Whitney Houston never sang Mozart's "Queen of the Night"

Unity is an ironic subject to address during the Enlightenment time, as Subotnik has done in her article "Whose Magic Flute", when individualism and personal thinking reign supreme. The characters of Papageno, 'The Queen of the Night', and Tamino were diagnosed in an attempt to convince the reader that these three seemingly unrelated characters were in fact unified by a common theme, exemplifying the Enlightenment thought that "social rank does not equal human worth" (20). The bridges that connect these three seemingly unrelated characters, one, a working-class bird catcher, another, the impassioned and wronged Queen, and yet another still, a noble prince that is unexpectedly taken up in the affairs of these people after a freak encounter with a snake. These bridges are not made of wood or steel, but of text and musical key. Subotnik is not lacking in her musical analysis, in fact she pursues this facet of her argument ad nauseam. Her discussion, though articulate, seems rather verbose and pretentious at times, dulling the reader with her whimsical and sometimes exaggerate claims.

The article did, however, raise some interesting questions about Enlightenment thought:

1) What are some of the unifying themes that Subotnik puts forth for connecting this cast of characters? Is it safe to relate them in the way that she did? Or are the similarities just the result of a composer who as run out of material?

2) Soren Kierkegaard's concepts of individualism and "interpreting the meaning for yourself" are exactly what Subotnik is expressing in her article, a unique view on an popular opera that has certainly been taken apart by scholars in the many years since its creation. How else does Kierkegaard's philosophy, or the philosophy of the Enlightenment, have a home in "The Magic Flute"?

3) What aspects of "The Magic Flute" make it appeal to a "unusually diversified audience" (1)? Is it the style? The showcasing of virtuosic vocalists? The reuse of traditional melodies? Expand on Subotnik's claim that its success is because it "draws upon such a wide range of musical and theatrical traditions that it presents a basis of appeal to everyone" (2). If it is indeed so diverse, how can it be unified?

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...and for those of you wondering about the title, see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ8lto5ljhQ