The Magic Flute Unveiled: Esoteric Symbolism in Mozart's Masonic Opera
by Jacques Chailley
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jacques ChailleyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1992-01-01
ISBN: 089281358X
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Inner Traditions
Book Reviews of The Magic Flute Unveiled: Esoteric Symbolism in Mozart's Masonic Opera
Book Review: Magic Flute dissected
Summary: 5 Stars
The tenet of this book is that the Magic Flute is not some fairy tale with farcical elements but a symbolic depiction of the Battle of the Sexes (and the elevation of Woman) in the guise of Tamino's (and Pamina's) initiation rites into the Masonic order.
The book is divided into three parts, the first dealing with the relation between Mozart and Freemasonry in general and the circumstances of the writing of the Magic Flute in particular. The second part details the Masonic beliefs and practices in the Viennese lodges at around 1800, one of which counted Mozart as a member. The third part is a detailed, scene by scene analysis of the entire opera on the basis of the original libretto, both musically as well as theatrically, applying the insights from the first two parts. Since I am a musical illiterate I cannot comment on the musical aspect.
I have a DVD of the opera and it was great fun to compare it with the analysis in the book. From the start there were serious discrepancies. The Magic Flute was not painted gold, Tamino was not an arrowless archer in Japanese dress and the Three Ladies forgot to put on their veils. (Gold is the colour of the Sun, symbol of Male superiority. Tamino without arrows signifies that as an uninitiated he lacks penetrating insights, his Japanese dress indicating he comes from the Orient, where the Sun rises. The veils are a symbol of feminine ignorance, the Ladies' flirtations over an unconscious Tamino representing an inferior kind of love, analogous to Monostatos' lusting after Pamina).
I still remember how flabbergasted I was when I first saw the opera, shocked by what seemed to me its nonsensical story. This book offers an explanation. Whether you accept it or not depends on how convincing the middle part is. Not being a Freemason the author had to reconstruct Masonic beliefs and initiation rites out of independent sources. Nevertheless the book is a stimulating read and I therefore recommend it wholeheartedly.
Summary of The Magic Flute Unveiled: Esoteric Symbolism in Mozart's Masonic Opera
Chailley, a professor of music history at the Sorbonne, reveals the coherence of the opera and the hidden significance of its characters and situations. The author relates each of these elements to the esoteric tradition from which they emanate and to Mozart's own involvement with the Masonic brotherhood.History & Criticism Books
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