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Enjoy some Magic!

© Deborah Jeter

If you haven't treated yourself to a good helping of opera lately, you should give "The Magic Flute" a chance. Don't look at it as that dreaded side dish but rather dive right in to the entree and sheer "magic" of Mozart's fun-filled side. Opera is not all serious and many of my students have found this opera to be very enjoyable.

The bird-catcher in "The Magic Flute" is Papageno, a comical character. He plays a pan pipe and some magic bells. Tamino, an Egyptian prince, is the hero of the story and the player of the magic flute. They seek to rescue Pamina, the princess, who has been carried off by a sorcerer.

First, how about a little background on the composer himself to get your little audience "listening ready."

Mozart
More on Mozart
And a quick-and-easy course on opera terms can prove to be very helpful in presenting opera to "virgin opera-ears."
Opera Terms

Now, on to the listening. Even though these are just clips, they are good samplers for what is in store when preparing your class for the entire performance.

"The Magic Flute" Listening Sampler

Listening clips.
A complete recording can be found at: Opera World. "The Magic Flute" is one of their top ten most requested operas.

More listening resources by Mozart can be found at:

Mozart's Music

Activities for "The Magic Flute" listening lesson:
1. Listen to the overture and discuss -- Opening chords: Ask the class to think of two or three adjectives that describe the emotion that is expressed. Then think of colors, smells, movements, shapes, sizes, textures, that "feel" the same way. (example: happy, sad, comic, etc.)

2. Listen to an aria: A) Discuss the voice types: Which type of voice sings the aria? (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, etc.)

B) Discuss how the elements in the music can change a person's reaction to it: If the aria were staccato, (short, crisp) instead of legato, (smooth, long), would it create a different emotion and why?

Some trivia that may interest the learners and a great way to tie in a mini-history lesson.

What was going on when Mozart wrote "The Magic Flute?"

1789: George Washington becomes the first President of the United States. The United States was only 13 years old.

Mr. Christian stages a very real mutiny on the Bounty.

Nine out of every ten Americans make a living by farming.

Benjamin Franklin dies on April 17 in Philadelphia at the unheard-of age of 84. Philadelphia is the capital city of the United States and plans are underway to build a new capital city called Washington in honor of the first president.

Nails cost so much that when a building burns down they are

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