Mozart's Women - Term Paper Example

? Mozart's Die Zauberflote and Don Giovanni represent two operas of opposite poles when looked at from the outside of his spectrum of writing. The roles of the women are different as well as the countries and the context. An effort will be made to find the correlating factors drawing these two operas together. Common themes will be presented and the social context will be shown to be a mitigating factor of Mozart's motivation in his writing. It will be shown that it is not the subject matter of the opera that is important but the thematic and harmonic picture which becomes universal. Don Juan changes with generations and the Magic Flute, part of the German folklore, has become a universal tale of striving through the trials and tribulations of life. Comparing the women of two operas has proven to be a false reality as most documentation has used fallacies which would be against the purpose of this paper. One example is shown is Kristi Brown's, Mozart's Women. She compared Donna Anna to a misfortunate Spanish maiden. She never once considered the social context whereas Mozart was writing an Italian opera only using the setting and subject matter of "Don Juan" with an 18th century interpretation as did Moliere use "Don Juan" in France in the precedent century. Social context were taken into account in both cases. During her lecture of Mozart's two operas, Mrs Brown never took mentioned the social context of the 18th century. It is the purpose of this paper to show how Mozart integrated the importance into his opera as a way to integrate his values and judgments as a form of communication as well as dissent. An opera buffa was the style of the period. (Grout 517) It was a light hearted opera which made the audience laugh and also to sell tickets. Mozart's Don Giovanni was opera buffa with much controversy. There was much discussion as the theme was thought to be too serious for a "funny" opera". People usually did not die nor were audiences frightened by stoned statues. Mozart's using three women characters was his own characteristic tool enabling to mix reality with storytelling. Gounoud wrote in the 19th century Don Giovanni was an "apogee of the lyrical drama, a wondrous example of truth, beauty of form, appropriateness of characterization, deep insight into the drama, purity of style, ….charm and tenderness in the love passages, and power in pathos." (Krehbiel 69) Don Giovanni "can be viewed as an archetype of every man or woman's alter ego, a man who faces that eternal conflict of the tension, desire and craving for love, and the struggle between emotion and reason, the spirit and the flesh, or the sacred and the profane". (Ballantine 19) In the 18th century period of Enlightenment, women were given intellectual and artistic liberties that the Don Juan of Moliere would never have had. These liberties were accepted as long as women adhered to the roles of the domestic life as well as appearing to support one's husband. Sexuality was open but behind the screen. Donna Anna, had she been scorned by Don Giovanni by our standards, she would have been considered as having been raped. Had she been scorned by the standards of the 18th century of Enlightenment, it would be possible to assume that he only shamed her future position as an aristocratic. Her role was to maintain the household and support her husband in appearance? Nowhere in the opera is it said why she is scorned, a 21rst century assumption is being made because of Don Giovanni's past histories with women. Much controversy has been made in literature to the extent of the role women played in the period of Enlightenment. Needless to say, Mozart was highly touched by the dichotomy of the role of women. His wife would forgive him for his philander with servant girls but not with "educated or artistic"(Stafford 119) (Paumgartner, Mozart, 273). To the extent this showed the sexual freedom of 18th century Italy. It was quite common to have extra marital affairs for both men and women. In prenuptial agreements, women were allowed their cicisbeo or man servants who served as lovers. Discretion was the only rule that was demanded by the upper society to which Don Giovanni never adhered. Donna Elvira had a love hate relationship with him. He would not have been able to access her rooms. Donna Anna would have had a "waiting room" with a man servant or her lady in-waiting attending to her. It would have been highly unlikely that she, who had a fiance, put herself in a position of having truly been violated. This is where Mozart is making the point of a woman having to put on social graces. Donna Anna shows her intelligence in her coming down in a fury and singing in t duet with Don Octavio how she wants revenge. It was not a physical affront it was an affront to her intellectual dignity that he should be able to reach her inner sanctuary. In a more symbolic interpretation, perhaps Mozart was doubting Donna Anna as a bride or maybe the opposite. Mozart liked a strong, intelligent woman who sets the rules. Donna Anna will not get married until Don Octavio revenges her father. This is usually the role of the man but Mozart reverses the male role as a female role a theme he often uses. He shows himself to be weaker than she. Mozart wrote for three feminine roles in each of his operas. In Don Giovanni, Donna Anna, seria, Zerlina, buffa and Donna Elvira both seria and buffa. Bernard Shaw concluded that Don Giovanni is a womanizer who has never succeeded in possessing one woman as he is missing the one trait it takes. He has a heart of stone (Donington 446) thus he continues looking. He runs away from Donna Anna because he didn't get what he was looking for and her father challenged his pride. His killing him was just his showing what a desperate soul he had. He goes to Donna Elvira a second time where he pretends a certain affinity. Leporello is forced to act like Don Giovanni. Donna Elvira is deceived a second time. Showing her superiority her intelligence and desire to destroy him, he is more conniving and cruel towards her. He has had two women of social aristocracy. His last womanizing is with Zerlina, a tavern maiden who is suppose to be engaged to be married. Is the circle closed as the stone statue of a man who can have no one is invited to the party. A true story of Don Juan. Zerlina gets saved by Donna Elvira and Donna Anna. Women are strong and can stand on their own two feet. The opera shows the start of the European salons for women, the literary circles and the powerful force women have over men. These are new ideas for the 19th century. They are not depended on their male counter parts. Mozart seems to respect these themes, as a child respects his teacher. Perhaps he is his own Don Giovanni. He is good friends with his wife, Constanze but she does not fulfil his intellectual nor obviously sexual needs. He falls in love with his students and beds his finest singers. He works intimately with each part he writes in order to know the capacity of each of his singers. History lies, it is impossible to know how many hearts he broke or why he was so compelled to be his worst enemy. The first Queen of the Night gave him the sickness that killed him. If today's society uses a 21rst century interpretation of Mozart, only social injustices can be found. In Die Zauberflote, the three women are also very different characters. Mozart had been surrounded by Masonry his whole life. There are Masonic themes in Don Giovanni. Die Zauberflote comes from a Chinese folktale and was currently being performed in another opera in Vienna. Mozart took Masonic symbolism to put his own touches to the tale. Similarities can be found. Mozart had three women characters in each opera. Donna Anna his seria, Donna Elvira, his mezzo caractterre, and Zerlina, his buffa. (Brown ) In Die Zauberflote, there was the Queen of the Night , Pamina and Papagana. Die Zauberflote is a German singspiel using folk songs and Germanic styles of the period. (Grout 519) Mozart kept his technique of using three singers which can be compared to the three singers of Don Giovanni. This is an unconventional interpretation but the number three is a highly significant Masonic symbol and is used throughout. The psychological interpretation of having three women constantly present in his operas have yet to be interpreted. It would be too adventurous to say one was his mother, his wife and his lover. The Queen of the Night who changes from good to bad can be compared to Donna Elvira. Pamina can be compared to Donna Anna. They both need to be rescued. Donna Anna needs to revenge her father before marrying Don Octavio as Pamina must be rescued from Sarastro in order to go through the tests to have Tamino. Papagana is Zerlina. Even Mozart calls her his opera buffa. The Queen of the Night is Donna Elvira who both show their vindictive, intelligent sides. As the three women have been compared there are also three prevelent themes in each of the two operas. (Ballantine 507) Three themes will be presented to compare the two operas: masking and unmasking; forgiveness and reconciliation. These were themes used in Mozart's operas. Whereas the Italian Enlightenment was into literary, artistic, intellectual and social changes, the German Enlightenment was more mystical as there was not the dissention with the catholic church. The non-Germanic Europeans were interested in the social injustices of all levels of society. Masks showed that the portrayals of society as it should be with social rules, and etiquette were false and pretentious. Women has no opportunity for development or showing personal feelings. Mozart was interested in showing the disparity of women's duality: how they were suppose to act (social approval) and how they wanted to act. This constituted a symbolic mask. The theme of the mask is carried over into many of his operas. Mozart's last opera Die Zauberflote can be shown also to have the theme of masks. The concept of the truth of the Queen of the Night is masked as being good as Tamino sees her (Ballantine 513)." In her first aria, she sings of her love of her abducted daughter, where as in the second aria, she sings of revenge, despite the fact she might have to give up her motherly love". (Ballantine 513) She is completely demasked in the eyes of her audiences both according to the story and the harmony of the music as the the tonality has dropped by three tonal scales. There are characters who are demasked. Sarastro starts out in the eyes of the audience as evil and slowly the audience sees he is actually good. Tamino's interpretation of the world is completely turned upside down. It has been explained how Donna Anna lives a doubled life as a "seria". When Leporello changes cloaks with Don Giovanni to seduce Donna Elvira. Donna Elvira lives a double life as a seria and a buffa. To be masked and unmasked implies a duality beyond Papageno and Papagena which is an opera buffa within a singspiel. Their duet is one of the finest opera buffa duets of Mozart. Forgiveness is also another theme. Donna Elvira who can forgive Don Giovanni at any moment , for the possibility of his love. There is also a question of forgiveness of oneself. As Mozart's operas become more symbolic, one can conclude that as he has developed as a composer he has made peace with himself. Sarastro sings to Pamina that in the Hall, there is no hatred or negative feelings, all is forgiven: the principle of Masonry. A more omnipresent concept of forgiveness is reconciliation: making peace within the mysteries of life: life and death, the sun and the moon , night and day, good and evil. The final duality of forgiveness and reconciliation. At attempt has been made to show the similarities of the characters of the three roles of women of two operas within the social norms of the 18th century. Mozart was highly influenced by the number three. In both operas, the trio was used in character and as a means of singing and performing to use the Masonic symbol of attaining perfection. The symbolic resemblance of the operas can fulfill a dissertation. As association has been made among the three women in both Don Giovanni and Die Zauberflote and the three themes of "mask", "forgiveness" and "reconciliation". As Mozart aged in life, he was highly affected by the Enlightenment and the Free Masons. His interest in the duality in which women lived and perhaps his Don Juan attitude of not being able to forgive and reconcile within his own weakness affected his music and eventually contribute to his demise. As the Enlightenment stretched across Europe, women did become more educated as scientists, artists, doctors and literary figures. He would have appreciated being introduced to women of his intellectual level. Works Cited Ballantine, Christopher, Social and Philosophical Outlook in Mozart's Operas, The Musical Quarterly, Vol 67, N°4 pp 507-526 London: Oxford University Press. 1981. Accessed 04 May 2011 http://www.jstor.org/stable/742076 Brown-Montessano, Kristi, Donna Anna, Feminine Vengeance I: The Assailed/Assailant Understanding the Women of Mozart’s Operas USA: A Simpson Book 2007. Accessed 01 May 2011 http://www.ucpress.edu/content/chapters/10622.ch01.pdf “Vivan le Femmine!” Women in Mozart’s Operas Selections from Mozart with Commentary by Professor Kristi Brown-Montesano Musicologist, Colburn Conservatory, Los Angeles http://www.crossroadsnyc.com/files/Mozart_transcript.pdf Burrow, John, edt. Classical Music USA: Dorling Kingsley. 2005. print. Donington, Robert, Opera and its Symbols USA: Yale University Press, 1991. print. Fisher, Burton D. edt. Mozart's Don Giovanni: Opera Classics USA: Opera Journey Publishing. 2005. Web http://books.google.fr/books?id=qFWkNQoa78QC Fisher, Burton D. edt. Mozart's the Magic Flute: Die Zauberflote USA:Opera Journey Publishing. 2005. Web http://books.google.fr/books?id=qFWkNQoa78QC Grout, Donald Gray & Palisca, Claude V, A History of Western Music, USA: WW Norton & Company, 2001. print. Istel, Edgar, and Baker, Theodore Mozart's "Magic Flute" And Freemasonry, The Musical Quarterly, Vol 13, N°4, pp510-527, UK: Oxford University Press 1927. Accessed 04 May 2005 http://www.jstor.org/stable/738288 J & B, Mozart, Circumstances and Characteristics, The Musical Times and Singing Class, Vol 32,pp7-15. London: Musical Times Publications Ltd. 1891.Accessed 07 May 2011 http://www/jstor.org/stable/3363960 Krehbiel, Henry Edward, A Book Of Operas Their Histories, Their Plots and Their Music. 2004. Gutenburg & eBook. Stafford, W., Mozart’s Death: A Corrective Survey of the Legends, All about Eve: Mozart and Women, London: Macmillan Press LTD, 1991. Accessed 10 May 2011http://www.aproposmozart.com/Stafford,Mozart%20&%20women%20250209.p df Zeiss, Laurel Elizabeth, Boundaries in Mozart's "Don Giovanni" Cambridge Opera Journal, N° 2 Jul 2001 pp 115-139, London: Cambridge University Press Accessed 14 May 2011 http:// www.jstor.org/stable/3593367 Read More