Though Swedish director Ingmar Bergman is mainly associated with dark dramas of existential conflict (though some comedies are also acclaimed), his filmed version of Mozart's The Magic Flute is a joy to be savored and revisited often. Put simply, c'est magnifique! One of the most well-known and loved operas in the history of music, the combination of the sublime music of Mozart, the genius of Bergman, and the magical story of the quest for wisdom keeps us entranced from beginning to end.
According to critic Peter Cowie, The Magic Flute was produced on a modest budget of only $650,000, and aired on New Year's Day, 1975 to mark the 50th anniversary of the birth of Swedish Radio. Though the opera is sung in Swedish rather than the familiar German, the overall quality of the performances, matched by the stunning cinematography by Sven Nykvist more than compensate for the unfamiliarity of the language. Of course, singers such as Josef Kostlinger as Tamino and Irma Aurilla as Pamina cannot compare to some of the great tenors and baritones of the past, but they are more than adequate.
The most enticing acting and vocal performance is given by Hakan Hagegard as a Papageno that truly captures the goofy, high spirits of the character. Kudos should also be given Ulrik Cold who makes Sarastro a revered figure of wisdom and fatherly love. Though most enjoy The Magic Flute for its fairy tale quality and its superb music, it can also be looked at as a parable dealing with the ideals of the Age of Enlightenment, a compelling poetic allegory of the soul's advancement through initiation. Tamino and Pamina go through trials in order to reach maturity and, in the process, realize the purity and love that are the goal of every spiritual seeker.
As Freemasons, Schikaneder and Mozart have placed keys to a symbolic interpretation of the text; for example, the number three, an important number in masonry, plays a prominent role in the opera. There are three long chords at the beginning of the overture, and the three chords appear again in the scene in the temple. Even the key of the overture is E flat major which has a signature of three flats B, E, A. There are also three female servants of the Queen who rescue Tamino from a dragon, three young boy angels who guide Tamino and Papageno, and three trials to gain entrance into the Brotherhood.
Some critics have mentioned instances of racism and sexism in the opera; however, though Monostatos is a Moor and refers in a derogatory manner to his blackness, he sings an aria with the words, "skin color matters not when one is love," reflecting the Masonic ideal of the brotherhood of man. Others point to sexism in the instructions given to Tamino and Papageno to avoid the allures of women. These instructions, however, can be seen in the light of an important tenet of Freemasonry - to gain control of your passions, rather than let them control you. While it is no secret that mainstream Lodges exclude women, there are many non-mainstream Masonic bodies that do admit both men and women or exclusively women.
Gorgeously filmed on a sound stage in the Swedish Film Institute that recreates the famous Drottningholm Palace Theater, The Magic Flute was shot before a live audience using pre-recorded sound and often focuses on audience reaction, especially on the face of an angelic little girl. If you do not think opera is for you, try this one. You may be surprised about how delightful a filmed opera can be. The camera brings us much closer to the characters than is possible in a live performance, and close-ups and camera angles provide a feeling of intimate connection with the singers. If nothing else works for you, the "Popagano/Popagana" duet at the end of Act Two will put you in a good mood that may last days, even weeks – who knows? Maybe forever.
According to critic Peter Cowie, The Magic Flute was produced on a modest budget of only $650,000, and aired on New Year's Day, 1975 to mark the 50th anniversary of the birth of Swedish Radio. Though the opera is sung in Swedish rather than the familiar German, the overall quality of the performances, matched by the stunning cinematography by Sven Nykvist more than compensate for the unfamiliarity of the language. Of course, singers such as Josef Kostlinger as Tamino and Irma Aurilla as Pamina cannot compare to some of the great tenors and baritones of the past, but they are more than adequate.
The most enticing acting and vocal performance is given by Hakan Hagegard as a Papageno that truly captures the goofy, high spirits of the character. Kudos should also be given Ulrik Cold who makes Sarastro a revered figure of wisdom and fatherly love. Though most enjoy The Magic Flute for its fairy tale quality and its superb music, it can also be looked at as a parable dealing with the ideals of the Age of Enlightenment, a compelling poetic allegory of the soul's advancement through initiation. Tamino and Pamina go through trials in order to reach maturity and, in the process, realize the purity and love that are the goal of every spiritual seeker.
As Freemasons, Schikaneder and Mozart have placed keys to a symbolic interpretation of the text; for example, the number three, an important number in masonry, plays a prominent role in the opera. There are three long chords at the beginning of the overture, and the three chords appear again in the scene in the temple. Even the key of the overture is E flat major which has a signature of three flats B, E, A. There are also three female servants of the Queen who rescue Tamino from a dragon, three young boy angels who guide Tamino and Papageno, and three trials to gain entrance into the Brotherhood.
Some critics have mentioned instances of racism and sexism in the opera; however, though Monostatos is a Moor and refers in a derogatory manner to his blackness, he sings an aria with the words, "skin color matters not when one is love," reflecting the Masonic ideal of the brotherhood of man. Others point to sexism in the instructions given to Tamino and Papageno to avoid the allures of women. These instructions, however, can be seen in the light of an important tenet of Freemasonry - to gain control of your passions, rather than let them control you. While it is no secret that mainstream Lodges exclude women, there are many non-mainstream Masonic bodies that do admit both men and women or exclusively women.
Gorgeously filmed on a sound stage in the Swedish Film Institute that recreates the famous Drottningholm Palace Theater, The Magic Flute was shot before a live audience using pre-recorded sound and often focuses on audience reaction, especially on the face of an angelic little girl. If you do not think opera is for you, try this one. You may be surprised about how delightful a filmed opera can be. The camera brings us much closer to the characters than is possible in a live performance, and close-ups and camera angles provide a feeling of intimate connection with the singers. If nothing else works for you, the "Popagano/Popagana" duet at the end of Act Two will put you in a good mood that may last days, even weeks – who knows? Maybe forever.