The Magic Flute: An Educational Opportunity?
It is not a secret that many “classic” works (including literature, art, music, theatre, and more) would be drastically different had they been written in the present day. One of the most obvious changes in many of these works is that our artistic environment has learned from a history that has been unkind to certain groups, including women and racial/ethnic minorities, perhaps due to art and media which normalizes such treatment and allows it to continue. Therefore, a lingering question for educators, directors, curators, and others is how to present such classic works without being insensitive to the fact that language and content can be offensive and often harmful. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute, based on the libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder, is laden with racist and misogynistic undertones — therefore, a company aiming to put on a production of the opera should take steps to address these problematic aspects, while refraining from wholly erasing them.
The Magic Flute is a racist opera in a way which moves beyond a handful of racist comments, one or two racist characters, or even a single scene that could be described as racist. The Magic Flute is racist throughout, exhibiting these attitudes at the expense of Monostatos, the only black character in the opera. Throughout the opera, Monostatos is described as “wicked,” frequently referred to as “the wicked Moor”. He views the main female character, Pamina, as a love interest (an unattainable one, due to the fact that she is white and he is not. The opera makes this reasoning obvious.) If it were to end there, The Magic Flute might actually function positively as an opera which effectively exposes racist attitudes rather than reinforces them. However, Monostatos fully lives up to all of the stereotypes prescribed to him by the racist characters in the opera. He is wicked, and acts in a violent, threatening manner towards what is depicted as an innocent, angelic, white Pamina. What is worse, when he sings “I must shun love because a black man is ugly…white is beautiful, I need to kiss her,” the opera effectively assures the audience that this is not only a black character who is wicked, but a character who is wicked because he is black (and, further, that Pamina is desirable to him because she is white).
The opera is misogynistic in the manner which most tales of this style are. It is a story in which the prince must capture the kidnapped princess, therefore rendering the main female character essentially powerless in nature. Throughout the opera, Pamina is generally passive, her role being that of simply waiting for Tamino to come and “rescue” her. Immediately upon meeting him, her entire life grows to revolve around Tamino, evidenced by the fact that she comes close to killing herself when she thinks that Tamino has fallen out of love with her. The opera is also peppered with a number of comments which effectively belittle women, including the problematic line which states “a woman does little, chatters a great deal”.
The obvious racism in The Magic Flute is not, by any means, “casual”. The label “casual” implies that it is more or less harmless, which racism never is, as even microaggressions contribute to a culture which allows people of certain races to be looked down upon and therefore harmed. Further, the racism in The Magic Flute progresses past even the realm of microaggressions, as the only black character in the opera is one which is bad-intentioned and predatory in nature, acting within and contributing to structures which generalize the entire race to be these things. Similarly, the misogyny in The Magic Flute effectively contributes to a culture which pushes women to the side and diminishes them to being less than men. Media works which deal with race and gender issues in a similar manner as The Magic Flute, of which there are many, are some of the primary contributors to a social culture which has allowed for the growth and perpetuation of these cultures.
For these reasons, one cannot ignore these issues when putting on a production of The Magic Flute. To do so would be inappropriate in a modern environment that has seen clearly the consequences of the manner of thinking which is produced by the darker aspects of the opera. However, there are many reasons why these problematic aspects should not be completely edited out of the opera, either. First, essentially the whole plot line for the libretto around which the opera is framed is based on the misogynistic archetype of a “princess-rescue” story. To do away with this would be to do away with the main conflicts of the opera, therefore doing away with the opera itself. Second, to simply take out the racist and misogynistic comments voiced in the dialogue and arias would be irresponsible, as the opera is well-known and connoisseurs would notice their absence. The audience might especially notice the deletion of particularly problematic lines, which are likely anticipated with discomfort and/or curiosity regarding how the production company has chosen to deal with them. Similarly, it would be irresponsible to alter aspects of the play which render such lines problematic in the first place (such as to cast a white actor to play Monostatos, as has been done before).
The hypothetical production proposed hereafter will take place in an American university. The audience will consist primarily of young people with either limited exposure to opera, or a refined understanding of it from academic exposure. Because of the makeup of this particular audience, there is a unique opportunity for learning and discussion. In a university setting, it would be most desirable to use these unfortunate lines and plot points as an educational opportunity. A university audience will likely be eager to learn from the work, especially about relevant race and gender issues, and work towards movement away from these past attitudes. There are many small things which can be done in the production process to ensure that the attitudes, prejudices, and stereotypes reflected in the play do not appear to reflect those of the production company. First, notes should be added to the program which outline in detail the problematic aspects of the opera, explain precisely what makes them problematic, and describe the negative consequences which arise from holding such views or perpetuating such stereotypes. Second, announcements should be made before the production begins that describes the context in which the libretto was written — a white, male, heterosexual, predominantly bourgeois Enlightenment cultural period — and assure that these views do not rightly belong in our modern society. It should also emphasize the fact that, while the culture of the past explains why these attitudes were held, it does not warrant their forgiveness. The announcement may also disclaim that the company does not condone or support any negative views or attitudes expressed in the opera. The original themes and aims of the opera may also be discussed, so that the issues regarding race and gender do not fully distract from the intentions of the opera, including man’s search for love, knowledge, and fulfillment. Third, as occurs after many stage productions in university settings, there should be an open dialogue following the production which discusses these aspects of The Magic Flute and its implications in studies of Mozart and the opera, as well as in studies regarding race and gender in the media as a whole. This dialogue should be optional, perhaps even held on a different day in a casual seminar room or lecture hall, but open to all audience members who wish to discuss or voice concerns about the production or about the opera as a whole. Cast members, crew members, producers, and directors should be present at the open dialogue. It would also be wise to encourage the attendance of professors and scholars on Mozart, the opera, racial studies, and gender studies.
Mozart’s The Magic Flute is not, by any means, a flawless work. It is brimming with racist and misogynistic lines, scenes, characters, and undertones which can arguably make watching it, from a modern viewpoint, quite an uncomfortable experience. However, classic works which expose the audience to problematic viewpoints of a less-than-perfect past can be valuable in ensuring we move away from these attitudes, stereotypes, and prejudices, especially when the works are presented as an educational opportunity rather than an untouchable masterpiece meant only for viewing pleasure.
Endnotes
Ashley, Tim. “Whitewashed or Just Plain Colourless?” The Guardian. 9 July, 2008. Accessed 10 May, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/jul/09/classicalmusicandopera.comment
East, Ben. “‘The Magic Flute’: Masterpiece or Misogyny?” 9 September 2018. Accessed 10 May, 2019. https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/on-stage/the-magic-flute-masterpiece-or-misogyny-1.768235
The Metropolitan Opera. “Synopsis: The Magic Flute.” Accessed 10 May, 2019. https://www.metopera.org//discover/synopses/the-magic-flute/?INSTITUTION_LOGOUT=true
