and happy, playful change between fluid and choppy singing, upbeat tempo.• Instrumentation: prominent glockenspiel (like a xylophone, but metal). The glockenspiel has a very bright, innocent sound (clues that the

music is for a comic character).• Simple, predictable melody (again clues that this is not an aria of an “Enlightened” character).

DER HÖLLE RACHE (QUEEN OF THE NIGHT, SOPRANO):• Minor key, fast tempo, lots of jolting dynamic contrast (between loud and soft) both in the orchestra and in the vocal line. • The vocal line is all over the map, from low to very high. This implies aggression and agitation and gives a clue that he is probably a

villainous character. • The volume and high range of singing sounds shrill and aggressive.• The excessively high and often upward moving vocal line gives the impression of shrieking anger. • Dynamic and texture of orchestra sounds very stormy, like rumbling or thunder.

INTERPRETING MUSIC

Things to keep in mind when writing an aria for a certain character:• The context of the opera, as well as the beliefs of the era it was written in (in this case the Enlightenment).• The character’s personality and personal beliefs/situation. Is the character comic, serious, introspective, slapstick? Are they enlightened or

unenlightened? All of these considerations can influence the language and poetic style used in the aria. • The character should sing about a specific conflict in their aria. Think about what you think will come next in the plot and decide what

kinds of problems/dilemmas the character is likely to face in Act 2. The aria should center this conflict.

DRAMATIC WRITING FOR AN OPERA ARIA


GRADE 9-10

LESSON TOPIC: TRACING AND INTERPRETING THEMES IN THE MAGIC FLUTE LENGTH OF LESSON: VARIABLE



Reading 1. Analyze a theme and its development throughout an entire text.

Reading 2. Analyze how complex characters develop over the course of a text, interactwith other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

Reading 4. Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment.

Understanding (s)/goalsStudents will understand:• The advantages and disadvantages of different types of

media when used to convey the same message.

• How to choose the most effective medium to convey their own message.

Essential Question(s):• What are the advantages and disadvantages of using

different types of media to convey a message?

• How do movies differ from stage productions in terms of character and theme development? Which do you think is more successful and why?

• What are some alternative ways to express complex characters and themes other than the ways studied in class?


• MakeobservationsattheFinalDressRehearsalabouttheirownchosenthemeorcharacter.

• Interpretobservationsinacreativemanner.

• Contemplate and discuss the advantages and limitations of different types of media such as film, newspaper, live productions, visual art, etc.

• FollowandanalyzeaspecificthemeorcharacterthroughouttwosettingsofThe Magic Flute.

• Discusstheprosandconsofeachsetting’sinterpretationofthethemeorcharacter.

• Discover which alternative method each student personally thinks would best portray the same theme or character, then create a project to prove why they believe this is the best method. (There is not one right answer for which is the best method; it simply matters that the student has a reason for choosing a specific medium and is able to back up their decision.)


GRADE 9-10


Learning Activities:Total time: 3-4 class periods, plus a variable amount of time to create the final project as homework.

Suggested Materials and Resources:Different recordings of one scene from The Magic Flute. Suggestions:• Papageno/Papagena duet from a traditional staged version (Live Recording from The Opéra National De Paris, 2001, directed

by Benno Besson) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87UE2GC5db0• Papageno/Papagena duet from a traditionally staged made-for-TV film version (The Magic Flute, 1975, directed by Ingmar

Bergman) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpF6LRLGZLo• Papageno/Papagena duet from a film version with a non-traditional setting (set during WWI) (The Magic Flute, 2006, directed

by Kenneth Branagh) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNuM9Z4MEQw

Before Viewing the Movie and Live Performance of Opera: • Split students into groups of 3-4, and assign each group a character or theme to follow during the movie and the opera. Ask them

to take notes on the specific treatment of the character or theme in each form of media.

Introductory Activity:Discussion of media types (one class period)• As a class, discuss different forms of media and the advantages and disadvantages of each one. Play the three different

media portrayals of the Papageno/Papagena duet for the class (or other recordings), and ask the students to comment on the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment. What differs between a stage production, a traditional film, and a non-traditional film? Discuss in terms of characterization, costuming, sets, etc.

• For homework, assign the students to create a list of elements that worked and elements that did not for their chosen theme or character as it was portrayed in the movie and in the BLO stage production.

Developmental Activity:Group work (two to three class periods, plus a variable amount of time outside of class)• Break the students up into same groups by theme/character and ask them to compare and discuss lists of advantages and

disadvantages.• Each group should brainstorm a creative use of artistic medium that they think would best portray their theme or character, other

than a stage production or a film. • Give each group a reasonable amount of time to complete a project or presentation with their chosen media. (For example, a

visual art project, a mock newspaper or magazine article, a short video, a live performance for the class, a pitch for a novel, etc.). Consider giving the students another day in class to work.

Closing Activity:Ask each group to present their projects to the class through a presentation or performed demonstration, once finished. The presentation must include a reason or defense as to why the group picked their particular medium.


Performance Task(s): • Follow a specific character or theme throughout The Magic

Flute movie and stage production, taking notes on both.

• Create a list of elements that worked and elements that did not for each production’s treatment of the character or theme.

• In groups, create an original representation of the theme or character chosen/assigned.

• Present original representation to the class, and explain/defend why your group has chosen this particular medium.

Other Evidence:• Notice how easily students are able to track the

development of a character or a theme in the movie and the stage production.

• Note if students’ lists of elements that worked and did not work for each production’s treatment of their chosen character or theme are well thought out and supported.

• Ensure students’ creative representations reflect a full understanding of the opera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87UE2GC5db0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpF6LRLGZLo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNuM9Z4MEQw


GRADE 11-12

LESSON TOPIC: ANALYZING AND WRITING A CRITICAL REVIEW LENGTH OF LESSON: VARIABLE



Reading Standard 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text.

Reading Standard 5. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.

Reading Standard 6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.

Writing Standard 1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. (Including all the sub-points of this standard)

Writing Standard 8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation. (optional)

Understanding (s)/goalsStudents will understand:• Which aspects of a critical review are the most

effective and convincing.

• How to properly write a critical review with points supported by outside sources.

Essential Question(s):• What devices make a written argument clear, convincing, and

engaging?

• Why is it important to support an argument with outside sources?

• How does the author of a critical review support one’s opinionated claims, in order to convince the reader to agree with them? How can you do this with your own writing?


• Analyze and annotate a critical review, paying specific attention to the thesis statement of the argument and the points that support it, as well as effective/ineffective rhetoric and structure.

• Writetheirowncriticalreviewaccordingtowhattheyhavelearnedfromtheexample(s).

• Createathesisstatementclearlystatingtheirargument.

• Fullysupportallideaswithevidencefromoutsidesources(optional).

• Organizeawrittenreviewinaneffectivemanner.


GRADE 11-12


Learning Activities:Total time: 2-3 class periods, plus a variable amount of time to write the final product as homework.

Suggested Materials and Resources:• A critical review of Boston Lyric Opera’s production of The Magic Flute. (Available in the Boston Globe and other arts media

sources. Projected to be available by October 8, following the opening weekend)• A critical review of a film version of The Magic Flute. (Suggestions included below. It is not necessary that the review be of

the same film watched in class as long as the students have a full understanding of the plot of The Magic Flute. The first review included is a more literary review, whereas the other suggested links lead to more casual reviews from newspapers.)

• Access to scholarly databases, available from the school or public library. (optional)At this point, it is assumed that students have already seen a film version and Boston Lyric Opera’s live production of The Magic Flute.

Introductory Activity:Initial reading and analysis (One class period):• Have students read a critical review of a film of The Magic Flute (Bergman or Branagh versions recommended). While reading,

ask them to annotate the review, paying specific attention to the thesis statement, the supporting points of the argument, the structure of the review, and the language used by the author.

• Break students into groups of 4 or 5 and have them discuss their thoughts on the review and the specific points they annotated. As a group, they should create a list of aspects of the review that were effective and aspects that were not.

• Have each group share their lists with the rest of the class, and create a master list of everything that is and is not effective in the writing of the review on the board. Encourage students to take notes.

• For homework, ask students to begin brainstorming their own argument for a review of BLO’s production.

Developmental Activity:Writing a thesis statement and an outline (One class period)• Ask students to write a rough draft of a thesis statement for their review. • Instruct students to discuss prospective thesis statements in groups, critiquing and helping each other with wording and ideas.• Use the rest of the class period to allow students to begin brainstorming points to support their thesis statements.• Assign the students to complete a skeleton outline for homework.

Finding Sources (Optional; one class period)• If possible, bring class to the library to browse databases for outside sources to quote in their papers. • Assist students in identifying which sources are credible and which are not.

Closing Activity:Final product (variable time length)• Give the students a reasonable amount of time to complete their reviews at home.(1-2 weeks suggested) Remind them to

reference the master list of elements that do and do not work in a review created in class.• When available, ask students to read the review of BLO’s Magic Flute from The Boston Globe or elsewhere, to compare their

own work to the work of a professional. Discuss thoughts about the review in class.• Alternate/optional discussion: As a class, discuss the role of the critic in the art world. What value do they bring to the discussion

of works of performed art? Why or not is it valuable to hear one person’s opinion when art is subjective by nature?


Performance Task(s): • Annotate and discuss a critical review of Boston Lyric Opera’s production

of The Magic Flute and a critical review of a film interpretation of the opera.

• Create a thesis statement for student’s own argument about BLO’s The Magic Flute, addressing why the production was or was not effective.

• Find at least 3 outside sources to support student’s claim (optional).

• Write a clear, convincing, and engaging review of BLO’s The Magic Flute.

Other Evidence:• Notice if students are able to effectively

critique and improve each others’ thesis statements.

• Note how easily students can find sources, and if they are aware of the database resources available to them.

• Make sure students’ arguments reflect a full understanding of the opera.


BERGMAN FILM


BERGMAN FILM

Moritz, William. “The Magic Flute.” Film Quarterly 30.1 (1976): 45-49. JSTOR. Web. 5 Sept. 2013.

Other suggested reviews of productions and films of The Magic Flute• http://www.wqxr.org/#!/blogs/operavore/2013/jun/05/long-delayed-kenneth-branaghs-magic-flute-arrives-us• http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug/24/entertainment/ca-flute24• http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173CBB2CA1494CC1B779998C6896

http://www.wqxr.org/#!/blogs/operavore/2013/jun/05/long-delayed-kenneth-branaghs-magic-flute-arrives-us

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug/24/entertainment/ca-flute24

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173CBB2CA1494CC1B779998C6896


THE ENLIGHTENMENT

Bernstein, Jay. “Difficult difference: Rousseau’s Fictions of Identity.” Trans. Array The Enlightenment and its Shadows. London: Routledge, 1990. 68-83. Print.

Bristow, William, “Enlightenment”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2011/entries/enlightenment.

“History of Freemasonry.” Masonic Service Association of North America. N.p.. Web. 4 Sep 2013. http://www.msana.com/historyfm.asp.

Rumph, Stephen. Mozart and Enlightenment Semiotics. Berkeley, CA: Mozart and Enlightenment Semiotics, 2011 . Print.

MAYAN HISTORY

Benson, Elizabeth P, and Gillett G. Griffin. Maya Iconography. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 1988. Print.

Coe, Michael. The Maya. 5th ed. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1993. Print.

Dawn of the Maya. National Geographic Television, 2004. Film. 4 Sep 2013.

Demarest, Arthur. Ancient Maya: The Rise and Fall of a Rainforest Civilization. Cambridge: University Press, 2004. Print.

Fields, Virginia M, Dorie Reents-Budet, and Fasquelle R. Agurcia. Lords of Creation: The Origins of Sacred Maya Kingship. London: Scala, 2005. Print.

Fuson, Robert H. Annals of the Association of American Geographers , Vol. 59, No. 3 (Sep., 1969), pp. 494-511.

Moiseenko, Dmitriy and Stanislav Sedov. “Maya Pyramids, Tikal, Guatemala: 360° Aerial Panorama.”

Airpano. N.p.. Web. 9 Sep 2013. http://www.airpano.com/360DegreeVirtualTour.php?3D=Tikal-Guatemala.

Stevens, Cathy. “The Mayans: Ancient Astronomers.” Los Angeles Education Partnership. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2013.

THE LIFE OF MOZART

“Mozart, (Johann Chrysostom) Wolfgang Amadeus.” Great Performances, Educational Resources. PBS, n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/education/mozart.html>.

“Wolfgang Mozart.” 2013. The Biography Channel website. Sep 03 2013, 11:35http://www.biography.com/people/wolfgang-mozart-9417115.

THE MAGIC FLUTE

Broder, Nathan. “The Magic Flute.” The Great Operas of Mozart. N.p.: G. Schirmer, 1964. 325-31. Print.

“San Diego OperaTalk! with Nick Reveles: Mozart’s The Magic Flute.” San Diego OperaTalk! UCSD-TV.

San Diego, California, 8 Sept. 2000. UCTV. San Diego Opera. Web. 12 Sept. 2013. http://uctv.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=5046&subject=pet#pet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2011/entries/enlightenment

http://www.msana.com/historyfm.asp

http://www.airpano.com/360DegreeVirtualTour.php?3D=Tikal-Guatemala

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/education/mozart.html

http://www.biography.com/people/wolfgang-mozart-9417115

http://uctv.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=5046&subject=pet#pet

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