The Magic Flute is widely regarded as one of the best introductions to the world of opera for children. (Having been a child introduced to opera by The Magic Flute, I wholeheartedly support that belief.) So it's no surprise that an array of picture book adaptations have been published to introduce children to the story. Over time I've collected as many of those picture books as I've been able to find. But the one that seems to be the most widely available nowadays is this 2008 edition, written and illustrated by Kyra Teis. Throughout the last ten years I've repeatedly found it in the children's corners of music venues' gift shops and in bookstores with shelves devoted to introducing children to classical music.
Teis's retelling is brief, concise, and told in poetic yet simple language, easy for children to understand – though the plot just might be more simplified than it needed to be.
The first half follows the opera closely, except that the characters of Monostatos and the Three Boys are omitted, as are Papageno's magic bells and the padlocking of his mouth, and Tamino's enchanting of the animals comes before he reaches Sarastro's realm rather than after. The animals replace the Three Boys in leading him there. Pamina is also said to be the heir to Sarastro's Kingdom of Light (inspired by the Bergman film, perhaps) and the Queen of the Night's villainy is explained with the claim that "She wants to destroy everything that is good, even her own daughter." That wording will probably miff Queen-sympathizers, since in the opera, no one implies that she would ever kill her daughter – the threat is that she would lead her astray from the noble life the gods intend for her.
The second half departs further from the source. Tamino and Papageno undergo the Trials of Silence, Patience and Courage: not to gain initiation into Sarastro's brotherhood, but simply to win Pamina and Papagena as their brides. The Trial of Silence consists only of the Three Ladies trying to tempt Tamino and Papageno. Neither Pamina nor the Old Woman appear at this point, so there's no heartbroken misunderstanding or suicide attempt on Pamina's part. Then comes the Trial of Patience, in which Tamino and Papageno are given delicious food but expected to have the patience not to eat any of it, and of course Tamino succeeds but Papageno fails. This is obviously inspired by the food the Three Boys bring the young men during their trials in the opera, which Tamino is too absorbed in his flute's music to eat, but which isn't part of a test itself. Finally comes the Trial of Courage, which is the fire and water: Pamina in her first appearance since Act I (!), joins Tamino and urges him to play the magic flute to protect them, as in the opera. Following their victory, Sarastro declares that the two lovers will inherit his Throne of Light and the Queen of the Night will have no power over them. The defeated Queen (also in her first appearance since Act I – there's no commanding of her daughter to kill Sarastro) and her Ladies are seen flying away on a giant bird, "into eternal darkness."
Papageno is disappointed that he hasn't won a Papagena, but doesn't attempt suicide. Instead the Old Woman appears here for the first time, brought forth by Sarastro. Papageno is shaken at first, but instead of being comically coerced into agreeing to marry her, he thinks about it, realizes that she might still be a good wife to him despite her looks, and willingly agrees. This of course was a test, and as Papageno's reward for passing it, the Old Woman changes into Papagena and Sarastro grants him her hand in marriage. The final page depicts no grand initiation for Tamino and Pamina, but simply shows the two couples walking happily over a sunlit hill "to a new life of peace and happiness – with the music of the magic flute to guide their way."
My main disappointment with all this condensing is that it makes the story much more male-focused and downplays the roles of Pamina and the Queen of the Night. All of Pamina's suffering and personal growth is omitted, so even though she joins and guides Tamino through the fire and water, the moment feels less earned than in the opera – she comes across mainly as Tamino's reward, which is a role she far transcends in the original. But I know this retelling is easier for children to understand than a more detailed retelling would be, and it omits the less child-friendly aspects of the opera too (Monostatos, the two suicide attempts, etc.), which I can appreciate.
Besides, the last page reveals that Teis intended her book to be only the beginning of a child's journey with The Magic Flute. After brief biographies of Mozart and the author, the book end with a page of activity recommendations, with the header "Make Your Own Mozart Magic." The suggested activities include looking for recordings of the opera at the library, reading the libretto, and comparing and contrasting it with the picture book. Other suggestions include designing your own sets and costumes for the opera, acting out scenes from it, and writing journals in the voices of the characters.
Meanwhile, there's one aspect of the book to which I have no objections whatsoever: the beautiful illustrations. Richly detailed, in bright, bold colors, and with a blend of soft paint and collage, they enliven every page. Children, especially fairy tale-loving girls, will easily be lured into the fantasy world of the story by the inviting images.
Furthermore, Teis thoroughly omits the opera's unfortunate racist elements, not only by leaving out Monostatos, but by adding diversity throughout the whole cast of characters. The only two people portrayed as white and dressed in European-style clothes are the blonde, blue-eyed Papageno and Papagena, in their multicolored, feather-trimmed approximations of classic Old World peasant garb. The dusky-skinned Tamino's appearance and costume have a Mongolian look, and in the opening scene a distinctly Asian-inspired dragon chases him, while Pamina, the Queen of the Night and the Three Ladies all have a Desi-like appearance, both in their dark-skinned, raven-haired beauty and in their exotic gowns and jewelry. Meanwhile, the golden-robed Sarastro is portrayed as a black man, with golden African-style beads in his long gray hair, and he rules over a distinctly mosque-like temple. Far from making non-white children feel excluded, as a more strictly faithful rendition of the opera might, this retelling gives them a fairy tale world full of people who look like them.
While it's far from an exact replica of the opera on the printed page, this Flute retelling would probably serve as a fine introduction to the story for elementary schoolers. I can easily see it becoming a child's favorite picture book and leading her to fall in love with the opera too. Hopefully, in most cases that's exactly what will happen: this pretty, charming book serving as a gateway to the opera's greater depth and musical glories.
No comments:
Post a Comment