The Magic Flute opera arrives in Valencia

The magic flute arrives in Valencia once again. The Palau dels Arts houses Mozart 's opera and once again brings one of the most important works in the history of music to the city. Knowing the sociocultural context in which it will be created is essential to understand what The Magic Flute really means in the world of poetry.

The influence of Il·lustració

The late 18th century marked an authentic revolution in the cultural environment of Vienna , the city where Mozart lived. Social discontent was a constant in Europe, since in almost all the countries the predominant class structure meant that a very wealthy group of rich people dominated the majority of the poor, who had no means or resources to survive and escape from the current situation.

The appearance of the mitjana class , in good part thanks to the consequences of the Industrial Revolution, will mean that power will begin to shift slowly, and that the aristocratic anara deixant will pass to the emerging bourgeoisie.

The other great influence on the life of Vienna at the end of the 18th century was the philosophical movement of Enlightenment , which spread to France and exported its new ideals of financier freedom to the Austrian capital. This philosophy is based, above all, on the establishment of the rights of individuals and the freedom of thought. Some of the most important canvis that this current will bring to Vienna will be the belief in the power of religion to improve the lives of the people and correct injustices, along with the reduction of censorship and child labor.

The French-Masonian movement and its greatest influence on Mozart

In the context of the Il·lustració, the French-Maçònic movement takes on special importance. I will understand what it means to be French in 1791 , when The Magic Flute is about to premiere, helping to see the opera from a different perspective.

Being French at this time meant opposing conventional religion and Catholic religion , which ended up excommunicating members of the Masonry on various occasions. It also meant being on the side of the French Revolution and its various concepts of revolution, from the rights of the home to Freedom, Equality and Fraternity.

The maçons were intended to serve the era of the Llums or the Enlightenment. An object similar to that of the character Sarastro and the priests who both live in his palace. The priest segueix the light and accuses the Queen of the Night of returning to the mon to the folly and superstition and, instead, he opts for the Llums that symbolize the philosophy of the Enlightenment. In short, it can be said that it is the symbol of the illustrations in this opera.

On the other hand, the dark skin of Monostatos is related to the habits worn by the Jesuits, who are the great enemies of masonry for its unique thought. In fact, all the names and music that they identify are related to the lack of songs. 'Monkeys' means 'one' and the melody revolves around a single note in most cases or, at most, using tonics and dominants.

The concept of magic also corresponds to many of the great works of the Enlightenment, as well as the novels of Voltaire. In fact, one of the greatest strengths of this opera lies in its libretto, which is equally or more important than the music for the final result of the work.

Mozart's vision of enlightened philosophy, which reflects his book, magnificently complements the practically perfect music created by The Magic Flute . The narrated story oscillates between the count of fades and the depth of the world that conveys, from the point of view of philosophy, the illustrated reality of Vienna at the end of the 18th century.

Written from the imagination of its author, and with the characteristic focus of the illustrated authors, the work is capable, through these resources, of addressing what Mozart considers great themes of humanity: brotherhood, love and music.

With The Magic Flute , Mozart proposes to create a completely new music that is based on fraternity as an essence and that, therefore, is directly linked to the thought of this Segle de les Llums. In it, love is a way of connecting others and music is the language that expresses emotions for which there are no parallels.

The power of music is one of the great themes of The Magic Flute , both at the level of physical references and illustrated symbolism.

In fact, in many passages of this opera it is about music with the most important language of communication, the one that allows showing the link between nature and that which frees many people from slavery.

Furthermore, the music is combined with dance to offer scenes like Tamino's bold les besties del bosc, or Papageno's instrument that creates rhythms that make Monostatos and his assistants dance.

In other words, music is what saves the home, it gives the connection and allows it to be expressed in a unique way.

Així mateix, Mozart proposes that the search for connection and truth – another element directly connected to enlightened philosophy – does not have to refer to an ascetic renunciation of the world. The priests of Sarastro encircle the divinity in love and in all the wealth and pleasure it provides.

The concept of home/humanity

It is worth highlighting the uses of the paraula 'humanitat' in l'opera. Sarastro himself pronounces the paraula, which is also present in the work of other composers such as Schiller and Beethoven.

This paraula is a direct reference to a new world , in which fraternity and freedom are the protagonists. In one moment, Sarastro affirms that Tamino is more than a prince, 'he is a home'.

This marvelous opera , which perfectly combines Mozart's greatest scores with a book full of Maconian and illustrated references, is about to be banned from Vienna several times for being considered Jacobin propaganda . The Magic Flute is considered Mozart's most beautiful work and one of the most sublime in history, despite having to fight against political and philosophical prejudices. Furthermore, in it, we found one of the most famous soprano àries in history : “ Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen ” ( The revenge of the infern bull in my heart ).

Paradoxally, it is going to create, moreover, in one of the most negative moments of the musician's life, when he falls into misfortune with the arrival of Emperor Leopold II, just two months after his death.