The secrets of Mozart’s “Magic Flute” - Joshua Borths
A boy named Prince Tamino
runs through a dark wood
pursued by a dragon.
Just as it rears up to devour him,
three mysterious ladies appear
and slay the dragon
with their fierce battle cry.
So begins Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's
"Die Zauberflöte,"
or "The Magic Flute."
This fantasy singspiel,
a type of folk opera with music
and dialogue,
premiered in 1791 in Vienna.
Though it may seem
like a childish fairytale,
this intricate opera is full of
subversive symbolism,
and it's now regarded as one of the most
influential operas in history.
Tamino's run in with the dragon
is only the start of his journey.
The three women summon their leader,
the Queen of the Night.
She, in turn, sends Tamino on a quest
to rescue her daughter Pamina
from the evil sorcerer, Sarastro.
And to help him on his journey,
she gives him the titular magic flute.
Tamino eventually finds Pamina
at Sarastro's temple,
but behind enemy lines,
Tamino and Pamina learn
that they're on the wrong side.
The Queen of Night actually wants
to plunge the world into darkness.
Everything Tamino thought he knew
was wrong,
filling him with doubt and confusion.
So, a new quest begins for Tamino
and Pamina.
They must pass three trials of wisdom,
and only then can the day
vanquish the night.
Helped by the flute's magic power,
the two youths overcome these trials
and the Queen's attempts to sabotage them.
They're finally initiated into the temple
having restored balance to the kingdom.
Many elements in this peculiar fairytale
were inspired by Mozart's involvement
in Freemasonry,
a network of fraternal organizations
throughout Europe.
Much of their history, symbolism,
and ritual came from the Middle Ages.
But the Freemasons of Mozart's time
were also influenced
by 18th century European ideals -
rationalism, humanism, and skepticism
towards traditional authorities,
like monarchy and the church.
The symbols of Freemasonry
and these ideals of the Enlightenment
are found throughout the opera.
If this sounds like a conspiracy theory,
that's because it sort of was at the time,
but it's now taken quite seriously
and has been the subject of considerable
scholarly publication.
For example, some Mozart scholars
believe the Queen of the Night
symbolizes Maria Theresa,
the Empress of the Holy Roman Empire
who opposed Freemasonry
and banned it in Austria.
While there continues to be debate
as to the specific meaning,
interpretation,
and location of these masonic references,
scholars agree that they're there
and are fully intentional.
One of these symbols is the number three,
which represented balance and order
to Freemasons.
Now the number three is, of course,
easy to find in any work of storytelling,
but it's particularly prominent
in "The Magic Flute":
three trials,
three ladies,
three spirits,
and three doors,
much of the music
is written in E-flat major,
which has three flats
in its key signature,
and historically, masonic rituals
began with three knocks.
The opera references them by opening
with three majestic chords
complete with dramatic pauses.
Those chords, which reoccur
throughout the opera,
serve another purpose.
They capture the dramatic
arc of the opera in miniature.
The first chord, E-flat major,
is in its most natural root position,
simple and unadorned.
It echoes the child-like Prince Tamino,
who, in his naiveté, accepts everything
the Queen and her ladies say
without question.
The second chord is C minor,
a sour sonority that mirrors Tamino's
sadness and doubt
in the middle of the opera.
That's when his world and notions of
good and evil get turned on their heads.
And good and evil are just two of the
opera's extreme opposites.
It features some of the highest
and lowest notes in opera,
day and night,
simple hummable melodies
and complicated forward-looking music.
The opera's central theme concerns
balancing these extremes
to achieve perfect harmony.
To reflect this,
the final chord in the opening
restores musical order.
It returns to the triumphant E-flat major,
the same chord it started with
but inverted,
meaning Mozart moved the bottom note
to the top.
Although it retains its original harmony,
the chord sounds higher,
pointing towards enlightenment.
That's similar to Tamino,
who in passing his trials restores balance
to the kingdom
while growing stronger, wiser,
and more complete.
